Many people at some point find themselves consulting a lay or registered Counsellor, without having an understanding of the concept of Counselling or how it differs from the role of a Counselling Psychologist. There is a big difference between a person who uses some counselling skills eg. a friend or family member and a Counselling Psychologist. A Counselling Psychologist is highly-trained and able to use different, scientifically evidenced-based techniques for their clients.
Laurian Ward is a trained professional in Counselling Psychology in Pretoria. She facilitates the process where you are able to find ways to deal with your problems, rather than giving advice or telling you what to do.
There are a few things to consider when evaluating your expectations as to what Counselling is, and a few things of what it is not.
Counselling is:
• The process that happens when a client and psychologist set aside time to explore difficulties, which may include the stressful or emotional feelings of a client.
• The act of helping the client see things more clearly and from a different point of view. This can help the client focus on feelings, experiences or behaviour, with the goal of facilitating positive change.
• A relationship of trust. Confidentiality is extremely important for successful counselling. Counselling Psychologists will explain their policy on confidentiality as delineated by the HPCSA.
What Counselling is not:
• Giving advice
• Being judgemental
• The psychologist attempting to sort out the problems of the client.
• The psychologist gets emotionally involved with the client.
• Looking at a client’s problem from the psychologist’s own perspective, based on their own value system.
The Role of a Psychologist
Psychologists need to always be aware that no two people are the same. No one understands language the same way since their understanding will be linked to their personal experience of the world. The role of a psychologist is to help the client develop their own understanding of their situation. They enable clients to explore aspects of their life and feelings by being able to talk openly and freely. As a client, you are not always able to talk so openly with family or friends as they are emotionally involved and have personal opinions. Good Counselling should reduce the client’s confusion, allowing them to make effective decisions that lead to positive changes in their attitude and or behaviour. The ultimate aim of a psychologist is to allow the client to make their own choices, reach their own decisions and act upon them.
Counselling Skills
There are a number of skills that are required by Psychologists. The most important skill is good communication skills. Psychologists need to be able to listen effectively, giving their full attention to the client. They need to be aware of body language and other non-verbal communication. Clients often communicate more non-verbally than verbally.
Questioning is another important skill. Psychologists use questions to improve their understanding of the client and it is also an active way to help expose the client’s feelings. Besides that, they also use reflection to show they have heard the client and to validate the client’s feelings and words.
Psychologists also need to be empathetic. They need to be aware of their client’s feelings. Empathy is not the same as sympathy. Empathy suggests that the Psychologist understands how the client feels, and can, therefore, ask the right questions and lead the client to positive and manageable solutions. The nature of empathy is rooted in compassion and helping others.
If you require therapy in Pretoria, why not contact Laurian Ward, since she is a trained professional to guide the person on the road to recovery.
