Counselling
is an interactive learning process in which the counsellor helps the
counsellees to understand the cause(s) of difficulties and reach decisions. The
approach in counselling is holistic, addressing social, cultural, economic and
emotional issues. Counselling may be concerned with addressing and resolving
specific problems, making decisions, coping with crises, improving
relationships and developing personal awareness. It also involves working with
feelings, thoughts, perceptions and conflicts. The overall aim is to provide
counsellees with opportunities to work in positive ways so as to live with the
essence of well-being.
Qualities of counsellor:
1. Sensitive to human problems
2. Empathy
3. Respect for individual variations
4. Being non-judgmental
5. Maintain confidentiality
6. Being approachable
7. Being firm yet friendly
8. Pleasant disposition
9. Understanding values and
relationships
Family Counselling: An Introduction
Family counselling is a program of
providing information and professional guidance to members of a family
concerning specific health matters, such as the care of a severely retarded
child or the risk of transmitting a known genetic defect. A family is a group
of people related to heredity, such as parents, children, and siblings. The
term is sometimes broadened to include related by marriage or those living in
the same household, who are emotionally attached, interact regularly, and share
concerns for the growth and development of the group and its individual
members.
Family Counselling: Definition
Family counselling is a process in
which
- one or more persons to deal with personal and interpersonal issues in relation to marriage; or
- one or more persons (including children) who are affected, or likely to be affected, by separation or divorce to deal with either or both of the following:
-
Personal and interpersonal issues;
-
Issues relating to the care of children
Goals of Family Counselling
The goal of the counselling process
is to improve family functioning, and so to help the identified client.
The goals for family counselling:
• Improved communication,
• Improved autonomy for each member,
• Improved agreement about roles,
• Reduced conflict, and
• Reduced distress in the index
client
Family Counselling (FC): Salient
Features
1. It
provides a safe environment and temporary structure for people during difficult
times.
2. In
FC all aspects are considered: mind, body, relationships, spirituality, and
culture.
3.
It is initiated to address specific problems, such as an adolescent with a
psychological disorder or adjustment to a death in the family.
4.
Family therapy is based on family systems theory, in which the family is viewed
as a living organism rather than just the sum of its individual members.
5.
It seeks to alter interactions between family members and role performance
within families.
Concepts in Family Counselling (FC)
1.
The identified client - It is one of the family members with the symptom that has brought the
family into treatment.
2. Homeostasis (Balance)
- It means that the family system seeks to maintain its customary organisation
and functioning over time, and it tends to resist change.
3.
The extended family field - It includes the immediate family and the network of grandparents and
other relatives of the family. This concept is used to explain the
intergenerational transmission of attitudes, problems, behaviours, and other
issues.
4.
Differentiation -
It refers to the ability of each family member to maintain his or her own sense
of self while remaining emotionally connected to the family
5. Triangular relationships - Family systems theory maintains that emotional relationships in
families are usually triangular. Whenever two members in the family system have
problems with each other, they will “triangle in” a third member to stabilise
their relationship. The triangles in a family system usually interlock to
maintain family homeostasis.
Types of Family Counseling
1. Conjoint
family counselling
- In this type the entire family is seen at the same time by one counsellor.
2.
Concurrent family counselling - In this type, one counsellor
sees all family members but in individual sessions.
3.
Collaborative family counselling - In collaborative family counselling, each family member sees a
different counsellor. The counsellors then get together to discuss their
respective clients and the family as a whole.
Process of Family Counseling
1. Assessment
in family counselling - The entire process of assessment and history taking begins with taking a
brief account of the current concerns or, so to say, the presenting problem.
(i) Structure and History of
the Family
- Structure and
configuration of the family
- Transitional events
in the family cycle
- Nature of the
relationship/s
- Boundaries
- Family atmosphere
(ii) Roles, Functioning and
Pathological Trends in a Family
- Role performance
- Decision-making and
power struggle
- Pattern of
communication and exchange of information
- Emotional reactivity
- Cohesiveness
- Family operations
- Liabilities and
pattern of individual growth of family members
(iii) Value System,
Socialisation and Recreation Pattern within
the Family
The family counsellor
must also explore the following with adequate clarity:
-
Nature and pattern of value and moral system of a family
-
Pattern and level of religious and spiritual orientation within a family
-
Pattern and level of socialisation accepted and encouraged in a family
-
Pattern of seeking entertainment and recreation within a family
Conclusion
In
FC the counsellor must focus on altering the communication pattern and exchange
of information in the family, the emotional expression and reactivity of
various family members, the general atmosphere and cohesiveness within the
family, the pattern of boundaries within the family and the family operations
in terms of the tasks or roles being taken up by each family member. The
counsellor should also focus on and encourage healthy socialisation and
recreation.
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