THE MEANING OF COUNSELING Glanz (1972) defines counseling as an open-ended, face to face problem solving situation within which

a student, with professional assistance, can focus and begin to solve a problem or problems. Rogers (1965) speaks of counseling as the assistance which comes to a child through face to face contact, with a professionally trained person in a psychological relationship using either talk or play as the primary medium of communication. He also speaks of counseling as a relationship in which one of the parties has the intent of promoting the growth, development , maturity and improved functioning of the order. Shostrom and Brammer reinforced by defining counseling as a purposeful, reciprocal relationship between two people in which one, a trained person, helps the other to change himself for his environment According to Brewer (1933) counseling is talking over, a conference, a friendly discussion, upon as equal terms as may be, with no attmpt to impose a decision, and with every effort to stimulate the thought of the student to find or generate such technical knowledge and wisdom as will lead him to a right decision. Counseling is both a process and a relationship. As a process, it uses appropriate tools and procedures which contribute to the experiences. It is also a relationship characterized by trust, confidence and intimacy.

THE NATURE OF COUNSELING Ford and Urban cited four natures of counseling: 1. Counseling involves two people in interaction 2. The mode of interaction is usually limited to the verbal realm; the counselor and counselee talk with one another. 3. The interaction is relatively prolonged since alteration of behavior takes time. 4. The purpose of the relationship is change in the behavior of the counselee. These four major points highlight the fact that counseling is a collaborative relationship that permits counselees to freely express and explore themselves and the issues which are of concern to them. PURPOSES OF COUNSELING According to Dunsmoor and Miller (1955), the purposes of counseling are: 1. To give students information on the matters important to his adjustment and growth; 2. To get information about the student which will be of help to him in solving his problems; 3. To establish a feeling of mutual understanding between pupil and teacher; 4. To help the pupil work out a plan for solving his difficulties; 5. To help the pupil know himself better, his interests, abilities , aptitudes and available opportunities; 6. To encourage special talents and develop right attitudes; 7. To inspire successful endeavor toward the attainment or realization of objectives; 8. To assist the pupil in planning for his educational and vocational choices

THE ROLE OF THE COUNSELOR In order to be effective in its undertaking, the following should be carried out be a counselor: 1. To provide a relationship between counselor and counselee, the most prominent quality of which Is that of mutual trust with each other; 2. To provide alternatives in self-understanding and in the courses of action open to the client; 3. To provide for some degree of intervention of the situation in which the client finds himself and with important others in the clients immediate life; 4. To provide leadership in developing a healthy psychological environment for his clients; and 5. To provide for improvement of the counseling process through constant individual criticism and extensive attention to improvement of process through research.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF COUNSELING PROCESS (Downing,1965) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Anticipating the interview Developing a positive working relationship Exploring feelings and attitudes Reviewing and determining present status Considering existing problems Exploring alternatives Making decision Post counseling contact

ETHICAL STANDARDS IN COUNSELING 1. Counselors concern is always the welfare of the client. 2. The counselor should be competent enough to serve the client. He/she should have the necessary skills and training. 3. The confidentiality of the cases should always be observed. Cases on suicide, crimes committed, addiction and anything that pertains to threat to life may violate confidentiality policy. 4. There should be a record or file for every client and every significant things said in the counseling sessions or every important datum like test results should be recorded.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE COUNSELORS The most effective helper is one who has achieved a balance of interpersonal and technical competence. 6 qualities of effective counselors: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Intellectual competence Energy Flexibility Support Goodwill Self-awareness

THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO COUNSELING 1. The Client-Centered Counseling This counseling approach stresses counselees ability to determine the issues discussed and to solve their own problems. The most important quality of the counseling relationship is the

establishment of a warm, permissive and accepting climate which permits clients to explore their self-concept in relation to their unique experience. The aim of this approach is to assist the individual to grow and gain his independence. It places greater stress upon the emotional elements, endeavoring to work in the realm of feeling and emotion love warmth, care and acceptance. 2. The Counselor-Centered Approach T his approach often sees the counselor as a teacher who directs the learning process. The counselor is responsible for deciding what data needed, collecting them, and presenting them to the counselee. The counselor also presents points of view with definiteness and enlightens the counselee through expository statement. 3. Existential Counseling Kemp (1971) believe people form their lives by the choices they make. Existentialists focus on this freedom of choice and the action that goes with it. According to them, the meaning of life can be discovered in three ways: a. By doing a deal (by achieving or accomplishing something) b. By experiencing a value (work of nature, culture or love) c. By suffering (by finding a proper attitude toward unalterable faith) 4. The Eclectic Approach This approach is best characterized by its freedom to use whatever techniques or procedures seem to the counselor to be most appropriate at any particular time. In the eclectic technique, the counselor is not limited to anyone operational viewpoint or method.

5. The Gestalt Therapy The term Gestalt means whole figure. Gestalt theory emphasizes how people function as total units. Each person seeks to live integratively and productively, striving to coordinate the various parts of the person into a healthy, unified whole. From a Gestalt perspective, persons are more than a sum of their parts. TECHNIQUES IN THE COUNSELING PROCESS 1. Listening Technique the counselor in this stage attempts to be an active listener, injecting comments and questions only to start the client talking and to keep him going. 2. Reflection and clarification technique statements by the counselor which attempt to feedback the client the essence of the clients own expressions. 3. Leading technique the counselor and client are moving together through unknown place toward their goal with the first one and then the other leading the way, depending on who has the clearest perception of the path at the moment. 4. Interpretation this refers to an attempt on the part of the counselor to aid the client in progressing toward his counseling goal by helping the client put his thoughts and feeling into a more coherent and organized structure. 5. Instruction in this technique, the counselor offers some suggestions which may be helpful, but with the suggestions aimed at the behavior itself rather than the underlying dynamics. 6. Structuring this occurs when the counselor makes a statement to the client describing his view of the nature of the counseling relationship and the way in which he hopes the counseling will proceed. 7. Capping technique it consist of changing the subject to something less intense yet still propelling the interview forward. 8. Terminating the interview the counselor has the responsibility to bring the interview to a close smoothly and skillfully.