Client- counselor characteristics and treatment variables in counseling
Introduction
Counseling refers to the application of mental health and human development principles through cognitive and systematic intervention in handling the wellness and growth of individuals. Counselors ensure that their clients understand and explore the world to get better ways of surviving. In most counseling processes, clients are demoralized, distressed or in willful states of mind. The process can target one person or a group through face-to-face talk, telephone, email or group work. An effective counseling process results into increased emotional intelligence and acceptance of oneself (Gerald & Myers, 2011).
Counselor characteristics
Counselors should possess personal qualities and formal characteristics to enhance a positive outcome during the counseling process. This will encourage the client to feel at ease and build a rapport for self-disclosure. Empathy is an essential characteristic for effective counseling since it helps a counselor to understand and appreciate aspects from the client’s perspective. Without it, the counselor will encounter difficulties while understanding the problems, experiences and the client’s feelings. The counselor should be friendly to guarantee that the clients have a comfortable foundation and an open counseling relationship. Such relationship will encourage interaction and disclosure between the client and the counselor (Marie, 2011).
The counselor should always respect the client and maintain the client’s privacy without disclosing. They should avoid being judgmental in order to enhance security and confidence among clients on confidentiality. Demonstrating positive regard increases affirmative outcome in the counseling process and ensures that the client discloses all that is required. This ensures the clients utilize their thoughts, feelings and experiences and consequently understanding and accepting their emotions. Counselors should accept clients’ views, which indicate that they support clients in the entire counseling process. They should possess significant counseling values such as dignity, non-judgmental and integrity among others (Hutchison & Gerstein, 2012).
Client characteristics
A positive outcome in counseling depends on the counselor’s acceptable traits and the client’s cooperation. For such results, the clients should be open and disclose relevant information to help counselors emerge with appropriate solutions. Counseling is a two way process, and this calls for clients to collaborate and offer accurate information needed in counseling. Positive outcomes also need a friendly client. This will encourage the client to be honest about his or her thoughts, problems and experiences (Koch, 2011).
Treatment characteristics
Treatment process contributes a lot towards the outcomes of the counseling process. Counselors should use information received to guide the client’s treatment. The counselor should implement a treatment plan highlighting solutions on how each problem that affects the client will obtains a solution. The plan should focus on the problem, intended change and attainment of the goals. It should give much attention to problems that require immediate focus. Both clients and counselors should participate in making the treatment plan. Clients feel in control of their own treatment and sometimes identify different problems in the counseling process making it hard to manage all the problems at once. The treatment facility should identify and handle areas of expertise to resolve the issue. The clients and counselors should monitor and review the treatment plan after every three months until the client reaches maintenance stage (Louis, Ronald & Sarah, 2010).
Conclusion
Counselors and clients should understand that counseling is not about exploring vital issues and obtaining solutions to problems. They should know that it surrounds rapport and trust between the two parties. As a result, good relationship amongst the parties will enable clients to open up and voice all their feelings, thoughts and worries. On the contrary, the counselor will obtain essential information and come up with effective solutions.
References
Gerald, L & Myers, J. (2011). Wellness, professional quality of life, and career-sustaining behaviors: what keeps us well. Journal of Counseling & Development; 89 (2), p163-171.
Hutchison, A & Gerstein, L. (2012). What’s in a face? Counseling trainees’ ability to read emotions. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, Vol 6(2), pp. 100-112.
Koch, C. (2011, The client counselor. Qualified Remodeler, 37, 60-62,64.
Louis, A. B., Ronald, S. B., & Sarah, M. T. (2010). Life and work values of counselor trainees: A national survey. The Career Development Quarterly, 59(1), 2-18
Marie, F. S. C. (2011). Practice and research in career counseling and development-2010. The Career Development Quarterly, 59(6), 482-527.
