Definition of counselling
What is counselling? It is a guided process where trained professionals help individuals deal with personal, emotional, or mental challenges through active support.
Counselling is the most common manifestation of direct interview treatment. It is intended to help a person sort out the issues in his situation in a rational way, clarify his problem and his conflict with reality, discuss the feasibility of various courses of action, and free the client from the responsibility of making a choice.
Counselling merges with therapeutic interviewing in the direction of psychotherapy when its goal is a change in the client’s attitude and behaviour; then the client becomes a patient. Usually a large number of confused, unhappy and disturbed persons turn to social agencies with the hope of improving the situation. There is always an element of “dependence” on the agency.
In India there has been an emphasis on relying on adult guidance and advice from people with more life experience at every stage of a person’s life. Generally, the Indian client seeks substantial help and guidance from the caseworker. The Western way of discussing problems does not appeal to their emotions. In this “learning pattern”,
however, the spirit in which the advice is given is important. Moreover, in the factory setting where the relationship is more statutorily oriented, even legal consultation falls within the scope of social work practice, and there the welfare officer can act as a useful counsellor to the workers.