Counseling Competencies and Work Areas PDF

DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES LESSON 4: COMPETENCIES AND SPECIFIC WORK AREAS OF COUNSELORS OUTLINE I. Competencies of Counselors II. Specific Work Areas of Counselors LEARNING COMPETENCIES: 1. Identify the competencies needed by counselors. 2. Identify specific w...

DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES LESSON 4: COMPETENCIES AND SPECIFIC WORK AREAS OF COUNSELORS OUTLINE I. Competencies of Counselors II. Specific Work Areas of Counselors LEARNING COMPETENCIES: 1. Identify the competencies needed by counselors. 2. Identify specific work areas in which counselors work. NOTE! ❑Counselors are licensed mental health therapists who provide assessment, diagnosis and counseling to people facing a variety of life stresses and psychological problems. NOTE! ❑Counselors help people with relationship issues, family problems, job stress, mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety and many other challenging problems that can impact feelings of well-being and happiness. NOTE! ❑To be effective in their roles, counselors should enjoy helping others and possess specific attributes and skills. COMPETENCIES OF COUNSELORS 1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Effective counselors should have excellent communication skills before embarking on a counseling career. 1. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Counselors need to have a natural ability to listen and be able clearly explain their ideas and thoughts to others. 2.ACCEPTANCE Counselors must be able to “start where the client is at.” 2.ACCEPTANCE Counselors must have the ability to relate to clients with an open, nonjudgmental attitude- accepting the client for who she is and her current situation. 3. EMPATHY Counselors help people through some of the most difficult and stressful times of their lives. 3. EMPATHY They must be able to display empathy - the ability to feel what another person is feeling. 4. PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS Counselors must have excellent problem-solving skills to be able to help their clients identify and make changes to negative thought patterns and other harmful behaviors that might be contributing to their issues. 5. RAPPORT-BUILDING SKILLS Counselors must possess a strong set of interpersonal skills to help establish rapport quickly with clients and develop strong relationships. 5. RAPPORT-BUILDING SKILLS They must give their undivided attention to clients and be able to cultivate trust. 6. FLEXIBILITY Counselors must have the ability to adapt and change the way they respond to meet their client’s needs. 7. SELF-AWARENESS Counselors need to have the ability to look within and identify their own unmet psychological needs and desires, such as a need for intimacy or the desires to be professionally competent. 8. MULTICULTURAL COMPETENCY Counselors help people from all walks of life. They must display multicultural competency and adopt a multicultural worldview. SPECIFIC WORK AREAS OF COUNSELORS 1. HOSPITALS Counselors provide mental health evaluations. Some counselors are hired to assist patients overcome various psychological and behavioral issues. 2. IMPATIENT OR OUTPATIENT DETOXIFICATION CENTERS Counselors are hired to work in: 2.1. Impatient facilities hire counselors to assist with 24-hour care of high-risk patients battling substance abuse. 2. IMPATIENT OR OUTPATIENT DETOXIFICATION CENTERS Counselors are hired to work in: 2.2. Outpatient facilities hire counselors to provide treatment during the day, while patients are allowed to return to their homes at night. 3. MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES & AGENCIES Counselors provide one-on-one treatment or holding group therapy sessions. 3. MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES & AGENCIES Community counselors are hired at localized mental health agencies to assist a local population, interact with community leaders, and bridge the gap between support services found in surrounding areas. 4. RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES A residential care facility provides counseling services to people living in a temporary environment that requires continuous supervision. 4. RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES This may include facilities that house troubled or at-risk youths, autistic children, or people with mental or physical disabilities. 5. HALFWAY HOUSES Halfway houses, also known as transitional housing facilities and recovery houses, hire rehabilitation and substance abuse counselors to guide patients or residents in need of help transitioning back to a societal environment, their family, their community, and/or entering the workforce. 6. GERIATRIC-RELATED FACILITIES Counselors, especially geriatric counselors, are often employed by facilities, agencies and organizations that serve the elderly population. 7. MEDICAL HOSPITALS AND OUTPATIENT CLINICS Counselors are hired to work with veterans, their spouses, and family to address issues, such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and anger management. 8. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND/OR PRISONS ❑From mental health counseling to substance abuse counseling, the prison system employs counselors to provide individual and group therapy for individuals who are jailed or living in a correctional facility. 9. RETAIL BUSINESSES ❑Assuming positions in the human resources or public relations departments of large retail organizations, job duties typically include improving company-customer relationships, as well as designing and conducting training programs. 10.THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ❑Primarily helping students to better navigate the stresses of growing up and successfully completing their studies, counselors play an important role at all levels of the school system. THANK YOU Sir P [email protected]