TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING

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TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
ASSIGNMENT # 1
FOUNDATION OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING
SUBMITTED BY: AMJAD ALI , ZAIN UL HASSAN , USAMA ASHRAF
AFAQ TAHIR, ABEERA AJMAL, HIRA UROOJ
FAZILA BATOOL, AYESHA ARSHAD (M)
AYESHA ARSHAD (E)
SUBMITTED TO: MAM HINA KIANAT
DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
THE ISLAMIA UNIVERSITY OF BAHAWALPUR

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CONTENTS
introduction:.................................................................................................................................................2
OBJECTIVES:..................................................................................................................................................2
Techniques in Counselling ............................................................................................................................3
Listening:...................................................................................................................................................3
Responding: ..............................................................................................................................................3
Questioning...................................................................................................................................................4
Assuring: ...................................................................................................................................................4
Silence:......................................................................................................................................................4
Self-disclosure...........................................................................................................................................5
Techniques of Counselling............................................................................................................................6
1. Directive Counselling: .......................................................................................................................6
2. Non-Directive Counselling ................................................................................................................7
3. Eclectic Counselling:..............................................................................................................................8

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INTRODUCTION:
Technique can be defined as methods or ways of doing something or
performing an act efficiently. Another word which carries similar
meaning with technique is strategy that the Counsellor uses in a
counselling encounter. Techniques are usefully acquired through training
by the professional Counsellor to assist their clients understand and solve
their daily problems. It is therefore basic that the acquisition and use of
techniques in counselling helps to distinguish a professional Counsellor
from someone who is not trained but who tries to practice counselling.
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this Unit, you should be able to:
1. State the meaning of Techniques in Counselling.
2. Mention five examples of Counselling techniques.
3. Mention at least one example on how each stated
Counsellingtechnique can be applied.

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TECHNIQUES IN COUNSELLING
There are as many examples of Counselling technique as there areapproaches or
theories in Counselling. Examples of some of the approaches are psychoanalysis,
Behaviour modification, Rational Emotive Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt,
Logo therapy,Reality Impressive, Client-cantered, Adlerian and Trait and Factor.
While each of these approaches is unique and therefore distinguishable from the others,
there still exists relationship among them because they are all tended towards helping
the clients to understand himself and lead a well-adjusted life. It is therefore the
technique in each of the approaches that often shows which of the approaches is being
employed in practice. However, there are some techniques that cut across some
counselling approaches.
Generally, examples of counselling techniques are listening, responding,emphasizing,
questioning, prodding, interpretation, reflection, confronting, restatement, probing, self-
disclosure, catharsis, assuring,immediacy, encouraging, clarifying, concretizing,
summarizing, homework, silence homework, catharses and exploring some of the major
techniques are discussed below:
LISTENING: Listening is a very crucial technique in the counselling relationship. It
involves every part of the body i.e. eyes, voice, ears and hears. Listening is often
regarded as the foundation stone upon which other lards of helping service are built.
Active listening conveys to chatsthat they are valued by the counsellor. If the counsellor
does not listen attentively, he may not be able to hear and understand what his client’s
problems are and observe the exact nature of both the verbal and non- verbal responses
by his client. Adedipe (1997) states that listening is farfrom the passive state which
some people think it to be. Active listeningis a skill of great sophistication, which is
available to all counsellors.
The use of listening as a technique means being able to communicate understanding of
the client’s problems, meaning content. Similarly, it means being able to show to the
client that you understand how he feels particularly to show the client that you have an
idea of the impact of the existing problems on his psychological well - being.
RESPONDING: This is a technique of counselling that involves the
counsellor’s verbal and non-verbal reactions to the problems presented by
the client. Responding is very crucial in the helping relationship. Itis
important to mention that adequate response depends on the counsellor’s
attentive and understanding skills. It is important for the counsellor to
respond promptly and adequately to the client’s verbal and non-verbal
communications. With appropriate and useful response, it is likely that the
client would be able to get help in understanding his problems and be able
to take positive actions towards the solution of his problems. It is

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essential that counsellors should be able to respond to the contents
feeling and the meaning of the client’s expression if he, the counsellor
would provide effective assistance to the client.
QUESTIONING: This technique helps the Counsellor in probing and
thereby explores the problem being presented by the client. It helps to
bring to fore, some important fact that will assist in promoting an effective
discussion in the interpersonal relationship between the client and the
counsellor. Questioning readily helps the client in identifying and having
clearer understanding of his problem.
Restatement: This involves a process in which the Counsellor having
heard and understood what the client said, he (the Counsellor) repeats
what was said for the sake of clarification. Specifically, restatement
assists the counsellor and the client to reach a lard of mutual
understanding of true nature of the problem as it represents the mind of
the client. It also affords the client the opportunity of explaining further if
what he said was not properly heard or understood by the counsellor.
When the counsellor restates the client’s problem, the client is thereby
reassured of the counsellor’s attentiveness and ability to follow with the
client’s explanation. According to Adedipe (1997), he opines that,
although it is important for the counsellor to maintain a listening role,
there are certain kinds of responses which communicate not only that,
the counsellor is listening, but also that the counsellor is a person with an
active role. The restatement is one of these responses. An example is
the following interaction:
Client: “I don’t know whether to stay in school or to drop out and
get a job but if I do, I don’t know what kind of job I can
find”
Counsellor: “You are wondering whether to stay in school or to drop out
and work;
ASSURING: Assuring as a counselling technique, demands that a
counsellor makes a conscious effort to gain the client’s confidence in the
process of assisting him to solve his (client’s) problem. The counsellor
exhibits a personal quality, which makes the client to trust and rely on the
counsellor as a worthy provider of assistance that can solve his problem.
SILENCE: This technique involves sudden cessation or suspension of sound by both the
counsellor and the client temporarily. It is important for the counsellor to know the
appropriate time and way of using silenceif not it can be mistaken for his inability of

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knowing what to say. In case the counsellor does not know a lot to say when silence
is applied,he could make statements such as:
You must be deeply touched by your problems.
Are you thinking of a better way to state your problems?
You are not sure; you should discuss certain aspect of your problemwith me.
These statements will enable the client to know that you are still in theprocess of
helping him to follow through his problem.
SELF-DISCLOSURE: This technique refers to the act of making known someone’s
feelings/reactions or uncovering someone’s feelings or reactions to situations or persons.
Such feelings are of course secret until they are made known. A counsellor who uses self-
disclosure will definitely make known his feelings and reactions to his client’s
presentations. It is, however, important to note that such feelings that are made known
must be genuine, sincere and authentic. The use of self-disclosure also demands that the
counsellor must have understood his client and in fact gained his confidence in their
interpersonal relationship. This is because if the counsellor disclosed his genuine feelings
upon first contact with client, the client may withdraw from counselling session. But if
he understands the client, and the client has developed trust in him, then self-disclosure
will serve its functions in helping the client to develop:
(a) develop appropriate honest behavior;
(b) Complete counselling relationship.
When a Counsellor is genuine and transparent in his interaction with the client, he could
be:
(a) seen as a model to the client who also learn to imbibe thecounsellor’s
behaviour;
(b) able to succeed in expending less energy in withholding his realself;
(c) able to provide a conducive and facilitating environment forhimself and the
client.
Both the client and the counsellor are therefore able to feel very free in their discussion.
Where the client is initially reluctant, a good use of self-disclosure by the counsellor
would help the client express his problem fully. An example of self-disclosure is when
the counsellor ways “I have heard similar problem before and it was resolved

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TECHNIQUES OF COUNSELLING
The three major techniques used in counselling process in schools. The techniques are: (1) Directive
Counselling, (2) Non-Directive Counselling, and (3) Eclectic Counselling.
1. DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING:
In this counselling the counsellor plays an active role as it is regarded as a means of helping people
how to learn to solve their own problems. This type of counselling is otherwise known as
counsellor-centered counselling. Because in this counselling the counsellor does everything
himself i.e., analysis, synthesis, diagnosis, prognosis, prescription and follow-up
. FEATURES OF DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING:
It has the following features: During the interview attention is focused upon a particular problem
and possibilities for its solution. 2. During the interview the counsellor plays a more active role
than the client or pupil. 3. The pupil or client makes the decision, but the counsellor does all that
he can to get the counselee or client makes a decision in keeping with his diagnosis. 4. The
counsellor tries to direct the thinking of the counselee or client by informing, explaining,
interpreting and advising him.
STEPS IN DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING:
The following steps are followed in this type of counselling:
(i) Analysis: In this step data is collected from a variety of sources for an adequate
understanding of the pupil.
(ii) Synthesis: This step implies organizing and summarizing the data to find out the
assets, liabilities, adjustments and mal-adjustments of the pupil.
(iii) Diagnosis: Formulating conclusions regarding the nature and causes of the problems
expressed by the pupils is the major concern of this step.
(iv) Prognosis: This step implies predicting the future development of the problem of
client or pupil.
(v) Counselling: This step indicates taking steps by the counsellor with the pupil to bring
about adjustment in life.
(vi) Follow-up: This step implies helping and determining the effectiveness of the
counselling provided to the pupil or client.
ROLE OF THE COUNSELLOR IN DIRECTIVE COUNSELING:
The counsellor plays the vital role in this counselling process. He is the pivot of the process and the
leader of the situation. The counsellor does most of the talking problems and individual is not the focus.
The counselee in fact, works under the counsellor and not with him. The counsellor tries to direct the
thinking of the counselee or client by informing, explaining, interpreting and sometimes advising also.
The counsellor collects all possible information about the pupils or counselees and analyses them for an
adequate understanding. He summarizes and organizes the data so as to understand the abilities and
limitations, adjustment and mal-adjustment of the pupils. He formulates conclusions about the nature
and causes of his problems. He predicts the future development of his problems. He prescribes what the
pupil should do to solve his problems and follows the consequences or

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effects of his prescription. Directive counselling is also called the prescriptive
counselling because the counsellor prescribes the solutions or the course of action
for the pupils.
2. NON-DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING:
In this type of counselling the counselee or client or pupil, not the counsellor is the pivot of the
counselling process. He plays an active role and this type of counselling is a growing process. In
this counselling the goal is the independence and integration of the client rather than the solution
of the problem. In this counselling process the counselee comes to the counsellor with a problem.
The counsellor establishes rapport with the counselee based on mutual trust, acceptance and
understanding. The counselee provides all information about his problems. The counsellor assists
him to analyze and synthesis, diagnose his difficulties, predict the future development of his
problems, take a decision about the solution of his problems; and analyses the strengths and
consequences of his solutions before taking a final decision. Since the counselee is given full
freedom to talk about his problems and work out a solution, this technique is also called the
“permissive” counselling.
PUPIL’S PERCEPTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP:
When a pupil seeks the counsellor’s help, he soon discovers that the counsellor accepts him as
he is and believes in his ability to solve his problem in his own way. He also learns that he can talk
about whatever he chooses and sometimes he finds, even to his own surprise, that he can talk
about topics which so far, he couldn’t discuss with his closest friends though previous experiences
with counsellors may have taught him that the counsellor is a “giver of advice”. He now finds that
he is talking with a person who tries to understand him, tries to follow what he is saying and
feeling, tries to help him understand himself, and neither gives advice not attempts to manipulate
him into making a decision which the counsellor believes is best for him. He feels that the
counsellor understands why he sees the things differently at different times and he learns that if
he wishes, he can terminate or avoid the relationship without solving the specific problem which
is brought to the counsellor.
STEPS IN NON-DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING:
The following steps are adopted in this counselling process:
1. The pupil or individual comes for help as the counselee.
2. The counsellor defines the situation by indicating that he doesn’t have the answer but he is
able to provide a place and an atmosphere in which the client or pupil can think of the answers
or solutions to his problems.
3. The counsellor is friendly, interested and encourages free expression of feeling regarding the
problem of the individual.
4. The counsellor tries to understand the feeling of the individual or client.
5. The counsellor accepts and recognizes the positive as well as the negative feelings.
6. The period of release or free expression is followed by a gradual development of insight.
7. As the client recognizes and accepts emotionally as well as intellectually his real attitudes and
desires, he perceives the decisions that he must make and the possible courses of action open to
him.
8. Positive steps towards the solution of the problem situation begin to occur.
9. A decreased need for help is felt and the client is the one who decides to end the contract.

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3. ECLECTIC COUNSELLING:
Eclectic counselling is a combination of directive and non-directive technique depending upon
the situational factors. This approach in counselling is best characterized by its freedom to the
counsellor to use whatever procedures or techniques seem to be the most appropriate to any
particular time for any particular client. This counselling is one where one who is willing to utilize
any procedures which hold promise even though their theoretical bases differed markedly. This
counselling recognizes that each theory may contain some truth and that so long as a final
decision between theories can’t be made practical necessity justifiably takes precedence over
orthodoxy. The counsellor in this counselling may start with directive technique but switches over
to non-directive counselling if the situation requires. He may also start with the non-directive
technique and switches over to directive techniques if the situation demands. So the counsellor
in this counselling makes use of directive and non-directive counselling and also of any other type
which may be considered useful for the purpose of modifying the ideas and attitudes of the
counselee. Hence it is possible for the counsellor to alternate between directive and non-directive
techniques depending upon the requirements of the situation. It can be said that directive and
non-directive counselling are at the opposite ends of the pole of guidance. It is eclectic counselling
that bridges the gap between the two and makes adjustment between directive and non-directive
techniques.
FEATURES/CHARACTERISTICS OF ECLECTIC COUNSELLING:
This counselling has the following features or characteristics of it:
1. Methods of counselling may change from counselee to counselee or even with the same client
from time to time.
2. Flexibility is the key note of this counselling.
3. Freedom of choice and expression is open to both, the counsellor and the client.
4. The client and the philosophical framework are adjusted to serve the purposes of the
relationship.
5. Experience of mutual confidence and faith in the relationship are basic.
6. Feelings of comfort are essential.
COMPETENCE OF THE COUNSELLOR IN ECLECTIC COUNSELLING:
Eclectic counselling assumes high level competence and should never be used as a rationalization
by the counsellor for indiscriminate use or neglect of particular procedures advocated in other
philosophies. The competent eclectic counsellor is well acquainted with all other major theories
of philosophies in counselling and uses this knowledge in choosing techniques and in the
establishment of a positive working relationship with the client. A rejection of any philosophical
framework is justified by the counsellor if he had a better way to achieve the task in hand. The
counsellor must be aware of the fact that problems differ from individual to individual. The
counselee or the pupil must be accepted as he is and attempts be made to understand him. Each
problem must be treated as unique. All pre-conceived notions of dealing with all the counselee’s
personal problems in the same way should be discarded. The task of the counsellor is very
difficult. He has to shift and interpret all the matter that is available about the individual. The
worker.

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should take care in working with the pupils to be warm, co-ordinal, friendly, responsive and
understanding but at the same time will be impersonal and objective. To be impersonal and
objective, however he needs not to be cold, indifferent or not interested.
CONCULUSION:
The use of counselling technique has been identified to be sine-qua-non
to the practice of counselling. It is therefore important to note that
professional counsellors must always be equipped with the appropriate
use of counselling technique in a counselling process.
REFERENCES:
Adedipe, V.O. (1997). Counselling Practicum, International Publishers
Limited. Johnson, D. W (1972). Reaching Out: Interpersonal
Effectiveness and Self- Actualization Condon. Prentice-Hall
International Inc.
Pietrosfessa J. J (1978) Counselling: Theory Research and Practice.
Rand Mc Nally College Pub. Co.
Super, D.E. and P.L. Overstreet (1960). The Vocational Maturity of Ninth
Grade Boys. Teachers College Press. New York.
https://www.caluniv.ac.in/academic/Education/Study/Techniques.pdf