Introduction to Counseling

Running Head : INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELING

Introduction to Counseling : A Reflective

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No man is an island ' This is the quote that initially entered my mind , when i tried to refresh myself with the learnings i have gathered from our introductory discussions on Counseling . The need for guidance and support is indeed inherent in every creature - humans or even the lower forms . In our case , such need plays a significant role not just in the life of a child , who is sustainance and survival , but on

adults as well . Each individual needs someone to cling on and confide with , when they are faced with draining situations especially in cases where one suffers emotional or psychological instability . Miraculously , provision of adequate support to people undergoing these emotional tremors , putting their mental health at risk to some extent , could hasten the recuperation process What is really counseling ? How is it able to heal the wounds that contribute to ones emotional psychological state

Counseling in the layman 's view can be described using a mental picture of an empathic man offering advice to a problematic or disturbed individual . From this perspective , we can see counseling as a one way process where the therapist is the one talking the client is the the one listening absorbing whatever it is that is said . But is this really the true essence of counseling ? In our discussions , i have realized that effective counseling is supposedly done the other way around . It is giving the client more time to express himself for better understanding of the issues at hand . A therapist should allocate more percentage to listen to what has been said especially during the initial sessions to get a good grasp of the problem at hand , instead of immediately offering an advice . However , asking probing questions is needed when necessary

Another learning that can be considered important is the knowledge on multicultural counseling . A therapist should have a clear grasp of the client 's cultural orientation or background before preparing the diagnosis report and treatment . It must be remembered that beliefs vary from culture to culture . This means that what may be considered abnormal to one may not necessarily mean the same thing to the other . This is helpful not just in identifying culturally-determined conditions but in conceptualizing the type of treatment relationship . For clients with culturally diverse background , cultural formulation should be developed that would take into account the client 's degree of identification with the culture , the culture 's beliefs of psychological dis , the ways in which certain events are interpreted within the culture , and the cultural supports available to the client (cited in DSM IV , 1999 Knowing the individuals degree of involvement to the culture is as important as knowing the cultural explanations of the symptoms . In some cultures , psychological diss may be expressed as culture-bound syndromes , which may be expressed as patterns of behavior that reflects predominant cultural themes that date back for centuries . An good example is ghost...