My Goal As a Counselor

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Recommended: Weaknesses in the person who uses counselling skills

It is quite remarkable to see the skills I have learnt put into action with individuals I encounter in my every day dealings. By implementing the basic counselling skills learnt, it has aided me in being a better person and also laid the foundations for my future career. Many skills were used in a variety of situations in the past quarter of a year, however, only a brief description of a few will be discussed below. It is simpler to learn a core skill from a textbook however it is more complex to apply that skill in practise; every individual is different and so are each of their issues. It is important as a student to familiarise ourselves with the key skills needed to become a successful skilled helper. In the beginning we are taught basic conditions or qualities such as empathy, respect, unconditional positive regard, active listening, probing, summarising and an overall ability to stay with each individual one communicates with (Egan, 2010). Below, each of those skills with be identified with word for word examples.

The skills I have learnt are equally important however empathy seems to be the core counselling skill. Egan (2010) believes that “empathy plays an important part in building relationships” (p. 163). In addition Rogers (1995) explains that to give empathy is to give “freedom to explore oneself at both conscious and unconscious levels”; this in an important step to allow an individual to completely open up (p. 34).

For example I expressed empathy to Nathan when I affirmed “Those are very understandable thoughts and it sounds to me that you are learning from past experiences”. As a result of applying empathy with Nathan it “allowed me to see his world through his eyes” (Rogers, 1995, p. 35) and to be with him rathe...

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... with out prejudice. The skills I have gained in essence helped me to build stronger relationships and listen more attentively with more than just my ears. I have learnt a great deal about myself and people thought out the process and I am grateful to have had the experience. It is one thing to learn knowledge from books however it is another to put that knowledge into practise; each individual and issue is unique. The journey has only begun however it has already been very personally rewarding. My goal is to be able to give people hope you have lost their way. I want to use the knowledge I gain not just for others but for myself. I have been many different things in life and been many different places, in efforts to find who I am. After deciding to take this path I have found clarity and become conscious of why I have been put on this planet, we all have a reason.

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