Discipline and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences

Module 3

Professionals and Practitioners in Counseling

 Module 3:
Professionals and Practitioners in Counseling

About the Module

Counsellors have several roles and functions depending on where they word and who their clients are. This module
tackles a counsellor’s roles and functions in the different area of specialization, career opportunities, rights,
Module Topics
 Roles, Functions, and Competencies of Counsellors
 Areas of Specialization and Career Opportunities for Counsellors
 Rights, Responsibilities, Accountabilities, and Code of Ethics
Pre-Assessment
Identify whether the statement is true or false.
_________1. Counselor should never disclose client information even when ordered by the
court.
_________2. A counselor can only help confused clients determine their options and their
consequences but never dictate what should be the final decision.
_________3. A counselor can show biased behavior and attitude to a client where whose beliefs
are clearly different from his or hers.
_________4. Career opportunities for counsellors are limited to school setting.
_________5. Counsellors cannot be creative and flexible in addressing clients needs.
Discussion
Reading 1: Roles, Functions, and Competencies of Counselors
Counsellors are professionally trained individual who help clients experiencing difficulties by
engaging them in the counselling process. The Guidance Counselling Act of 2004 states that
counselors are professionals who use am “integrated approach to the development of a well-
functioning individual primarily by helping him/her maximize his/her potentials to the fullest
and plan his/her future in accordance with his/her abilities, interests, and needs”

Roles of Counselors
Villar(2009, 32-33) said that the roles in
counselling can be classified into
counsellor, coordinator, consultant
conductor of activities, and change agent.
 As counselors, they assist their A standardized test
clients in their journey of self- is a tool used by
awareness, “self-acceptance, counsellors to gather
decision-making, and problem- information. The
solving”. type of assessment
follows a set of
guidelines that
include scoring and
interpretation.
  As counsellors, they may serve as a “liaison between clientele and the resource person or
agency for the purpose of collecting and disseminating information and providing the
necessary services.” Counsellors may refer a client to a specialist that could further help
with his or her needs.
 A consultant, they may be asked to give expert opinion and suggest helpful strategies
“without necessarily having direct contact with the identified client whose needs are
being addressed”. Counselors may give advice on pertinent information even in the
absences of personal communication with the person in question.
 As conductors of activities, they may be involved in the planning and direct
implementation of a certain activities that can assist client’s development such as career
orientations and personal development seminars.
 As change agents, they may act as a “catalyzer, process helper, solutuion-giver,
resource linker, and stabilizer “by assitisting in identifying probles and suggesting
solutions.

Functions of Counsellors
According to Gibson and Mitchell (2008), the nine traditional functions of counsellors are the
following:
 As discussed previously, counseling focuses on the clients’ growth, adjustment, problem-
solving, and decision-making needs.
 Assessment is the process of systematically gathering information about the clients. This
includes standardized test forms, such as personality test and career inventory test, and
non-test data, such as observation, case studies, and anecdotal records.
 Career assistance is also a function of counselors/ They help clients determine which
career best suits them through a career development program that is holistic and integral,
guided by career education and counselling.
 Placement and follow-up are services on helping clients find their “niche” (personal-
social, academic, vocational-occupational, etc.) and ensuring client satisfaction,
respectively.
 Referral is usually done when counsellors need to find and transfer their clients to other
experts or counsellors with special expertise who may be able to help the clients more.
 Consultation is the process wherein counselors confer with a third party to help clients in
addressing their needs. Counsellors talk with the clients’ significant others to assist
clients who are having difficulties.
 Research is one importance roles that counselors need to cultivate because engaging in
this process can yield data that could then help in the advancement of the counselling
profession.
 Evaluation and accountability are salient functions of counsellors. Evaluation is
assessing the effectiveness of the activities and intervention and the efficiency of the
personnel involved. Accountability is ensuring that programs and personnel are
responsive, appropriate, and relevant.
 Counsellors also functions for prevention of problems by empowering the clients with
knowledge and awareness so that healthy attitudes and habits are promoted while early
signs of problems are detected.

Competencies in Counselling
Competencies of counselling can be categorized into knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Knowledge – It is imperative for counsellors to undergo academic preparation and trainings to
have a mastery of theories, techniques, and practices in addressing different client needs.
Skills – Counsellors should also possess several abilities or skills to effectively help their
clients. There are several competency areas which McLeod (2003) identified. These are
interpersonal skills, conceptual ability, and the ability to understand and work within social
systems.
 Interpersonal Skills – This refers to the capacity and proficiency of counsellors to
communicate or articulate well, and the ability, and observe nonverbal behavior such as
mannerisms, body language, facial expressions, voice quality and use of language.
 Conceptual ability – This refers to the quality of counselors to remember client
information, to understand and assess clients’ problems, to think of possible
consequences of actions, to see and connect present problem to a large picture, and to
have advanced problem-solving skills.
 Ability to understand and work within social systems – This refers to the counselor’s
knowledge of the clients’ relationships. This includes clients’ relationship with family
members, coworkers, friends, and others in their social circles. Counsellors should also
be aware and sensitive to clients with different gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or
age group.
Attitudes – Gladding (2009) identified the following personal qualities every counselor should
possess:
 Curiosity and inquisitiveness – Counsellors should possess natural concern for people
and interest to know details about them.
 Ability to listen – Counsellors know how to actively listen to people.
 Comfort with conversation - Communication is an important element in counselling.
Counselors should be at ease in conversing with other people.
 Empathy and understanding – Counselors should have the ability to put one’s self in
another’s shoe’s even if the client’s circumstances are different from theirs.
 Emotional insightfulness – Counsellors should know how to be comfortable in dealing
with a wide range of feelings.
 Introspection – It is important that counsellors can look within the self and reflect.
 Capacity for self-denial - To maintain professionalism, counselors must have the ability
to put aside personal concerns and feelings to address clients’ needs.
 Tolerance of intimacy – Counsellors should possess the ability to establish and maintain
emotional closeness.
 Comfort with power- Also in observance of professionalism, counsellors must have the
ability to hold power and maintain detachments.
 Ability to lough – When things go wrong, counselors should be able to inject humor and
control the situation.

Areas of Specialization and Career Opportunities for Counselors

In the Philippines, finishing a graduate program in guidance and counselling or counselling
psychology in required for those who intend to pursue a career in counselling. Further, the
Guidance and Counselling Act of 2004 requires would – be counselors to obtain professional
license, which can be acquired through passing the licensure examination.
Cormier (2006) identified possible types of employment for counselors and where they can be
employed as shown below.
Career Opportunities for Counselors
School counsellor, college counsellor, residence hall counsellor, career
services, academic advising, wellness programming, student affairs,
School outreach programming, substance abuse counselor, support services for
special populations (eg. Students with disabilities, minority, etc.)

Crisis counselor/intervention helpers, marriage counselor, family

Community counselor, mental health aide/ worker community outreach worker, case
Agency manager, youth counselor/worker, substance abuse treatment, homeless
centers, private practice, couple counselor

Bereavement counselor, marriage and family counselor, pastoral

Religious Setting counselor, hospice counselor, private practice.

Industries Career counselor, employment assistance, outplacement counselor,

wellness programming

Health Care and Rehabilitation counselor, vocational rehabilitation counselor. Crisis

Rehabilitation manager, grief counselor, wellness programming, addiction specialist,
health coaches, information and psychoeducational program provider,
hospice counselor, hospital psychosocial services

Military counselor, addiction for veterans, vocational counselor,

Military educational counselor, marriage and family counsellor, mental health
counsellor, couple counselor.

Rights, Responsibilities, Accountabilities,

and Code of Ethics
As in every profession, counselors have rights and responsibilities to exercise and perform.
Counselors are guided by ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, fidelity, justice, and
nonmaleficence in the practice of their profession.
 Autonomy refers to respecting freedom of choice and self-determination (Gladding
2009), risks, and effects should make sure that before clients agree to undergo
counseling, the process decide for themselves and their freedom to do what they want as
long as actions do not Harm the clients themselves and others (Mcleod 2003).
 Beneficence is defined as doing good and preventing harm (Gladding 2009). Counselors
should think and act in the beset interests of their clients.
 Fidelity refers to faithfulness or honoring commitments (Gladding 2009). Counselors
should be honest in all dealings with clients. Confidentiality should be honored as
counselling is built on trust and sharing of pertinent and sensitive information. However,
it is important to note that there are limitations to confidentiality as discussed previously.
 Justice is observed when counselors are able to give and render counseling to all clients
regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation race, ethnolinguistic group, and
socioeconomics class.
 Nonmalifecence is not inflicting harm (Gladding 2009). Counselors have to make sure
that techniques and strategies used during sessions will not bring harm to clients.
Counselors have to ensure that deliberate studying, through planning, and careful
implementation should be taken into account during sessions.
The Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004 (RA 9258) Section 27 stipulates that individuals
who engage in the practice of guidance and counseling;

ARTICLE IV
PRACTICE OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING

Section 27. Prohibition Against the Practice of Guidance and Counseling. - No person shall

(a) engage in the practice of guidance and counseling without a valid Certificate of Registration
and the valid Professional Identification Card or a special permit;

(b) make representations to the public or to third person as a licensed Guidance Counselor
during the time that the licensed has been revoked or suspended, and,

(c) allow anybody to use his/her license as guidance counselor to enable such unqualified
individual to engage in the practice of guidance and counseling.

No corporation, partnership, association or entity shall operate a guidance and counseling office
or center, or otherwise engage in the practice of guidance and counseling without securing a
permit from the Board, which shall be issued only after it has satisfied itself that such
establishment is properly staffed by duly licensed Guidance Counselors

Any unethical practice of guidance and counseling as may be defined in a Code of ethics and
Code of Technical Standards to be prepared by the Board in consultation with Guidance
Counselors, is prohibited

The American Counseling Association (2005) and Gladding (2009) also identified the
following as an ethical behavior in counselling;
 Violation of confidentiality;

 Exceeding one’s level of professional competence when a counselor practices outside of

his/her area of specialization;

 Negligent practice;

 Claiming expertise, one does not possess;

 Imposing one’s values in a client;

 Sexual activity with the client;

 Dual relationships (role of counselors is combined with another relationship-professional

or personal);

 Questionable financial arrangements (e.g. excessive fees);

 Improper advertising; and

 Plagiarism when doing research

Assessment

Answer the following questions in two to three sentences.

1. Why is it important for counselors to follow ethical codes and standards?

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2. How is autonomy practiced as an ethical principle of counselling?
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3. Which of the skills under the three competency categories do you possess? Explain how you
imbibe these skills in everyday life.
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