GOALS AND SCOPE OF COUNSELLING

GOALS OF COUNSELLING

INTRODUCTION
Different individuals have different perceptions of what can be expected of counseling.
Individuals preparing to become counselors, and those who seek counseling, as well as
parents, teachers, school administrators and governmental agencies, all differ in their
expectations of the counseling experience.

A. ENHANCING COPING SKILLS

We will inevitably run into difficulties in the process of growing up. Most of us do not
completely achieve all of our developmental tasks within a lifetime. All of the unique
expectations and requirements imposed on us by others will eventually lead to problems. Any
inconsistencies in development can result in children learning behaviour patterns that are
both inefficient and ineffective. Learned coping patterns, however, may not always work.
New interpersonal or occupational role demands may create an overload and produce
excessive anxiety and difficulty for the individual.

Children who grow up in excessively strict homes frequently adjust to such training measures
through learned behavioral inhibition. When social or occupational responsibilities require
individuals to be assertive, they may experience anxiety and be unable to handle
responsibilities effectively. In addition to psychological symptoms, physical symptoms such as
frequent headaches, stuttering in front of people in authority or the inability to sleep are
common. This maladjustment to daily living makes coping skills an important goal of
counseling.

B. IMPROVING RELATIONSHIPS
Many clients tend to have major problems relating to others due to poor self-image. Likewise,
inadequate social skills cause individuals to act defensively in relationships. Typical social
difficulties can be observed in family, marital and peer group interaction (e.g., the troubled
elementary school child). The counselor would then strive to help the client improve the
quality of their lives by developing more effective interpersonal relationships.

C. FACILITATING CLIENT POTENTIAL

Counseling seeks to maximize an individual’s freedom by giving him or her control over their
environment while analyzing responsiveness and reaction to the environment. Counselors
will work to help people learn how to overcome, for example, excessive substance use and to
better take care of their bodies.

Counselors will also assist in overcoming sexual dysfunction, drug addiction, compulsive
gambling and obesity, as well as anxiety, shyness and depression.

D. FACILITATING BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

Most theorists indicate that the goal of counseling is to bring about change in behaviour that
will enable the client to be more productive as they define their life within society’s
limitations. According to Rodgers (1961), behaviour change is a necessary result of the
counseling process, although specific behaviours receive little or no emphasis during the
process.

Alternatively, Dustin and George (1977) suggested that the counselor must establish specific
counseling goals. A necessary shift from general goals to specific goals should take place to
enable both the client and counselor to understand what change is desired. Specific
behaviour goals have additional value as the client is better able to see any change that
occurs.
Krumbolz (1966) suggested three additional criteria for judging counseling goals, as follows:
The goals of counseling should be capable of being stated differently for each individual
client.
The goals should be compatible with, though not identical to, the values of the counselor.
The degree to which goals of counseling are attained by each client should be observable.

E. PROMOTING DECISION-MAKING
The goal of counseling is to enable the individual to make critical decisions regarding
alternative courses of action without outside influence. Counseling will help individuals obtain
information, and to clarify emotional concerns that may interfere with or be related to the
decisions involved. These individuals will acquire an understanding of their abilities and
interests. They will also come to identify emotions and attitudes that could influence their
choices and decisions.

The activity of stimulating the individual to evaluate, accept and act upon a choice, will
assist them in learning the entirety of the decision-making process. The individual will
develop autonomy and avoid dependence on a counselor.
Conclusion
These goals are not mutually exclusive, nor are they equally appropriate for every client at
any specific time. Counseling goals can be classified according to three categories: ultimate,
intermediate and immediate.
Ultimate goals are philosophical ideals that can be reasonably expected from counseling.
These goals include helping individuals to realize their full potential or to become self-
actualized.
Intermediate goals relate to the reasons for seeking counseling and usually require several
sessions to achieve them. Helping the individual develope to become and remain a well-
adjusted, mentally healthy person and to achieve his/her potentialities, would classify as an
intermediate goal.
Immediate goals, on the other hand, are the moment-by-moment intentions of counseling,
for example, encouraging the client to verbalize an unexpressed feeling.
Objectives and Scope of Counselling
Counselling involves a relationship between a professionally trained, competent counsellor
and an individual seeking help. The main objectives as per the educators of NTT Nursery
Teacher Training Course of counselling are as follows:
Achievement of Positive Mental Health: An individual is said to mental when he is able to
relate have positive meaningfully with others and leads a fulfilling life. He this state is able
to love and be loved. The objective of counselling is to help the individual to attain
Problem Resolution: Another objective of counselling is to help the individual to come out
of a difficult situation or problem. It must be remembered that the individual is only assisted
and he himself finds solution of theproblems.
Counselling for Decision-making: Ability to make right and timely decisions is crucial for
success in life. An important objective ofcounselling is to make individualcapable of making
independent decisions.
Improving Personal Effectiveness: As effective person is one who is able to control
impulses, think in creative ways and has the competence to recognise, define and solve
problems. It can be seen that these different goals are not exclusive. These are all
interdependent and overlapping.
Help Change: An important objective of counselling is to bring change for development.
Counselling helps individual to make changes in attitudes, perceptions or personality.
Behaviour Modification: Another objective of counselling is to help in modifying behaviour.
Removal of undesirable behaviour or self-defecting behaviour and learning desirable
behaviour is considered necessary for attaining effectiveness and good adjustment.
Scope of Counselling: Counselling is a part of guidance, so it has also the same dimensions
of scope as guidance. Beside these, counselling as a specialized programme has some
special needs also. Problems and needs in society are not new. But today they seem to be
proliferating at an unprecedented rate. Counselling is required to solve a variety of social
problems. Counselling is necessary in different areas like Juvenile delinquency, Marriage,
Weaker sections, Disadvantaged groups, Drug addiction etc. Scope of counselling is very
vast. It is concerned with various problems and progress of an individual for example the
planning relating to financial and health problems, problems related to family, society and
emotional adjustments.
Pre primary Teacher Training feels that the scope of counselling depends upon the nature of
the problem complexity of treatment and the competence of the counsellor. The scope of
counselling has become very broad due to the nature of problems the society is facing. We
are facing a number of problems at our home, school and society; still we can go ahead with
proper planning. We can face the changes and challenges with proper planning needs
proper guidance. So the need of guidance is the need of the hour.
Counselling is a personal and dynamic relationship between two individuals an older, more
experienced and wiser (counsellor) and a younger, less wise (counsel). The latter has a
problem for which he seeks the help of the former. The two work together so that the
problem may be more clearly defined and the counsel may be helped to a self determined
solution.

SCOPE OF COUNSELLING

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELLING
1. Adolescent identity, concerns, teen-parent relationships,
2. peer relationships
3. Anxiety
4. Anger management
5. Children’s concerns within the family unit, sibling
6. relationships, school experiences, peer relationships
7. Depression
8. Family of origin dynamics and issues
9. Gender: identity, sexuality, homosexuality
10. Grief and bereavement
11. Relationships: personal and interpersonal dynamics
12. Sexual abuse recovery
13. Seniors: challenges, limitations, transitions
14. Singles: single, newly single, single through divorce or
15. being widowed
16. Spirituality
17. Stress management
18. Workplace stress and relationships
19. Young adult: identity, relationships, vocation
MARITAL AND PRE-MARITAL COUNSELLING
1. Marital and relational dynamics
2. Extended family relationships
3. Fertility issues
 FAMILY COUNSELLING
1. Adolescent and child behaviours within family dynamics
2. Adult children
3. Divorce and separation issues and adjustment
4. Family dynamics: estrangement, conflict, communication
5. Family of origin / extended family issues
6. Life stages and transitions
7. Parenting patterns: blended, single, co-parenting families
Principles of Counselling:
1. Principle of acceptance—accept the patient with his physical, psychological, social,
economical and cultural conditions.
2. Principle of communication—communication should be verbal as well as non-verbal and
should be skillful.
3. Principle of empathy—instead of showing sympathy put yourself in patients shoes and
then give reflections accordingly (Empathy is ability to identify with a person.)
4. Principle of non-judge—mental attitude-do not criticize or comment negatively regarding
patient’s complaints.
5. Principle of confidentiality—always keep the patient’s name, and the problem strictly
secrete and assure the patient about the same.
6. Principle of individuality—treat each and every patient as unique and respect his problem
as well.
7. Principles of non-emotional involvement—not getting emotionally involved with the
patient and avoid getting carried away with his feelings.