Impartiality and Objectivity of Consulting Services - Essay Example

? All these personal counselling/therapy requirements for counsellors in training encourage selfish introspection. Counsellors are there to help others, and if they need counselling themselves, they should not be in the job. Do you agree? It is true that a counsellor needs to focus on the issues of the client rather than those of his or her own. Dwelling on one's own concerns can inhibit the ability to listen actively, and respond appropriately to the needs of the client. But it is difficult to put aside issues that are unresolved; or those that are not consciously known. A counsellor who has managed to resolve the issues that have occurred as a consequence of his or her life experiences and development is also a counsellor who is able to actively listen, and respond to a the needs of a client in a more honest and in depth manner. It has been hypothesized that if the needs with which a human being is born are adequately met; there would be no mental illness (Griffin & Tyrrell, 2003). Even assuming that this is true, it is nearly impossible for any person to reach adulthood with all their needs consistently and promptly met. Everyone experiences some frustration of needs, or the over-compensation for some. Such experiences leave an impression of the psyche of the individual; especially so when they occur at a sensitive time in the person's life. People carry the echoes of these impressions into all that they do as adults. It affects their choices and attitudes. Their relationships are affected by it, as is their functioning in the workplace. This is also true of counsellors. When some individual chooses to become a counsellor, this choice may also be affected by their previous experiences. Even though the person may otherwise be extremely well adjusted; they may come to face a client whose concerns in some way echo their past; and they may come face to face with their own unresolved issues. In some such situation, it is possible that a counsellor who is unaware of his or her own issues may unconsciously attempt to address them rather than those of the client they are attempting to help. Situations like these can be truly detrimental to the welfare of the client. In order that a counsellor's own issues and conflicts do not inhibit the helping process, it is necessary that the counsellor have resolved these issues or at least be aware of those issues that are not fully resolved. This helps them respond completely to clients rather than attempt to meet their own needs. Also, if a counsellor is aware of his or her own issues, it is possible for them to make decisions that are best suited to the needs of the client. When a counsellor is faced with a client whose issues mirror the counsellors own, such an aware counsellor may be able to take the decision to refer the case to another person rather than risk harming the client's well-being. Another important benefit of the process of receiving counselling, is that young counsellors – in – training often have no knowledge of the way a counselling session does proceed in reality. The theory may not fully prepare them to interact with a client in a professional setup. When such a trainee undergoes the process of counselling, this individual is able to understand the counselling setup from the perspective of a client, and thus is made more aware of what a client needs in the situation. The trainee is thus better equipped to deal with a counselling situation since they now know how it feels to be in either chair. When the trainees experience the use of the techniques that they are themselves learning to apply for clients who need them, they are better able to understand the setting in which they are best applied, and the way they affect the client. Thus, they are better prepared to help their clients. When young practicing therapists were asked about how their own counselling sessions helped them, they mentioned a number of areas. Some of these areas had to do with their own selves – wherein they mentioned that having sessions of their own helped them gain better perspective on what being a counsellor seems to the client (Macran et. al., 1999). They were more aware of the power wielded by a counsellor, and so were more aware of using it only in an appropriate manner. They also understood better that while counselling was a very intimate activity, there were boundaries that needed to be respected. They were more aware of the value of self – disclosure, but were also aware that this needed to be used as a tool in aiding the client, and needed to be kept to a minimum so that the session was still about the client, and not about the counsellor. The personal sessions also helped the therapists understand how to define the boundaries between issues and non – relevant factors, so that the activity of counselling stayed focused on the need that the client wished to address. The much – touted element of the 'Humanity' of both client and counsellor was something these therapists were very aware of; and thus, the area was handled with the care it deserved Young therapists also learned to orient themselves to the client in a better manner after they under-went sessions of their own. Many reported that after their own experiences, they better understood the need for both patience and confidentiality. The difficulties that a client faces when disclosing a sensitive fact or a vulnerable aspect of their selves is difficult to teach through books. But someone who has experienced it themselves, does respect that it takes time and courage to bring out such topics; doubly so if the said topics have been locked up in the psyche for a long time. The importance of patience with such experiences of clients cannot be under-stated; and therapists who underwent sessions were better able to show this patience with their clients. The importance of confidentiality is also re-affirmed for someone who has experienced the relief of knowing that what they have spoken in a session will not be repeated without their permission. A therapist or counsellor needs to trust their client, and instill a sense of trust in that client so that the client is able to explore sensitive areas. It has been reported that therapists were better able to understand this process after having experienced it as a client. Their experiences also led them to be more respectful of a client’s situation and not take it lightly. Active listening, which is the core of the counselling process is also possibly the most difficult thing for a counsellor to learn. When they are required to undergo sessions of their own, they often are able to understand how this can be done, and also how it helps the client. When their own body language is responded to, and the emotions that they undergo when an active response if made to their own experience, they are better equipped to give a similar experience to their clients. In effect, their skills and the attitudes they hold towards the client and his or her experiences are supported by these sessions; even from simply a learning process point of view. While the virtues of undergoing counselling are undoubtedly many; there are some few concerns that need to be addressed when attempting to decide if this process is useful or harmful. Many counsellors in training may undoubtedly be well adjusted; and personal sessions would simply help them grow as people and as counsellors. But one must note that there are some individuals who may have been attracted to the helping professions because of their own unmet needs. If these needs are an important part of who they are; undergoing sessions may simply tap these needs and bring them to the surface of their consciousness. In such a situation, the counsellor will not be fit to help others, since their energies are concentrated on resolving their own issues. Their focus may narrow at such times, and they may read their own issues into whatever the client presents. It is necessary that if a counsellor finds himself or herself in such a situation, they should stop meeting with clients and make alternative arrangements for them (Bayne, 2003). They should only seek to help clients when they have sufficiently made peace with their own issues. This helps to avoid counter – transference from the counsellor on to the client and ensures that the counselling process remains untainted by the counsellor's own issues. Another aspect that needs to be handled carefully is the socio – cultural background of the counsellor in question. Some cultures emphasise focusing on the self, while others emphasise on focusing on others. When a counsellor comes from a background that encourages individuals to focus on others, the need to focus on the self during personal sessions may take more effort and thus a greater toll on the individual, and they may need more time to adjust to the process. Thus, some counsellors may be negatively affected in their abilities to focus on their clients when they are undergoing counselling themselves. But in the long run, they do come back as better adjusted persons, and more effective counsellors. This said, it is essential that the counsellor and his or her supervisor do discuss the extent to which the counsellor is at that moment able to respond to the needs of the client. In conclusion, it may be said that undergoing counselling sessions does help a counsellor in training become better at being a counsellor, as well as making him / her a better adjusted person. This is a beneficial process that will not only help the counsellor; but will also indirectly help the clients that this counsellor works with (Burnard. 1984). But while accepting that counselling for counsellors is essential in helping them do a better job, one has to be wary of the short term consequences. If a counsellor is unable to differentiate his or her own issues from the counselling process they share with a client; then it is necessary that this counsellor step back and take time to sort out personal issues before resuming professional practice. If the counsellor knows that there will be major issues that need to be dealt with; then it is the responsibility of the counsellor to abstain from interacting with clients that they can potentially harm at that point. References: Macran S., Stiles W.B., & Smith J.A., 1999. How Does Personal Therapy Affect Therapists’ Practice? Journal of counselling Psychology. Vol. 46 (4). 419-431. Griffin, J. & Tyrrell I., 2003. Human Givens: A new approach to emotional health and clear thinking. East Sussex: Chalvington  Burnard P., 1984. Counselling the counsellors. Nursing Mirror. Vol. 159(4): 30-1. Bayne, R. et al. 2003. The Counsellor's Handbook: A practical A-Z guide to professional and clinical practice. 2ed. London: Stanley Thornes. Read More