What are Counseling Skills?
Counseling skills are interpersonal and technical attributes that a counselor puts to use in order to best help their clients work through personal issues and overcome obstacles that are currently preventing them from living a full and happy life.
Mastering particular counseling skills could make a great difference in whether or not you can provide your clients with the best opportunities for personal growth. Effective counseling skills are vital in forming a strong alliance between the client and therapist.
The Following are Examples of Counselling Skills
1.Empathizing
Identifying with clients by assuming their frames of references. A counselor needs to be able to see a client’s situation from their perspective in order to best help them overcome their obstacles.
2.Facilitating
Opening up clear and direct communication within client and helping client assume increasing responsibility for the client direction.
3.Initiating
Taking action to bring about client participation and introduce new directions in the client.
4.Goal Setting
Planning specific goals for the client process and helping participants define concrete and meaningful goals.
5.Evaluating
Appraising the ongoing counselling process and the individual behavior.
6.Giving Feedback
Expressing concrete and honest reactions based on observation of client behavior.
7.Suggesting
Offering advice and information , direction and ideas for new behavior.
8.Protecting
Safeguarding client from unnecessary psychological risks
9.Modelling
Demonstrating desired behavior through actions.
10.Dealing with Silence
Refraining from verbal and nonverbal communication. Counselors need to be aware of how their body language, gestures and tone of voice can affect their client and their willingness to talk about the situation. Having good self-awareness can keep a counselor from accidentally exhibiting signs of boredom, frustration or judgment.
11.Blocking
Intervening to stop unproductive behavior in the client.
12.Terminating
Preparing the client to end a session or finalize its history. Use summary skills to condense information in response to what a client is saying and to validate what they are feeling.
