INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELLING SKILLS
FOR A TRAINEE COUNSELLOR:

INTRODUCTION: I am going to address some of the main points and processes that a trainee counsellor will need to understand, to use in counselling sessions. It will include the process of initiating, maintaining and developing a relationship between a counsellor and anyone using counselling for the first time. INITIATING A RELATIONSHIP: The initiating of a relationship in counselling could involve a telephone consultation to arrange appropriate appointment time and location where the first meeting will be held it will also have the name of the counsellor who will be holding the sessions. A letter could also be sent to start the initiating process between a counsellor and the client. It will contain the appointment time, location and the name of the counsellor who will be conducting the sessions.
Before the initial meeting takes place the counsellor will ask the reception to inform them that the client has arrived. They will prepare the consultation room by setting the chairs in a position where eye contact can be maintained, but personal space respected. They will make sure the room is at the right temperature, if warm having a window open a little. Have tissues on the table in case they are required and check that any paper work is in the right order and the correct forms if any are required.
On the arrival of the client the counsellor introduces them self in formal way with a greeting such as good morning or afternoon, my name is and was it easy for you to get here. Before we go to the consultation room would you like a hot drink, this will enable the counsellor to show the client where to get refreshments and where the toilets are situated; before going to the consultation room.
The first meeting will entail the counsellor getting background information on why the client needs to have counselling and what they expect to get from the counselling sessions. The counsellor is more than likely to ask questions to determine if they are suitable to work with you and offer the support that is needed. During this session the counsellor will discuss the different options that are available, if they think a client will suit a more specialist or appropriate approach from someone who is trained in that specific area that the client will benefit from. If that is the case then the counsellor will make a referral to the appropriate department. If the client wishes to go ahead and have counselling sessions then the structure of the counselling sessions will be discussed, and a formal agreement put into place which can be in the form of a contract between both parties.

THE CONTRACT: The contract between the counsellor and client will cover when the sessions will take place; how long the sessions will last on a weekly basis and how many counselling sessions will be held. Confidentiality will also be covered in the contract, the counsellor will put in the contract that everything will be kept confidential unless the client informs them that they are a danger to themselves or they have the intention to harm someone else. Also in the contract will be how to make contact if unable to attend a session or who to leave a message with. It will also have details on why the client is seeking help; it could also contain a case review plan and when it will take place.
During this session health and safety regulations will be explained to the client, they will be shown the fire exits and where to meet in the event of a fire. An explanation of what will happen if a client is aggressive or violent towards a counsellor, that the police could be informed and charges brought against them.
The contract should also have clear boundaries in place to ensure the client isn’t been sexually and financially exploited. A counsellor should also state that they are aware of and aim to abide by the ethical framework of values, personal moral qualities and principles.

CONFIDENTIALITY: Confidentiality is taken very seriously within counselling; the counsellor should respect and protect the client’s right to privacy. This should include their personal details and any counselling records that are been held. In some cases a counsellor will need to pass information to the appropriate authorities if a client has made them aware that they have the intention to cause harm or danger to someone, or if they intend to do something serious. The client should be made aware that this information will be passed on to the right authorities.
After all the initial paper work and everything has been explained to the client the counsellor will agree to meet at the arrange time and location for the counselling sessions to begin.

SESSIONS: At the start of every counselling session the counsellor needs to remind the client of how long the session will last for. Enquire about how they are feeling and if they are still apprehensive about coming for counselling. This is to make sure the client feels relaxed and put at ease, and remind them that whatever is said is kept confidential. A counsellor needs to be aware of how important of starting a session effectively is, before inviting the client to start. They could say when you are ready or in own time we can begin.

STRATEGIES: I am now going to describe the strategies to maintain and develop a helping relationship between a client and a counsellor, describing the different skills that are required. * EMPATHISING/EMPATHY * BEING NON JUDGEMENTAL * BEING CONGRUENT * BUILDING RAPPORT * ACTIVE LISTENING * PARAPHRASING * USING APPROPRIATE ENCOURAGEMENT * REFLECTING FEELINGS * USE OF QUESTIONS [OPEN AND CLOSED] * USE OF SILENCE * SUMMARISING

EMPATHISING/EMPATHY: Is when a counsellor try’s to understand the clients world, meanings and their life. It’s been considered that it’s like walking in someone else’s shoes and been able to understand how they are feeling or thinking. Emphasis is on doing this gently and sensitively through communicating to the client. A counsellor who is being empathic could be listening sensitively, making sense of what they are hearing, and being able to understand the client’s experiences. It also makes the client feel that the counsellor really does understand their situation what it is like to be in that situation.
UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD: Is when a counsellor is able to accept their client as a total worthwhile human by being worthy, showing them respect or being respectful and able to convey unconditional respect with genuine warmth towards the client. This can also be known as non-judgemental in counselling or by counsellors.
BEING CONGRUENT: Is when a counsellor needs to be honest and sensitive with a client and respect their feelings? By being honest and giving positive feedback will boost a client’s moral and their feelings towards the issue. Congruence for a counsellor means being genuine in the relationship and forming a trusting a relationship between them.

BUILDING RAPPORT: Is when a counsellor and a client are working towards developing trust, respect and understanding that can establish an effective relationship between the two parties. Without these in place the counselling wouldn’t be successful. Confidentiality, boundary settings and consistency are all major concepts in the building rapport.

ACTIVE LISTENING: Active listening in counselling is one of the key aspects of the helping relationship; it is a major importance that the counsellor uses active listening to be helpful to the client. It means the counsellor must pay attention to all the signals being given from a client, not just the sounds but non-verbal signals that will be picked up by watching the client. Active listening skills are reflection, understanding and observation that a counsellor needs awareness of.

PARAPHRASING: Is when a counsellor can express the sense of something in other words, which helps the growth of mutual understanding and acceptance? It means the counsellor will be able to restate the clients verbal message simpler words or in a shorter version of events. Paraphrasing can be used to rest a counsellor understanding of what as being said, giving conformation that they are listening and trying to understand. It is also used as a encouragement for the client to continue; help them to put their thoughts in order and to develop a more clearer picture. Paraphrasing can also contribute to trust and to the client’s sense of responsibility.

USING APPROPRIATE ENCOURAGEMENT: The counsellor can use appropriate encouragement in awkward situations by leaning forward to show you’re interested and are aware of and understand their needs. It can also be used as a way of showing an interest and respect for that individual. Facial expressions, body language and personal space will encourage the client to open up more when talking and will help to build the trust between client and counsellor. The counsellor will also need to know when it is appropriate to use verbal communication to encourage the client to go into more detail.

REFLECTING FEELINGS: Is when a counsellor can relay the main feelings or points of an issue at the start of their response and an understanding of what has been said by the clients. It is also used so the client knows they have the undivided attention of the counsellor. USE OF QUESTIONS – [OPEN OR CLOSED] A counsellor will need to know when to use certain types of questions in counselling session. A closed question is more or likely to be answered with a simple one word reply from the client whereas an open question will give the client the opportunity to expand into more detail. In counselling closed questions are used to gather specific information or facts, where open questions will allow the client to express their thought and their feelings and invite the client to talk openly and give the counsellor a chance to a clearer understanding of the issues.

USE OF SILENCE: The use of a certain type of silence can be useful for a counsellor in a session. The counsellor uses this silence when a client has being talking about something difficult or confusing to understand, it enables the client to reflect on the issue they have just being speaking about. Counsellors need to allow silence and be able to understand that it’s ok not to respond all the time. At times a counsellor’s ability to support silence is very important and a necessary skill in counselling that a counsellor needs.

SUMMARISING: Summarising means picking up on the main feelings, meanings of what a client has mentioned during the session. It could be checking that you have understood something correctly, help the client to clarify their thoughts and feelings about an issue which will help them move on. It can also be used as a way to close the session; it gives the counsellor the chance to relay some of the main points of the session. As well as giving the client a chance to change any information, it can also be used as an indication of where to start the next session.
Summarising can be used at the start of the next session by brief summary of the previous meeting, which gives the counsellor the opportunity to see if things are still the same or if anything as changed.

PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION MAKING: The counsellor needs to beware of how problem solving and decision making will benefit the client and boost their moral and self-esteem. Counselling can encourage the client a chance to change or resolve a major issue that prevents the client from moving forward.
Problem solving is a result of development of a certain skills and knowledge, alongside personal support it will build a helpful platform to which will help provide answers or solutions to problems. With the skills the counsellor will have and support it will enable the client to reach a more satisfactory way of life or choice of lifestyle.
THE JOHARI WINDOW: This can be used by clients to map out their self-awareness it is broken down into four sections. The sections are for a specific window of known and unknown to the client, the open area is for public behaviour, and their consciousness known to them. Blind window is the area where other people can see things that the client cannot, the third window is hidden that represents things the client knows about themselves that the client doesn’t reveal to others. The fourth window is for the unknown which covers their feelings and thoughts that are known to them and others. INTEGRATING: Integrating is when techniques and ideas are integrated into one to form a new type of counselling from the different approaches, where the main elements are joined as one. There are two types of integration theoretical integration is when ideas and techniques are blended together. The other is technical integration is where techniques are blended together, for a better out come in counselling sessions.

ENDING SESSIONS/ RELATIONSHIPS: When the time is approaching for the session to end a client needs to be made aware about ten minutes before. This will give time to wind the sessions down so the client is leaving distressed, or in a state of panic. During the last time ten minutes or so it will be a good time to reflect and summarize the main points of the session. The counsellor should involve the client at this point by asking if the process is working for them. A counsellor then should arrange the next meeting time and date. If time as run out and the client is talking about a difficult acknowledge it and explain that the next meeting it will be talked about in depth, a counsellor should make a note for the next session. When the session is over and the client is leaving their might make a doorknob comment this is something that they might have found hard to discuss or felt uncomfortable about, so in the next session the counsellor should approach the issue with care.
The counsellor will need to ask appropriate questions about the ending of the relationship. The questions should include whether or not a client would prefer more sessions, whether counselling has helped them sort through their problems. The last session could cover what they have gained from counselling, if the client has had a positive experience this will help them to continue with the right attitude and self-belief that they can achieve anything. Give them encouragement to continue to do well and remind them of the strategies that will help them in a crisis. Explain that they could always be referred back to counselling at a later date if their need it.

CARL ROGERS/GERARD EGAN APPROACH: Carl Rogers and Gerard Egan had very different approaches to counselling, Carl Rogers focused on the three core conditions, empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard he believed they were necessary for the therapeutic change. He believed that change would only happen if all three core conditions present and if one was missing then change wouldn’t happen or it might not be a helpful change. Whereas Gerard Egan believed in the three stage helping skills model, such as stage one that involves Rogers core conditions in developing a trusting relationship. Stage two is that the client will be helped to see themselves and their life in new perspective, stage three is the actions of helping clients resolve their problems. Both of the approaches are used in counselling and play an important part for clients to achieve their goals.

HOW INTEGRATING THESE COUNSELLING SKILLS
SHOULD SUPPORT CLIENTS:

I am now going to describe how integrating the skills I have covered are part of the process to maintain and develop a counselling relationship. To develop and maintain a good counselling relationship a counsellor needs to have an empathic attitude and appropriate skills for counselling. Be responsive to a client’s verbal and nonverbal communication will enable them to develop a relationship, have a sense of the clients emotions and perceptions as if they were they own feelings. Being able to keep their own emotions and feelings under control when discussing something that is difficult or they have certain views on a topic; will contribute to then being able to maintain a good relationship with their clients. Have a sense and understand the feelings of the client that they will already be aware of, should be aware of the feelings the client is not aware of as well will help them to develop and maintain a good relationship.
Confidentiality plays a major part in developing and maintaining a relationship with a client, a client needs to be able to trust a counsellor and understand that the counsellor will only pass information that they think is of importance to the right authorities.
To maintain and develop a good relationship a counsellor needs have a good understanding of the main core conditions and to be able to use the three main core conditions at the appropriate time, give the client encouragement to face anything that is thrown at them.
Another way to maintain and develop a good relationship is for the counsellor to reflect on their values which might influence the client in the long run. To beware of their own experiences in an accepting manner will help with the process of maintaining and developing a relationship between them. To have the ability to maintain consistency and what has been experienced by the counsellor will help the relationship. Above all how everything is portrayed in the counselling sessions by a counsellor will help maintain the relationship from both parties. ASSESS HOW INTEGRATING THE COUNSELLING SKILLS
SHOULD SUPPORT CLIENTS:
The integrative approach uses different concepts from all the counselling approaches. It supports the clients effectively and is not based on just one approach that may not work for some clients.
Integrating the counselling skills will support the clients to limit their present complaints that could be operating behind the scenes. Integrating will also benefit the choices about which skills would suit certain issues of a client. As Rogers’ states; if the three core conditions are not present the process in which the counselling will be conducted will be false, where as if they are present the counselling will be successful. Using the Rogers approach might bring up moral issues can the counsellor be warm and genuine to towards the client, a counsellor will have to consider this before counselling or becoming a counsellor as they might have to help clients who have abused young children.
The Egan approach deals with all the social factors surrounding issues that a client is suffering with. These approaches suggest that problems by clients were required by a number of internal and external factors that could affect the social conditions. This approached helped clients manage their skills in a centred way. Using the Egan approach for many clients will have a successful outcome in counselling, this is due to all the approaches been one. A client will have a seamless and effective helping style, for them to overcome issues, both of the models of Rogers and Egan need to be present for counselling to be really effective for clients.
By assessing the integrating counselling skills that I’ve covered the client should be supported through the counselling process. Even though it can be argued that the use of one of the approaches and some skills will help the client through, for a better outcome all the approaches need to present and the skills to support the client through the process of counselling.
With integrating the Rogers person centred approach and the three core conditions will help a client to feel that there are being understood and encourage self-healing by the client. The Rogers approach could also be criticized due to the counsellor being genuine and warm or honest with the client and could have these feelings reflected back from the client. Whereas if all three core conditions are present the client will feel they are being helped as the counsellor will be exhibiting genuine feelings, not false ones.
Some counsellors use congruence and unconditional positive regard in situations that could be conflicting and raise specific questions. Especially if the client as relayed that there have raped another individual or child, could the counsellor be non-judgemental and warm towards them. If they struggle with the information then integrating this skills would not benefit the client.it could lead to them looking at the ethical frame work and evaluate their morals, principles and values as a trainee counsellor, even consider the different situations before taking counselling up as their main career.
The Egan approach is more of a rational approach towards counselling, and would more or less suggest that using the value system to challenge the client would be more beneficial to the client to consider and solve their own problems. In using the Johari window could help to highlight any possible prejudices even the Gibbs cycle could help to reflect any issues the counsellor as.
Egan suggests that a counsellor needs a wide range of skills to allow the model to work; such as the ability to establish a good working relationship with their clients. Have basic and advanced communication skills that are valuable in counselling and the ability to help clients challenge themselves; good skills in problem solving or clarification.
Both of the different approaches by Rogers and Egan should be used together in counselling for the client to get and receive the best support from any counsellor or counselling session.

CONCLUSION: To sum up I’ve explained how initiating a relationship could be formed and how the first point of contact can be made between the client and counsellor. The process of maintaining and developing a relationship to become a good counsellor, the skills a trainee counsellor will need to become successful.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: www.bacp.co.uk Sanders Pete. (2002) FIRST STEPS IN COUNSELLING. 3Rd EDITION. ROSS-ON-WYE Herefordshire. PCCS BOOKS.
McLeod John. (2007). COUNSELLING SKILL. 1ST EDITION. MAIDENHEAD, ENGLAND. www.skillsforhealth.org.uk frank land Alan, sanders Pete. (1995) next steps in counselling. 1st edition. Ross-on-wye Herefordshire. Pccs books.