Psychological counseling: what is it, psychologist consultant, types, stages, examples, basics, methods, techniques

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTING, a type of professional assistance to a person or group of people in resolving a problem situation that causes psychological distress. difficulties. Unlike psychotherapy, psychotherapy is relatively short-term, focused on the client’s request (solving a specific problem, finding a way out of the crisis) and consists of restructuring the client’s perception of his situation, finding a new way of action, internal. and external resources for the implementation of the new approach to life that was formed during the Communist Party. C.p. moves away from the model of “therapeutic” relationship “doctor-patient”, which is characteristic of psychotherapy; the consultant accompanies the client in the process of solving his problem.

Similar to the directions in psychotherapy, cognitive, behavioral, psychoanalytic, humanistic, existential and other directions are distinguished in psychotherapy. Like psychotherapy, psychotherapy bases its practice on concepts of personality, according to which the consultant places certain emphasis in working with the client and applies appropriate techniques. So, in psychoanalytic In counseling, the consultant may strive to overcome neuroticism. protective mechanisms of the client’s personality, in the cognitive-behavioral approach - to mastering new effective techniques of thinking and behavior, in the Gestalt approach - to changing the attitude towards a problem situation and towards oneself in it based on its more holistic perception, in the client-centered approach - to revealing the resources of the client’s personality in conditions of free expression of thoughts and feelings encouraged by the consultant, in the procedural – to the liberation of mental. energy concentrated in unconscious processes.

Having established contact with the client, the consultant gives him the opportunity to speak out, trying to help him reveal his experiences as fully as possible and expand his vision of the situation. Providing emotional support to the client, the consultant tells him about the positive aspects of his problem situation; together with him, he reformulates his problems into the goal of the project. By correcting unrealistic expectations, the consultant creates a register of possible solutions to the problem, helps the client feel each proposed option (for example, playing it out in roles) and select the optimal solution from the client’s point of view.

What is psychological counseling

Among the common practices in the field of psychology are: training, therapy, correction, diagnosis, prevention, counseling.

Counseling was first discussed in 1951 at a conference in the USA. He was assigned the area of psychological problems of people who do not have somatic and mental illnesses.

The goals and objectives of psychological counseling differ from psychotherapy and psychocorrection:

It is used more widely than clinical practices. With its help, issues of personality and family are resolved. Consulting techniques are used in industrial management and education.
Unlike psychotherapeutic methods based on influencing the deep levels of the unconscious, the psychologist mainly deals with situational problems that are solved consciously by the client.
The subject is in a position to take full responsibility for his or her life and the consultant works with him through dialogue. The specialist focuses on activating the individual’s internal resources, obtaining more variable behavior from him, contributing to the development of new approaches and skills.

The consultant is more free than the therapist in choosing professional models.

Counseling aggressive and hostile clients

Aggressive and hostile people create problems not only in the psychologist’s office. But it is important for him to understand what circumstances caused the person’s embitterment. What did he defend himself from by choosing this model of behavior? Then you can effectively respond to the client’s condition.

Counseling hostile aggressive clients begins with reducing the level of aggression. To do this, the consultant uses a model of emotionally neutral behavior - calmly listens to the client without getting involved in his experiences. This allows the client to experience their emotions and reduces the level of tension. After this, there is an opportunity for a constructive dialogue between him and the consultant.

To better understand the issues of psychological counseling, we invite you to take the Psychological Consulting and Coaching program at the EdPro Academy of Continuing Education.

Basics of Counseling

Psychological consultation is based on the principles of humanistic philosophy and integral perception of personality.

Laws and rules, goals and values of the client’s individual coordinate system, his beliefs and picture of the world are the material with which the consultant psychologist works.

The result confirming the truth of the chosen technique is considered to be: the absence of emotional symptoms of tension and discomfort, the disappearance of psychological difficulties in interpersonal relationships and the activities of the subject who asked for help.

Relationships with others, characteristics of a person’s behavior in the recent past and now, and her immediate mental state serve as sources of data for psychodiagnostics.

Working with a person, a psychologist:

most often spends a short time with the client - 5-6 meetings;
influences the subject’s behavior primarily through changing his attitudes toward other people, the nature and forms of relationships with them;
the purpose of consultations is to eliminate harmful stereotypes of information processing, perception and response that have taken root in thinking;
the client-consultant relationship represents a conscious interaction when the subject makes independent decisions to change his own personality;
To carry out his functions of studying a person’s problem area, a psychologist requires an atmosphere of trust.

Types of counseling

Most often, once at the reception, a person has no idea of the real reasons for his difficulties. A consulting psychologist helps him clarify the situation and understand the situation in all relationships.

Depending on the nature of the difficulties and characteristics of the client, counseling is possible in different forms:

Production. Aimed at motivating staff, increasing management efficiency, eliminating conflicts and improving interactions in the workforce.
Professional. Relates to career guidance issues. Assessments of a subject’s predisposition to one or another type of activity, and whether he or she has the necessary qualities.
Family. This includes issues of relationships during the premarital period, work with couples during their life together, and assistance in situations of divorce. Parents with problems with their children and spouses who have not found mutual understanding with their in-laws or in-laws can turn to a specialist.
Personal. Individual intimate issues - difficulties in interacting with others, interpersonal conflicts, increased anxiety, loss of meaning in life.

Based on other characteristics, the following types of counseling can be additionally distinguished:

correspondence (remote) and contact (face-to-face);
group and individual;
psychological, pedagogical and business;
problematic and crisis.

Integrative fairy tale therapy as a method of work for a practical psychologist

The course develops the ability and readiness to provide qualified psychological assistance to children and adults using modern methods of fairy tale therapy and the use of metaphorical techniques in correctional and developmental work with children and adults.

The following are studied in detail:

Fairy tales in human culture
Factors influencing people's interest in fairy tales
Reasons for the similarity of fairy tales
The problem of the origin of fairy tales
Fairy tales in cultural studies and psychology
The concept of a fairy tale and the typology of fairy tales
Fairy tale: problem of definition
Approaches to the typology of fairy tales
Classification of fairy tales in fairy tale therapy
General idea of fairy tale therapy
The role and place of fairy tale therapy among other areas
Definition problem
Fairytale therapy as a direction of practical psychology
Features of a fairy tale as a psychological tool
Fairy tale and human semantic space
Possibilities of fairy-tale metaphors in the work of a practical psychologist
General idea of metaphor
Metaphor in fiction and psychology
Understanding Metaphor
Interpretation and explanation of metaphor
Approaches to the study of metaphor
The role of metaphor in the process of fairy tale therapy
Metaphor as a means of psychological influence on the client
Metaphor and subjectivity
Features of metaphor as a tool for fairytale therapists
Fairytale therapeutic technologies as the basis for teaching psychology in primary school
Conceptual ideas for teaching psychology in primary school using fairy tale therapeutic technologies
General provisions on conducting psychological classes in elementary school (using the example of the “Psychological ABC” program)
Content aspects of conducting psychological classes in primary school
Organizational and methodological aspects of teaching psychology in primary school
Organization of the spatial-subject environment
Forms of organizing classes
Methods and techniques for conducting psychological classes
Measuring procedures in the program “Psychological ABC”
Developmental and psychocorrective methods in fairy tale therapy
Approaches to the typology of fairy tale therapeutic methods
Ways and techniques for implementing developmental and psychocorrective methods in fairy tale therapy
Analysis of some fairy tale therapeutic methods
The use of fairy tales
Meditation on a fairy tale
Dialogue storytelling method
Working with “Propp cards” in fairy tale therapy
Psychodiagnostic methods in fairy tale therapy
Fairy tales as projective material
Psychological analysis of fairy tales as a way to implement psychodiagnostic methods in fairy tale therapy
Interpretations of folk and author's (art) fairy tales
The meaning of the fairy tale "Kolobok"
Riddles of “Ryaba Hens”
Scheme for analyzing client tales
Methods of fairy tale therapy work with non-fairy tale genres
Figurative moralizing
Types of parables
Ways to Use Parables
Making parables

Stages of psychological counseling

During the interview, interpersonal interaction is divided into separate phases, depending on the mechanism and patterns of development of the dynamics of the dialogue.

Counseling psychology has developed several models for conducting a conversation between a specialist and a client, but the basic structure of communication in them remains the same.

Preparatory

Before starting work with a person, a psychologist studies the information available about him. Information is taken from the registration log, and the opinion of the person who accepted the application is taken into account.

In addition, there may be data on the client’s past visits to consultations, records of specialists who spoke with him earlier.

Some information can be gleaned from social networks, from mutual friends. If the meeting is held in an organization, then additional information is collected from management and work partners.

At the first stage, the specialist summarizes the available data and develops a conversation plan.

Tuning

Individual counseling is a process that requires the establishment of trusting, collaborative and mutually understanding relationships.

The specialist must be able to create an atmosphere in which the client feels safe. For this purpose, the psychologist introduces the subject to the general plan of the conversation and builds a rational basis for interaction.

The psychological mechanisms, structure and goals of counseling are explained to the person seeking help. This creates additional motivation for change and involves the subject in conscious work.

Diagnostic

Problems and conflicts that require resolution, psychological difficulties are often not limited to the questions that the client has posed to himself.

When choosing diagnostic directions, the consultant must be able to distinguish the subject’s projections from the facts that actually exist, but at the same time not introduce unfounded guesses into the situation.

At this stage, the structure of the individual’s difficulties is highlighted, problems that he can solve on his own are identified, as well as the most vulnerable aspects of the client’s inner world, which give rise to dramatic consequences for the person. Identifying connections of this kind is the main task of diagnostics.

The developers of the methodology identify 3 priority goals for the time allocated for diagnosis:

Create the right atmosphere and listen carefully to the person’s “confession.”
Identify the most important problem and help the client understand it.
Formulate a clear and precise task that the psychologist and the subject will solve during meetings.

A professional approach assumes that during the conversation, an often fuzzy and uncertain image of the desired future will be brought into the sphere of the subject’s consciousness, and the life goals and personal values of the person being consulted will be clarified.

It is important that the assessments, views, life ideas and actual intentions of the person in need of help are comprehended and verbalized by him. The client must clearly understand what will happen when the problems are resolved.

Such restructuring of the subject’s internal space will be the first step towards improving the situation and will allow him to resolve many psychological difficulties on his own. The psychologist is required to stimulate the compensatory, adaptive and creative abilities of the individual, as well as provide emotional support.

Recommendation

Psychological consulting aims to search and develop, together with the client, alternative approaches to life's difficulties. Decisions that a person has always preferred over other behavior options may come to the fore.

When contacting a specialist, the subject is in a dead-end situation, in his opinion. A confidential conversation with a psychologist helps to change your point of view on problems, to deviate from rigidly defined patterns of thinking and perception.

After a visit to a consultant, people often change their attitude to what is happening and reconsider the range of acceptable ways to effectively and constructively interact with others.

When a person begins to be guided by more progressive attitudes, his behavior becomes more variable, plastic and flexible. He acquires the ability to use the most adequate methods of response in changing circumstances.

Studies of behavioral-cognitive psychology have shown that for socio-psychological adaptation in a modern European city, a person’s repertoire must contain about 600 patterns and algorithms of behavior.

People, in a rapidly changing reality with increasingly complex communication connections, are forced throughout their lives to develop new ways of coping with stress, forms of experience, response options and behavior.

The psychologist's recommendations should:

contain a detailed plan for the client’s independent work;
offer effective ways to destroy painful stereotypes of perception and thinking;
involve the subject in activities to create a creative and flexible approach to relationships with the environment.

Control

The final stage of the consultant's work is to create feedback with the client in order to obtain reliable information about the results of the change process.

For this, the theory makes the following recommendations:

The psychologist must analyze the data received and evaluate how much his recommendations contributed to changing the life situation of the person seeking help.
Based on the information collected, a decision is made to correct the chosen methods of action, and additional instructions and advice are developed.
The consultant should motivate the client for independent activity, strengthen and stimulate it.
It is necessary to include the conclusions and knowledge that the subject received through joint activities with the psychologist into the permanent structure of everyday existence in order to consolidate the results and prevent their loss in the future.

Once the results of previous achievements have been consolidated, even simply planning the next step can be a great incentive for further positive transformation.

Code of ethics in the work of a psychologist.

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The advisory type of psychological assistance was initially based on the client-centered humanistic psychotherapy of C. Rogers. Gradually, he absorbed interaction models from cognitive behavioral therapy, gestalt therapy, family constellations, and transactional analysis. The core of the direction is considered to be “consultative interaction”, in which the client, with the help of a psychologist, learns to solve problems, relying on his strengths and internal resources.

During joint work, the psychologist-consultant becomes a kind of psychological mirror for the client, which, like the usual one, helps to “get yourself in order.” In addition, the “mirror” makes it possible to look at yourself from the outside, focus on the problem, and redirect work from a complaint through a desire to a solution. But all this is not an ordinary conversation between two good friends, but the correct work of a psychologist in accordance with the ethical code.

How to understand that a counseling psychologist follows a code of ethics:

Shows a friendly, non-judgmental attitude. Doesn't judge or be indignant, but helps the client feel comfortable during the appointment.
Doesn't give specific advice. The psychologist pays attention, prompts, helps, guides, but does not give ready-made instructions for action.
Guarantees anonymity. Any information obtained during work cannot be transferred to private individuals or government organizations without the client’s consent.
Shares relationships with clients inside and outside the psychologist's office. Consulting relatives and friends is devalued due to the biased attitude in the client-therapist pair.
Focuses his work on client values. The therapist does not start from knowledge of “right/wrong”, but works in the interests of the client.

Counseling Methods

Individual personality theories and corresponding methodologies have developed their own approaches to working with clients. But there is a basic set of methods that includes: active and empathic listening, observation, interview and conversation.

When the client initiates the conversation, to make it easier for him to share his experiences, the psychologist can use empathic listening. It is characterized by the following features:

Absence of any assessments from a specialist. He does not allow himself to interpret out loud the hidden motives and intentions of his interlocutor, reproach him for mistakes or lead him astray.
The psychologist shows acceptance and understanding of the subject’s emotions and feelings, reflecting his experiences using special communication techniques.
The technique allows a professional to experience the same thoughts and feelings as the client, identify with him for a while, take his place, and understand the situation.
Techniques of adjusting to breathing, posture and movements, using the same representative systems as the interlocutor during a conversation, make it possible to create an atmosphere of trust and evoke additional sincerity of the subject.

To obtain more detailed information about a person's difficulties, listening may take a slightly different form. For example, the active listening technique involves the psychologist asking leading and clarifying questions in order to set the direction of the conversation or clarify details.

In addition, to listen actively, you need to:

demonstrate with a friendly gaze, posture and gestures directed at the interlocutor your interest in what he is saying;
when asking a question, repeat part of the interlocutor’s phrase in the same words, or slightly reformulate it;
Constantly support the conversation with your reactions - confirming attentiveness with nods, words “yes, yes”, “I understand”, “this is interesting”, “continue”.

This listening technique is one of the most important working methods that a psychologist must master, no matter what specialization he adheres to - organizational issues, family relations or business consulting.

Observing the client's non-verbal behavior, knowledge of body language and postures can help the consultant obtain a lot of additional information. Observation is trained like other skills.

For a method to be useful, observation must be focused, systematic, and intentional.

Another method of collecting the necessary information is an interview. Depending on the situation it happens:

free - when, within the framework of the general plan, questions vary regarding the characteristics of the client;
partially standardized – clear strategy and flexible tactics;
standardized - when the questions and procedure are clearly indicated.

All previous methods are auxiliary or are included as an element in the main method of consultation - conversation.

A conversation is necessary to establish contact with the client, collect and systematize information about him, and develop recommendations for changing the situation.

Dialogue with the subject itself performs therapeutic functions. As the conversation progresses, various methods of psychological influence are woven into it, the person’s condition is assessed, and the program of interactions is adjusted.

The conversation most often has a clear structure and includes a number of points:

A plan of questions with the help of which the available information is detailed and the individual is encouraged to further in-depth self-analysis.
Calming and encouraging techniques are needed to create a trusting atmosphere.
Generalizations and paraphrases help the client become more aware of their thoughts, attitudes and beliefs.
Reflection of feelings - inform the subject that the consultant is interested in understanding his inner world.
Silent pauses help the person seeking help to dive deeper into himself, see his own problems from different points of view, evaluate his values, attitudes, feelings and reactions.
Communicating information and interpretations is necessary to improve the client’s understanding of the situation and provoke him to ask questions. They are required to bring into the subject’s consciousness all new details and levels of problems.
Sometimes a psychologist resorts to deliberate confrontation - in order to determine the client’s usual methods of psychological defense and demonstrate to him their positive and negative sides.

To show the subject the sincerity of his intentions and demonstrate new ways of behavior, the psychologist reveals himself to him, provides personal information, and gives examples from his own life.

Psychological counseling techniques

There are suitable techniques for any stage of the relationship between a specialist and a subject in need of help. Seemingly minor variations in the consultant’s behavior contribute to the faster establishment of suitable connections:

When a professional leads a client to the designated place, he first follows in front, and in front of the door lets him through first.
To set a person up positively, a communicator establishes rapport - in a special way makes a favorable impression, using facial expression, posture, gestures, and managing the communication area.
Unobtrusive, calm music, the opportunity to be alone for a while and get used to the environment liberate clients and remove psychological barriers.
When formulating recommendations, the consultant tries not to use a directive manner of communication, replacing it with explanations, persuasion, providing the client with information and advice.

Audio consultation online

Unexpectedly for me, this consultation option is in demand. Despite the fact that the consultant cannot see the interlocutor, he hears the voice and can detect changes in the emotional background. When asked for this type of consultation, I ask the client to use speakerphone. This is necessary so as not to feel constrained in your movements while holding the tube near your ear.

Just like a video meeting or an in-person meeting, this option is limited in time. In my personal rating, this option is in second to last place.

Features of counseling children with a psychologist

The tasks and goals of counseling adults and children are similar, but due to the immaturity and lack of independence of the younger generation, the methods need to be transformed.

Differences when working with children:

Deviations in development, which serve as the reason for contacting a psychologist, are noticed by teachers or parents, and not by the children themselves. The initiative to seek help, accordingly, also does not come from them.
The child's psyche changes quickly, so it is important that the corrective effect has a quick effect. Delay can lead to the accumulation of negative consequences.
Responsibility for the results cannot be placed on the subject, since his self-awareness and mental activity are not fully formed, and his immediate environment has a great influence.

Psychological methods for influencing children are behavioral in nature and based on gaming techniques. The consultant receives a large amount of information from the child’s parents, most often the mother.

Often, working with a child turns into family therapy, since the family plays a significant role in education and upbringing.

Psychology and psychotherapy of loss and grief

The course introduces theoretical ideas about the consequences of a loss, reactions and stages of grief, and provides knowledge about the possibilities of psychotherapeutic work with them.

The following are studied in detail:

signs of normal grief
stages of grief
different classifications of bereavement reactions
basic parameters of the loss reaction and principles of working with grief
pathology of grief
ways to work with children of different ages experiencing loss
preliminary grief, work with terminally ill patients and their relatives
dealing with the consequences of suicide
working with people experiencing an event leading to damage or loss of identity (other types of loss)
personal problems of a psychologist when working with grief reactions
workshop on working with the consequences of loss

Conditions for the effectiveness of consultations with a psychologist

The specificity of psychological counseling is that it becomes effective if a number of factors are combined:

Specialists consider the problem comprehensively and do not focus on solving immediate problems, which most often have a temporary effect. A psychologist should focus on resolving deep internal conflicts.
The qualifications of consultants allow you to create an atmosphere of trust and establish relationships that allow you to obtain all the required information about the problems and inner world of the client, and use the methods of influence that are required to achieve the desired result.
A person who seeks help behaves prudently and disciplinedly: attends all meetings, performs independent work to the required extent, and provides reliable information about his conditions.
The methods of influence and the structure of the consultation are based on the individual characteristics of the client’s personality.
The psychologist is not able to do the work for the client. Therefore, the motivational part remains the most important for all consulting work.

Online video consultation

The format is almost as good as meeting in person.

Modern communication conditions allow you to communicate without interference. Not only individual therapy, but also family counseling can take place online.

Of course, the downside is that the client is not on the consultant’s premises. This complicates the process of immersion in consultation, in the work of the soul. On the other hand, it is faster to overcome the fear of consulting, because there will be no unfamiliar office. And you don’t need to waste time getting to a consultant. Especially if you are in different cities.

This, by the way, allows you not to limit yourself in choosing a specialist.

Ethics in psychological counseling

Individual and group psychological counseling is impossible without an atmosphere of goodwill and safety for the client.

The work experience of therapists and psychologists contains recommendations on the ethical side of the issue:

Separation of professional and personal. An undesirable phenomenon is considered to be an industrial, family or friendly relationship between a client and a consultant.
The specialist should not act instead of the client. Ready-made solutions in current situations, direct advice on what to do in each given case, go beyond the professional ethics of consultants.
A psychologist should not put social values above the interests of the person who turned to him for help. Assessing a subject’s actions from the level of general morality will not allow him to be open and liberated.
Assessments from the specialist himself are also unacceptable. The ethics of the profession presupposes that the client is perceived as he is.
Strict confidentiality of meetings. No information should go beyond the relationship between the client and the psychologist.

Types of psychological help online.

Online counseling is a great option for those who are busy and cannot find time to visit a psychologist's office. You can talk to an online psychologist anywhere and almost any time. This is a convenient option with many advantages. You can text with your psychologist, or make video calls. In Helppoint's database of experienced psychologists, you're sure to find a counselor who's right for you.

Author: Editorial staff of the Help-Point.net portal

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How to choose a psychologist

Is it possible to counsel friends and family?

Personal counseling by a specialist in the field of psychology of your friends, family and friends is not considered correct for a number of reasons:

Worrying about the state of people you know prevents the psychologist from perceiving the situation objectively; emotions are a bad adviser.
If the problem worsens, it is possible that the person who recklessly gave recommendations will be considered to blame for the outcome of the case. Moreover, this can happen regardless of whether the person being counseled followed the advice or not.
It is possible that the specialist will make a mistake. It will be difficult for him to accept the consequences professionally - to draw conclusions and continue to work.

The material issue cannot be ignored. A large amount of time will be spent on providing assistance, a considerable amount of information will be processed, but not everyone is able to demand payment from a loved one. In addition, people are not inclined to treat properly what they got for free.