What is Counselling
What is counseling?
Briefly, I will talk about the basic elements and the type of practice of clinical counseling that is offered by this writer. For clients it is significant to trust and to believe in the work that will be done is professional, ethical, and person-centered. From the many positive feedback my clients have given me, gladly I have managed to offer my clients time and space for change based upon their own resources.
The positive changes that these individuals have experienced reflect the sensitive, culturally grounded, respectful, and cooperative work that I offer. Clinical counseling has one significant message: Message of hope and encouragement. The rest of the work is done by you as the client.
There is one metaphor pertinent to the counseling work I believe in and the one I practice.
Counseling is similar to the role of a good, competent, and caring architect.
Once you want to build a house, you meet this architect who will help you to develop a plan for a safe, well built, and steady building.
In general Counseling is about helping you to plan for a safe house; we check all the safety measures and all the safety precautions.
Clinical Counseling is about working toward a foundation for this house containing empathy, trust building, genuine interest, compassion, respect, undivided attention, and understanding.
The walls will be of the best quality material to develop safe coping mechanisms, insight, strength building practice, self-actualization, and a healthy self-esteem. Windows would be then of materials that helps to have a healthy outlook to the world, the motivation to change, the let go of defenses and the search for new fresh air to breath.
The roof is the acceptance, self-revelation, honesty, realistic future oriented life goals, social interest, cooperation, active participation, meaning, and creation.
Building such a house in a couple of sessions of individual counseling might be an illusion, yet, as counselor I will try to at least convey the message to the client while not letting the pressure kick in.
I am sure that when clients are ready and when they have heard the message of the counseling, they will have a framework of their own to build an individual-designed home for themselves.
I will support my client and help them to choose the best quality material. I think counseling is about helping clients to be managers of their own life. It works.
Poran Poregbal, RSW, MA, RCC
M.A. in Clinical Counselling
