Exploring The Role Of Empathy In Counselling Relationship

When we look at other professions like social workers, housing officers, the emergency services, the police and priests who utilise counselling skills we realise that some of the key concepts that are fundamental to the counselling profession are not their main priority. If such people were to introduce themselves as counsellors their clients may be under the impression that such things as confidentiality will be upheld. An example is the work of doctors, social workers, nurses and carers, in these types of professions advise is given to the client as to what to do and what not to do, medication is administered to the client whereas in the case of counselling especially with

The way the counsellor approaches the client in this infant stage is vital for the client to gain trust and has the willingness to open up in later sessions. Some clients may just rush into what is troubling them or say nothing, in both cases the counsellor will need to be patient, observe and listen to what is being said as there will be vital information given and without understanding this it could damage

Professional counsellors are also bound by other ethics such as being non-judgemental and should not exploit their clients in any way. They must be respectful of how their clients choose to live and their right to self-determination. Counsellors must not impose their own thoughts or feeling on other people & should not have any expectations or impose any conditions on their clients. The relationship between counsellor and client should be one of equality. Although, the client may not feel that there is equality, they may feel powerless, as they are seeking help. The counsellor must try and convey a sense of equality and use their skills and knowledge to enable the client to take control of their life and feel empowered.

Counsellors do not offer advice as such but instead give an insight into a client’s feelings and behaviour and they help the client to change their behaviour accordingly. They do this by actively listening to what the client has to say and comment from a professional perspective. Counsellors are trained to be effective helpers, especially in sensitive and difficult situations. They have to be independent, very neutral and professional as well as respecting the privacy and confidentiality of a client. Counselling can help clients to clarify their problems, identify the changes they wish to make and give them a fresh perspective. Counsellors should help them to seek other options and look at the impact that life events have made on the

A counselling relationship is likened to being on a journey - a beginning, middle and end (Smallwood, 2013). During the beginning phase the client develops sufficient trust in the counsellor and the relationship ‘to explore the previously feared edges of his awareness’ (Mearns and Thorne, 1988, p.126).

Feeling that the counsellor accurately understands you, what you are saying or trying to say and what you are feeling or experiencing

mechanisms that had previously enabled the client to function in their daily life, leads as they

In the humanistic approach in counselling there is a vital importance that the core conditions between client and counselling are present from

The background and moral differences of a client should not prevent the counsellor attaining the Rogerian conditions. The counsellor has to accept the positive and negativity of ones

Several characteristics go into the counseling client relationship to achieve success; they include mutual positive regard, genuineness, empathy, competency, and an appropriate referral process. I identify with Carl Roger’s humanistic approach to counseling; I believe that positive regard, empathy, and congruence are keys to the counseling relationship and foster trust among our clients to help them identify concerns and move forward with therapy to achieve success (McLeod, 2014). Moreover, competency is essential to provide our clients with tools for success. Counselors must remain vigilant in their practice by continuing their education, this is in our code of ethics and a best practice as our society evolves (ACA, 2014). Effective counseling is also providing an appropriate referral when needed, sometimes counselors just might not connect with their clients and in cases like this, appropriate referrals should be made.

Counselors strive not to seek their own interests, but what is of the best interest to the client, that is, what is of interest to

Promotes the welfare and well being of the client and focus their efforts in the best interest of the client. The counselor must take the client’s point of view and culture into consideration before determining what is doing good. For example, an individual may not agree with taking medication due to their culture and the counselor disregards their desire and prescribes medication and demands they take it or else is considered offensive. • Fidelity-To be faithful, to keep promises. For instance, a counselor makes an appointment and does not make it, nor calls the client to cancel.

This is a time of establishing rapport and a therapeutic relationship. This means essentially that the counsellor wants to be able to connect with the client, to listen attentively and try to understand empathetically what the client is communicating. It is a time of encouraging the client to explore their behaviour as the counsellor assists in giving guidance and clarity through paraphrasing and validation. This is a time of beginning to build a certain degree of safety, trust and confidence in a counsellor before the client is willing to explore fully what needs to be

refers to the promotion of self-determination, or the freedom of clients to be self-governing within their social and cultural framework. Respect for autonomy entails acknowledging the right of another to choose and act in accordance with his or her wishes, and the professional behaves in a way that enables this right of another person. Practitioners strive to decrease client dependency and foster client empowerment. Counselors facilitate client growth and development in ways that foster the interest and welfare of clients and promote formation of healthy relationships. Trust is the cornerstone of the counseling relationship, and the counselors have the responsibility to respect and safeguard the client’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Counselors actively attempt to understand the diverse cultural backgrounds of the clients they serve. Counselors also explore their own cultural identities and how these affect their values and beliefs about the counseling process.

Competent counselors should be aware of their own aptitude and be able to make judgment calls that are in the best interest of the client. One way to do this is for the counselor to make