Back to: Guidance and Counselling in Education B.ed Notes, M.A Notes, IGNOU Notes
Steps of Counselling Process
The various steps involved in counselling are discussed below:
- Purpose of Counselling: The main purpose of counselling is to assist the individual to enable him to understand himself, his problem and his situation in a meaningful and realistic way.
- Tools of Counselling: It includes both testing and non-testing techniques ie: interviews, questionnaires, checklists, rating scales, group discussions, and psychological tests.
- Rendering of Relevant Information: Various types of educational, vocational and personal information, by the needs of the counselees, may be provided to widen their horizon and insight.
- Encouragement: Rapport should be established with the counselees so that they are encouraged to express freely their idea, views and feelings. They should open their heart without any fear or inhibition and do heart-to-heart discussion.
- Planning: The counsellor is to help the counselee choose the courses of studies, and vocations or work out the solutions to his problem in systematic and a planned way.
- Involvement of the Client: As the ultimate decision is to be taken by the individual so the client must be actively involved in the discussion without any hesitation or fear.
- Analysing: Self-analysis is the best method to understand oneself. It is for the counsellor to make him read his limitation as well as assets.
- Interpreting: The counsellor should assist the client to interpret the data obtained through different techniques.
- Clarifying: Clarification of the self concept is the main function of counselling. He should do it in a way i.e. directive non- directive or elective way as is best suited to the situated.
- Approving: The counsellor is not to make it a prestige point that whatever the client has decided first, he must proceed on it. In case he wants to change his path and there is a genuine reason to do so and the alternative is the second best in the existing circumstances, he must be allowed to do so.
- Evaluation: The counsellor should assist the counselee to scrutinize whether he is progressing satisfactorily in the selected educational stream and vocation. Simultaneously the counsellor should also try to evaluate the result of his work, which can help him to refine his compelling. Student Evaluation Form may be used for this purpose.
- Reinforcing: In case a course or a job provides satisfaction to the counselee, it is bound to motivate him or her.
