Describe Some Aspects of Your Learning About Helping in a Counselling Way and What This Has Taught You About Yourself
Birbeck University: Introduction to Counselling Course
Term 1, Coursework essay: 19th February 2013 (submission date)
Author: Monica Malkani
Describe some aspects of your learning about helping in a counselling way and what this has taught you about yourself
This essay aims to address a number of aspects of counselling that I have found particularly interesting since starting the introductory course in Counselling in October 2012. This will include a brief history of counselling; what it means to help in a “counselling way” from both a client and counsellor’s perspective and what the course has taught me as an individual.
Reflecting on the history of counselling and considering today’s society and culture, I believe there is now a greater need to help others in a counselling way than there has been before. A variety of factors such as the media, social networking, advanced technologies and an increasing focus on individualism have arguably resulted in us being less able to recognise our inner identity at a deeper subconscious level, thereby leaving us feeling less attached to who we really are and to others we might have relationships with.
Many of us have had some experience of helping others in a counselling way, although we may not perceive that help to be any more than genuinely listening to someone’s problems and providing them with the space, time and encouragement to resolve them. In fact, the role of a helper, in a psychological context can be performed by anyone, not just a trained and qualified counsellor or therapist.
Nelson-Jones, R (2004 p.3-10) suggests there are seven main categories of people who either use or can use counselling skills in a helping way. Some of these key categories are: • Professional counsellors and psychotherapists who are suitably trained, accredited and paid for their therapeutic services • Paraprofessional counsellors those trained in counselling skills but do not hold an accredited counselling
Term 1, Coursework essay: 19th February 2013 (submission date)
Author: Monica Malkani
Describe some aspects of your learning about helping in a counselling way and what this has taught you about yourself
This essay aims to address a number of aspects of counselling that I have found particularly interesting since starting the introductory course in Counselling in October 2012. This will include a brief history of counselling; what it means to help in a “counselling way” from both a client and counsellor’s perspective and what the course has taught me as an individual.
Reflecting on the history of counselling and considering today’s society and culture, I believe there is now a greater need to help others in a counselling way than there has been before. A variety of factors such as the media, social networking, advanced technologies and an increasing focus on individualism have arguably resulted in us being less able to recognise our inner identity at a deeper subconscious level, thereby leaving us feeling less attached to who we really are and to others we might have relationships with.
Many of us have had some experience of helping others in a counselling way, although we may not perceive that help to be any more than genuinely listening to someone’s problems and providing them with the space, time and encouragement to resolve them. In fact, the role of a helper, in a psychological context can be performed by anyone, not just a trained and qualified counsellor or therapist.
Nelson-Jones, R (2004 p.3-10) suggests there are seven main categories of people who either use or can use counselling skills in a helping way. Some of these key categories are: • Professional counsellors and psychotherapists who are suitably trained, accredited and paid for their therapeutic services • Paraprofessional counsellors those trained in counselling skills but do not hold an accredited counselling
References: 1. Aldridge, S., Rigby, S. (2011) ‘Counselling Skills in Context’. London: Hodder Education 2. Kennedy, E & Charles, C. S (1990) ‘On Becoming a Counsellor: A basic guide for non-professional counsellors’, new expanded edition, Gill and Macmillan, pp.23 – 47 3. McLeod, J. (2009) ‘An Introduction to Counselling’. Fourth edition. Open University Press. pp 1 4. Nelson-Jones, R (2004) ‘Introduction to Counselling Skills: Texts and Activities’. Second Edition, Sage publication Ltd. pp.3-10 5. Nelson-Jones, R. (2006) ‘Theory and practice of Counselling and Therapy’. Fourth edition, Sage Publications Ltd. pp107 6. Saunders, P. (2011) ‘First Steps in Counselling: A students’ companion for introductory courses’. Fourth edition, Ross-on-Wye, PCCS Books. Pp36-38 7. http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/behavioural.html accessed on 22nd January 2013 8. http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html accessed on 22nd January 2013 9. http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/23592_9781847873385_Ch01.pdf accessed on 27th January 2013 10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs) accessed on 7th February 2013