 Principles and Techniques of

Counselling.

From,
Revathi.H.K.
1st year, M.Sc(N)
 Counselling is a wonderful twentieth-century
invention. We live in a complex, changing world. In this
world, there are many different types of experience that are
difficult for people to cope with. Most of the time we get on
with life, but sometimes we are stopped in our tracks by an
event or situation that we do not, at the moment, have the
resources to sort out. Most of the time we find ways of
dealing with such problem in living by talking to family,
friends, neighbours, priests or our family doctor. But
occasionally their advice is not sufficient or we are too
embarrassed or ashamed to tell them what is bothering us or
we just don’t have an appropriate person to turn to.
Counselling is really useful option at these moments.
 Counselling is a helping relationship which
includes;
 Someone seeking help.
 Someone willing to give help.
 Capable or trained to help.
 In a setting that permits help to be given and received.
 According to Shostorm and Brammer-
“Counselling is a purposeful reciprocal relationship
between two people in which one a trained person helps
the other to change himself or his environment”.
 Counselling is a process.
 Emphasizes thinking with the individual.
 Avoid dictatorial attitude.
 Maintains relationship of trust and confidence with the
client.
 Client’s need is to be put first.
 Everyone participating in the counselling process must
feel comfortable.
 The client’s family members and significant influencing
personnel must be included in the counselling process.

 Skills of warmth, friendliness, openness & empathy are

ingredients of successful counselling process.

 Counsellor has to listen attentively, answer questions

objectively and reinforce important information.

 Let the client make voluntary informed decision.

 Maintain dignity of individual, as individual is primary

concern in counselling.
 Acceptance:
The client should not be hindered in any manner, he should
be fully encouraged to express his feeling freely.

 Restatement:
The counsellor should enable the counselee to realize that he
is being fully understood and accepted.
 Clarification:
The counsellor tries to give correct information, clarify the
doubts of the counselee.

 Reassurance:
Confidence in counselling being given to him, reassures the
client about the effectiveness of counselling.

 Interpretation:
To develop insight by the counselee he understands the
unconscious motives that he resolves his inner conflicts.
 Advice:
Advice should be given only in those cases where it is sought
for.

 Rejection:
It reverses the direction of thoughts of counselee.

 Lead:
The client is asked a question in a manner that is helpful to
him in determining the answer.
Techniques of Counselling
Based on the nature of the counselling process
and role of the counsellor, there are three
approaches or techniques to counselling namely;

 Directive counselling.
 Non-directive counselling.
 Electic counselling.
 Directive or Prescriptive or
Counsellor Centred
Counselling:
It is an approach in which the counsellor uses
variety of techniques to suggest the appropriate
solutions to the problem of counselee. In this
approach counsellor plays a leading role. He tries to
direct thinking of the counselee by informing,
explaining, interpreting and advising. However the
decision has to be taken by the counselee.
Non-directive or Permissive or
Client centred counselling:

This is a counselee centred approach in which he is

guided to use his own inner resource to solve the
problem. In this approach the counselee plays a
predominant role.
Electic Counselling:
In electic counselling, the strategy arises out of the
appropriate knowledge of student behaviour and a
combination of directive, non-directive and other
approaches. Irrespective of the differences, all
approaches should have developmental, preventive and
remedial values.
 Other techniques of
counselling;
Short term counselling:
It is used in situational crisis in which disruption of
life occurred. It focuses or concern of the client or family.
It can be relatively minor concern or a major crisis but
whatever the situation, it needs immediate attention.
Counsellors will assist the client guide problem solving in
systematic way. During crisis the counsellor can share
problem solving abilities with the client.
Long term counselling:
It extends over a prolonged period of time. It is
focussed for the client who experiences developmental
crisis may need long term counselling.

Clinical counselling:
It is used for diagnosis and treatment of mind
functional maladjustments and to find better adjustment
and self expression.
Psychological counselling:
They rely simply on conversation between client and
therapist. This may take the form of questions and
answers, reconstruction of past history or discussion of
current difficulties. It consists of catharsis or an
emotional laden monologue by the therapist make an
initiative in making the patient to speak out his repressed
feelings and emotions.
 Psychotherapeutic
counselling:
Psychologically trained individual consciously
attempts verbally to assist the other person to modify
emotional attitudes which the subject is aware of the
personality reorganization through which he is
undergoing. The person will attain higher level of
personal and social development.
Student counselling:
It is concerned with helping the students to solve
the problems pertaining to the choice of educational
institutions, courses, methods of study, adjustment,
vocational choice etc.

Placement counselling:
Counsellors will advice the counselee in regard to
jobs and posts which are suitable to the client depend
upon his abilities, attitudes and interests.
Marriage counselling:
In this approach or technique, advise will be given in
selecting a suitable spouse and also to identify the positive
aspects of relationship as well as those cause conflict.

Vocational counselling:
Procedure in this technique are centred about the
problem of selecting a vocation and preparing for it. If any
problem arises with the specified vocation, necessary
steps or advices will be carried out to solve those
problems.
Individual counselling:
Counselling may be preceded by an interview in
this technique. The counsellor try to establish rapport
and structuring has to be done so that the client
understands what to expect at counselling.

Group counselling:
New ways of working to help people, where peer
group values are more important. Sometimes it is
successful with students who have not responded well
to individual counselling .
Behavioural counselling:
To change specific and particular behaviour and to
treat the behavioural disorders ‘Behavioural counselling’
will be effective. It is based on the principle of “Learning
by conditioning”.

Dietary counselling:
It helps the individual to learn more about diet and
nutritional needs. It helps the person become more aware
of the role, food plays in providing, maintaining and
building health and strength, minimizing some of the
discomforts of the disease.
Motivational counselling:
It involves discussing feelings and incentives with the
clients. The counsellor can encourage, establishing a
helping relationship to avoid despair feelings and work
through the feelings of their motivation.

Interpersonal counselling:
Patients are encouraged to consider whether there
may be better ways of coping with the difficulties such as
changes in life events, sources of persistent distress in the
family or place of work, current difficulties in
relationships etc.
Bereavement counselling:
It focuses on working through the stage of grief. It
combines an opportunity for emotional release
including the expression of despair and anger.

Problem solving counselling:

Suitable for patients with reactions to stress and
minor affective disorders. The patient is helped to
identify and list problems that are causing distress.
Consider what practicable courses of action might
reduce or solve each problem, select one problem & try
out the course of action that appears most feasible &
succeed.
Case study:
It is a non standardized technique of collecting
information about individual in all aspects of life. It is a
comprehensive collection of the entire available
information social, psychological, physiological,
physiological, biographical, environmental, vocational
that promises to explain a single individual or single
social unit i.e. family.
Educational counselling:
It helps the pupils to get maximum benefits out of
education and solve their problems related to education.
It is used to help pupils to orient themselves to the new
purposes and philosophy of nursing education.

Personal counselling:
Every student faces certain problem about which
she may be very anxious. She generally tries to cope with
the problem by herself. Here a counsellor helps pupils to
understands and solve the problems.
 Moral, Religious & Social
counselling:
It is undertaken with a view to;

 Providing and developing learning experience to inculcate

right ideals and conduct to living.
 Providing training in correct social convictions.
 Enabling the pupils to inculcate and prioritize their values
that would be beneficial to them and the society.
Counselling in leisure time:
Pupils need opportunities to self expression in which
they can try out their talents and express themselves.
Some students are shy and they need encouragement to
make proper use of their potentials and talents.

Self help group counselling:

Groups are developed by the individuals suffering
from the same problem. In this each member of the group
shares his or her problems and all participants work
together towards their solution.
Peer group counselling:
Peers are also important members of the team of
counselling. Many students would prefer discussing
their problems with their tutors or counsellors. Students
accept their peers as counsellor because they share the
same problem and communication is at the same level.
They also have more trust in them.

Orientation service counselling:

It is meant to help the pupils to become fully aware
of herself and the new environment.
Appraisal service counselling:
It is meant to gather , record, maintain and use
adequate information about each pupils. It helps the
pupil to achieve self insight as the progress through
education.

Counselling Service:
It is the pivot of all services available under the
banner guidance and counselling in a school of nursing.
It aims at developing pupil’s self-understanding, self-
acceptance and self-confidence.