Ced112 Meaning of Guidance and Counselling

Meaning of Guidance and Counselling
………. Guidance and Counselling is based on the assumption that every individual in any
society has had, is having and will have a problem that he alone could not solve…… {Prof. Olu
Makinde}
Guidance and Counselling is defined as a planned and organized work aimed at assisting the
trainee to understand himself and his abilities and develop his potentialities in order to solve his
problems and achieve psychological, social, educational and professional compatibility, and also
to achieve his objectives within the framework of Islamic teachings. Guidance and Counselling
complement each other though there are some differences.
There are different opinions concerning the meaning of guidance. The term has been
described as a concept that is, a mental image. Yet, others view it as a construct of intellectual
idea. While to others, it is an educational service, a practice designed primarily for meeting a
demand in this discussion. Guidance is a group of planned services that include counselling, it
provides the trainee with miscellaneous information to upgrade his feeling of responsibility,
understand himself and know his abilities and provide guidance services to trainees.
Miller {1968) defined guidance as the process of helping individuals achieve self-
understanding and self-direction necessary to make the maximum adjustment to school, home
and community. According to Durojaiye {1972}, guidance is a complex process which
encompasses the total needs of the individual student to be directed or guided. This guide is
available to the individual’s educational, social, emotional, health, vocational and leisure time
needs and for the individual’s preparation for a suitable occupation. Shertzer and Stone {1981}
defined guidance as the process of helping individuals to understand themselves and their world.
In each of those definitions, emphasis has been laid on guidance as a process because it is
not a single event, but involved a series of goal-directed actions and steps. It is also important to
note that guidance is an integral part of education which focuses on the individual’s present and
future needs and life-long decisions.
Counselling on the other hand, is the procedural aspect of guidance; it is therefore the
interaction that comes as a result of the vocational relationship between a specialized counselor
and his student where the counselor assists the student to understand himself and his abilities and
talents to achieve self and environmental compatibility in order to attain the appropriate degree
of mental health in light of the techniques and specialized skills of the guidance process.
Makinde {1985} described counselling as an enlightened process whereby people help people by
facilitating growth and positive change through an exercise of self-understanding. According to
Olayinka {1972), counselling is the process in which one person assists another person in a
person- to-person or face-to-face or one-on-one encounter. This assistance may take many forms:
it may be educational, vocational, social, recreational, emotional, and/or moral. Counselling iis
concerned with the feelings, attitudes, and emotional dispositions of an individual about
him/herself and the situation facing him /her. According to Makinde (1983), counselling is
designed to provide an interacting relationship where the counsellor is attempting to help a
student to better understand him/herself in relating to his/her present and future decisions or
problems.
From the foregoing, firstly, counselling is a special kind of interaction between the two
individuals. Secondly, this special relationship happens between a trained helper{Counsellor} an
a helpee {counsellee/client} in search of clarification of a problematic situation he has found
himself. Finally, counselling is generally accepted as the heart or keystone of the guidance
programme, that is, the most important function of guidance, the heart of core of guidance, the
hub of the guidance wheel or the pivotal specific service around which the wheel of guidance
revolves.
The Differences Between Guidance and Counselling:

The concept of guidance and counselling reflect a common meaning that includes
awareness, assistance and change of behavior to the better, but still there is a difference between
the two concepts:
1- Guidance is more general and comprehensive than counselling, it therefore includes
counselling.
2- Guidance usually precedes counselling and paves the way for it. Counselling follows
guidance.
3- Guidance stresses the theoretical aspect while counselling takes care of the practical aspect.
4- Counselling is usually the relationship between the teacher and the student who comes for
assistance; therefore, it is an individualistic relationship.
5. In terms of method, guidance is informative and didactic while counselling is largely flexible
and less didactic.
6. The counsellor usually initiates guidance. The client usually initiates counselling on the other
hand.
7. Guidance takes place in the public. Counselling on the other hand is personal and confidential.
8. Guidance is a knowledge based because it deals with facts and principles while counselling is
affective. It is value oriented and it deals with perception, motivation, needs and feelings.
Similarities Between Guidance and Counselling
Guidance and counselling are twin words which are used either individually or synonymously.
1. Guidance and counselling have the same goals and objectives
2. They both assist an individual to solve problems
3. They both promote understanding of oneself.
Misconceptions about Guidance and Counselling:

1. Some people believe that counselling is a mere service provided by the training institution.
2. Others believe that guidance and counselling are services provided to psychiatric persons only,
though it is provided to normal persons.
3. Some also believe that counselling provides ready made plans and solutions to anyone who
seeks counselling, but the truth is that counselling assists individuals to understand themselves
and achieve self-realization.

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Meaning of Guidance and Counselling

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Misconceptions about Guidance and Counselling:

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