Part A - “Effective Counseling” (15%) #Good evening guys and how are you feeling today. I wish you all to be well and happy today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay If it's free, it's a tip; if you pay for it, it's consultancy. This is what most people think about counseling. It's not entirely false, but consultancy isn't just about giving advice, in fact consultants don't give advice. We simply help customers find the right path. There are so many implications for defining counseling. For me it is an interaction in a therapeutic context characterized by an explicit agreement between counselor and client to meet in a specific private context, at agreed times and under regulated conditions of confidentiality with ethical parameters, protected time and specified objectives. It is widely accepted that counseling may be a more suitable form of help for a variety of personal problems or concerns, the most common being depression, anxiety, bereavement, relationship difficulties, life crises and trauma, addictions, confusion and other negative conditions or it can be more proactive and educational to learn, for example, how to relax, be more assertive, deal with stress and lead a more fulfilling life. The counseling process is a planned and structured dialogue between a counselor and a client. It is a cooperative process in which a trained professional helps a person called a client identify sources of difficulty or concerns he or she is experiencing. It is a progressive movement towards a final conclusion consisting of a series of five steps. The first step is building relationships that focus on engaging clients in exploring the issues that directly affect them. The first interview is essential because the client reads the verbal and nonverbal messages and makes inferences about the counselor and the counseling situation. While the consultant and the client are in the process of establishing the relationship, the second step, the evaluation of the problem, will take place. This step involves collecting and classifying information about the client's life situation and reasons for seeking counseling. The third is very important, the definition of objectives which is also the backbone of successful consultancy. It is about committing to a set of conditions, to a course of action or an outcome. The next step is counseling intervention. There are different views regarding what a good counselor should do with clients depending on the theoretical positions the counselor subscribes to. Each theoretical approach suggests different types of interventions. For example, the person-centered approach suggests that the counselor be involved rather than intervening with an emphasis on the relationship. The behavioral approach attempts to initiate activities that help customers change their behavior. All counseling aims at a positive conclusion. The conclusion of the counseling process will need to be conducted sensitively, knowing that the client will have to finish. There are many qualities that one must recognize to become an effective consultant. One of the very important qualities is empathy. Empathy means that the therapist accurately perceives the feelings and personal meanings that the client is experiencing and communicates this accepting understanding to the client. Counselors help clients make and implement important life decisions. Most decision making involves an emotional dimension. The person who understands their own inner realm made up of memories, hopes, fears and dreams will have a better vision of who they are, thewhich will hopefully lead to better decisions. The inner realm is often called the person's inner landscape. Empathy is the intimate participation in the life of another and is often confused with sympathy. The next step would be active listening. Most of the time we listen with only part of our attention. While the other person talks, we think about something else. “I have to finish that report by tomorrow” When we listen to emotionally intense stories, we may get caught up in our emotional reactions to how we would feel if we were in a similar situation. To listen empathically you need to put aside your own "things" as much as possible and enter the customer's world. Let your customer know you're listening. Listening is absolutely necessary for counseling but not sufficient. You may listen carefully, but the client needs to know that they are being listened to to assure them that telling you their deepest thoughts is safe. To let him know that you are listening, at first you need to look at the person and twitch your eyes. Second, give an occasional encouraging nod and say “uh-huh” at appropriate intervals. Third, repeat what you heard your customer say from time to time. The next quality an effective counselor must have is warmth. It is the ability to communicate and demonstrate genuine care and concern for customers. Using this skill, counselors convey their acceptance of clients, their desire for client well-being, and their sincere interest in finding workable solutions to problems presented by clients. Warmth can also be communicated through non-verbal behaviors such as smile, tone of voice, facial expression. Warmth indicates customer acceptance. Consulting is one of the very few occupations covered in many misconceptions and myths. These inaccurate images were very prominent in society at large and thanks to the media for this. The most widespread myth is that only crazy people undergo a counseling process. In reality, the people who actually attend the session are competent and brilliant individuals. These people are often struggling with issues in a particular region and are seeking self-awareness and development. Stressors and problems are part of every individual's life. Many argue that the ability to request and recognize counseling help is clear evidence of knowledge and mental stability. Another myth is that people with serious problems need to seek counseling. Most people seek counseling for ordinary problems such as relationship problems, stress, and signs of depression. Facts show that counseling can be helpful for people experiencing extreme problems. However, seeking counseling for issues of this size is not suitable for most counseling clients. Additionally, seeking counseling when problems are mild to resolve can prevent problems from becoming extreme. The third myth conceived around counseling is that during the counseling process, the counselor does most of the talking and you listen. People tend to have two different views on this. Some people seem to think that all counselors talk and clients are lectured. Counselors are listeners, but the process of working through a person's problems is collaborative. Consultants must go at the client's "speed" and adapt their way of working to the client's needs and desires. This means that there will be an interaction involving the participation of both the client and the consultant. Overall, consultancy is still one of the least understood fields in Malaysia. Most people cannot distinguish between counseling, psychology and psychiatry. These are misunderstandings.