Chapter: 1 1. Class Activity What thoughts and feelings might you experience as a helper counselling the following clients? A married man who confides.

Chapter: 1

1

Class Activity

What thoughts and feelings might you experience as a helper counselling

the following clients?

A married man who confides that he has had several homosexual

extramarital affairs.

A recently separated mother who wants to have her drug-addicted

boyfriend move in with her young children so that she can “help him” get

better.

A gay couple who want to have a child.

Class Activity

What is your understanding of the term interpersonal

skills?

Interpersonal skills are abilities an individual uses to interact

with other people.

Introduction

In the complex and ever changing multicultural society we

live in there are increasing incidences of abuse, mental

illnesses, political, and social disharmony. It Therefore creates

a need for culturally sensitive health workers and programs.

Helpers must know how to build an effective relationship with

helpees.

Introduction

Over the past years therapeutic models have evolved from :

1. Traditional psychodynamic approaches (intra-psychic, individual

perspective)

2. Integrated cognitive –behavioural approaches (individual problem solving

perspective)

3. System approaches (family interactions)

4. Outcome-orientated brief therapies with a multicultural systems/ecological

perspective

(individual is viewed as an element of the primary family, which is an element

within a lager system. Individual can not be fully understood as a person

unless one understands the influences of these lagers systems)

Ecological perspective

Introduction

To adhere to today's model, the helper must be skilled and strategic in building

relationships with patients so that the progress of the patient is not hampered.

The helper must be educated about psychological and physiological functioning and

understand the impact of race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion and sexual orientation

on his own development and as well as those of helpees.

As a helper you need to have an authentic and empathetic working alliance.

You also need to accurately assess individuals treatment formulation and also

evaluate their short and long term outcome.

However as a helper you need to maintain certain interpersonal skills in being an

effective helper.

Communication skills

Ineffective or faulty communication is the root of most interpersonal difficulties.

As a helper you need to know how to communicate clearly and effective.

You must also assist others (helpees) in developing their capacity to communicate effectively to

enable them to maintain positive interpersonal relationships.

You must learn how to hear, perceive and respond to the emotions in messages.

Effective communication skills are important for you to apply in personal, social and

professional setting.

Effective helping skills are intended to increase your own awareness and others self-awareness

and understanding of the impact of social forces on human.

Effective communication is the core aspect in the helping process and allows for more

satisfying relationships.

Improved interpersonal relations allow people to seek and receive support.

Who is the helper?

Anyone who assist others to understand, overcome or deal with

external or internal problems.

There are 3 categories of helpers

Professional helpers

Specialist who undergo extensive graduate level of training in the study of human

behaviour . For example Psychologists, Psychiatrists and Medical Practitioners/

Scientists.

General human service workers

This includes church workers, lay day care staff and lay probation officers as well as

lay counsellors.

Non-professional helpers

They do not have formal training as helpers, they attend seminars in human relations

services, they may include people such as interviewers, and lay supervisors.

All these groups of helpers must use communication skills effectively to initiate and develop helping relationships.

The 2 stages of counselling/helping

1st stage

It focuses on building rapport and

trust between the helper and

helpee.

The helper offers the helpee

support for self disclosure to

uncover and explore as much

information as possible

The exploration focus on the

helpees needs, presenting

complaint, mutual goals and

objective of treatment.

2nd stage

It consist of strategic planning,

implementation and evaluation

which leads to termination and

follow-up.

This stage of the helping process is

for professional helpers.

The success of the 2nd stage depends

greatly on how effective the

communication skills were in

establishing a positive helping

relationship during the 1st stage.

Human relations counselling model (HRCM)

This model emphasis a client centered problem solving relationship in which

behaviour changes and action can result from :

Clients’ exploration and understanding of his/her feelings, thoughts and

actions.

Client's understanding of and decision to modify important

environmental and systematic variables.

Assumptions and Implications of the model

People are responsible and capable of making their own decisions within

the framework of the environmental factors.

People are controlled to a certain extent by their environment

Behaviours are purposive and goal directed.

People want to feel good about themselves and continually need positive

confirmation of their own self-worth from significant others.

Assumptions and Implications of the model

People want to feel and behave congruently to reduce conflict between

internal and external realities.

People strive for reinforcement/supporting behaviours that are meaningful

and congruent with their personal values and belief system.

Peoples personal problems may arise from unresolved conflicts stemming

from the past, but can be resolved by focusing on the here and now.

Many problems experienced by people today are societal.

Assumptions and Implications of the model

The human relations counselling model emphasizes the mutual identification of

the helper and the helpee’s goals, objectives and intervention strategies whose

success can be evaluated according to the observable behaviour change in the

helpee.

The model represents an eclectic approach in that it uses a variety of

counselling techniques and strategies to effect change

The helper is encouraged to learn about the context or system in which helpees

live or function.

Helpers are also encouraged to learn when and how they can use different

techniques and strategies on the same helpee to deal with many areas of concern

as possible within cognitive, affective and behavioural domains.

Human relations counselling model (HRCM)

The goals of helping is to integrate the 3 domains

1. To aid the helpee to become emotionally aware

2. Cognitively aware of his/her responsibilities and choices

3. And to see that awareness translated into action

When helpees are able to assume responsibility for their thought, feelings

and actions

They are able to reduce contradictions amongst themselves they are able

to feel good about themselves and make choices that that reflect the

integration of internal and external factors.

Human relations counselling model (HRCM)

Helpees are then able to behave proactively rather than reactively in their relationships.

The process of verbal and non-verbal communication is also considered to be essential in

the helping process.

Strategies are essential to the helping relationship

If a particular strategy does not work but the helping relationship is solid , the helping

relationship is not likely to be negatively hindered.

This type of relationship is reciprocal in that the helper is considered an equal of the

helpee rather than the expert.

Helpee and helper are "equal” in a sense that social distance is minimal and the

responsibility of what occurs is mutual. (both work together towards achieving agreed

objectives.)

The helper must be able to communicate to clients an understanding of human

behaviour and have skills that help clients to change their ineffective behaviour.

Major implications of the HRCM for helpers

Empathetic communication skills is the core for effective human relationships.

Empathetic communication skills can be taught to all helpers in all types of helping

professions.

The model provides room for diversity and flexibility so helpers can learn a variety

of intervention strategies that can be effective in helping relationships.

Modifies and integrates a variety of established approaches and strategies to meet the

needs of a multicultural heterogeneous population.

Provides for dealing with feelings , thoughts and behaviours in a short term, practical

manner relating to the helpee’s life.

Focuses on the positive rather than negative aspect of the helpee’s life

They assist the helpee to actively assume responsibility for living and their decision

making.

3 integrated dimensions: stages, skills and issues

This multidimensional view is useful in conceptualizing what happens in

helping relationships and what constitute effective helping.

It is useful in providing a framework for learning about counselling and

developing necessary skills.

The helper will modify or re-design this conceptual model into whatever

form works for him or her.

3 integrated dimensions: stages, skills and issues

1st DIMENSION (STAGES)

It comprises of 2 stages of the helping process, these 2 stages consist of

the following steps:

1. Relationship (development of rapport, trust, honesty, empathy)

Initiating entry

Identification and clarification of presented problems

Agreement on structure or contract for helping

Intensive exploration of problems

1st dimension (stages) cont...

2. Strategies (work)

Mutual acceptance of defined goals and objectives

Planning strategies

Use of strategies

Evaluation of strategies

Termination

Follow up

2nd dimension (skills)

Focuses on communication skills: hearing verbal messages, perceiving

non-verbal messages and responding to verbal and non-verbal messages.

Verbal messages are the apparent and underlying cognitive and effective

content of the helpee’s statement.

Non-verbal messages are conveyed by body language (posture, gesture

and eye contact)

Helpers need to learn to recognize inconsistency between verbal and non-

verbal messages to develop the helpee’s awareness of those

inconsistencies.

Responding requires immediate, genuine, concrete and empathic reaction

to verbal and non- verbal messages.

3rd dimension (issues)

The last dimension of the

counselling model represents issues.

These issues involve the way an

individual relates to others and to

his/her environment. (issues such as

racism, sexism and poverty)

This dimension includes

professional matters of ethics,

training and practice as well as the

personal values and attitudes of the

helper.

Conclusion of chapter 1 Communication skills are necessary for effective helping relationships

for all categories of helpers. The shifts that occurs within the helping

professions is aimed at improving interpersonal relationships using

different models and strategies. Effective communication skills provide a

way of dealing with controversial issues. The models used for effective

helping increase the helpee’s awareness and successful functioning in the

affective (feeling), behavioural (doing) and cognitive( thinking)

domains.