Chapter 2:
The counsellor: Person and professional
The counsellor as a therapeutic person
- need to be authentic person in the therapeutic relationship
- if hide behind safety of professional role, then clients
will also hide themselves
- can’t only work with technical expertise
- who the therapist is, will directly impact the success in
therapeutic relationships
- clients are seen to place more value on the personality of
the therapist than the techniques used – it has been found
that techniques used have limited importance
Personal characteristics of effective counsellors
- have identity
- respect & appreciate themselves
- are open to change
- make life-oriented choices
- are authentic, sincere & honest
- have a sense of humour
- be willing to admit mistakes
- live in the present
- appreciate culture & its influence
- have sincere interest in the wellness of others
- possess effective interpersonal skills
- be deeply involved in work but find meaning to it
- be passionate
- able to maintain healthy boundaries
Personal therapy for the counsellor
- counsellors can benefit greatly from their own personal
therapy
1
, - most mental health practitioners have experienced therapy
– leads to self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-
understanding etc.
- can contribute to their work in 3 ways
1. offers a model of therapeutic practice in which the
trainee experiences the work of a more experienced
therapist and learns from it
2. can enhance interpersonal skills that help in
skillfully practicing in therapy
3. can help therapist dela with the ongoing stressors
associated with clinical work
- personal therapy can help heal the healer – if they are not
involved in their own growth & healing, then they will have
difficulty in dealing with clients
- as therapists increase their own self-awareness, it is
easier to appreciate the courage that clients display in
their therapeutic journey
The roles of values in counselling
- personal values influence how we view counselling & how we
interact with clients etc.
- therapists need to try to avoid being determined by their
own worldview – be open-minded to other views
o guard against tendency to use power over clients to
accept our values instead of their own
- cannot persuade clients to share your values & beliefs
o role = to create environment where clients can examine
their thoughts, feelings & actions and to empower them
to reach their own solutions to their problems
o assist individuals in finding answers that fit in with
their own values – word together but using client’s
values
- bracketing = managing your own personal values so that they
don’t contaminate the counselling process
2
The counsellor: Person and professional
The counsellor as a therapeutic person
- need to be authentic person in the therapeutic relationship
- if hide behind safety of professional role, then clients
will also hide themselves
- can’t only work with technical expertise
- who the therapist is, will directly impact the success in
therapeutic relationships
- clients are seen to place more value on the personality of
the therapist than the techniques used – it has been found
that techniques used have limited importance
Personal characteristics of effective counsellors
- have identity
- respect & appreciate themselves
- are open to change
- make life-oriented choices
- are authentic, sincere & honest
- have a sense of humour
- be willing to admit mistakes
- live in the present
- appreciate culture & its influence
- have sincere interest in the wellness of others
- possess effective interpersonal skills
- be deeply involved in work but find meaning to it
- be passionate
- able to maintain healthy boundaries
Personal therapy for the counsellor
- counsellors can benefit greatly from their own personal
therapy
1
, - most mental health practitioners have experienced therapy
– leads to self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-
understanding etc.
- can contribute to their work in 3 ways
1. offers a model of therapeutic practice in which the
trainee experiences the work of a more experienced
therapist and learns from it
2. can enhance interpersonal skills that help in
skillfully practicing in therapy
3. can help therapist dela with the ongoing stressors
associated with clinical work
- personal therapy can help heal the healer – if they are not
involved in their own growth & healing, then they will have
difficulty in dealing with clients
- as therapists increase their own self-awareness, it is
easier to appreciate the courage that clients display in
their therapeutic journey
The roles of values in counselling
- personal values influence how we view counselling & how we
interact with clients etc.
- therapists need to try to avoid being determined by their
own worldview – be open-minded to other views
o guard against tendency to use power over clients to
accept our values instead of their own
- cannot persuade clients to share your values & beliefs
o role = to create environment where clients can examine
their thoughts, feelings & actions and to empower them
to reach their own solutions to their problems
o assist individuals in finding answers that fit in with
their own values – word together but using client’s
values
- bracketing = managing your own personal values so that they
don’t contaminate the counselling process
2
