Employee Counselling

LESSON 1: Employee Counselling subsequent termination if the employee

fails to improve.
- method of understanding and helping
individuals who have technical, personal - The origin of counselling as a scientific
and emotional adjustment problems procedure can be traced back to the
interfering with their work performance. ❖ psychoanalytical method of
Freud and
- help provided by the supervisor to the
❖ client – centered counselling
subordinates in analyzing their
method of Carl Rogers used in
performance and other behaviors on the
therapeutic setting.
job, in order to improve their
performance.
- In an organizational setup, the trusting
relationship with the supervisors is
- used sometimes in the sense of coaching
known as a dyadic relationship.
and reviewing one’s performance.
LESSON 2: Importance of Employee
- The term ‘counselling’ refers to the help Counselling at Workplace
given by a superior to his subordinate in
improving the latter’s performance. ➢ Counselling helps the employees to
come out from the problems, gives a new
- process of helping the employees to way to deal with the problems.
achieve better adjustment with his work ➢ Counselling shows how much the
environment to behave as a employer care for the employee.
psychologically mature individual. ➢ Counselling may help to identify the
employee the work-related problems and
- sort of discussion with an employee the poor performance
about a problem that has usually
emotional content in order to help him Organization hires a professional as a
cope with it in a better way. counsellor to deal with the following issues:

- to bring an employee back to his normal 1. Traumatic Events

mental position in which he was before 2. Relationship Issues
the emotional problem emerged. 3. Physical Health
4. Personal Stress
- An employee, who may be doing the 5. Emotional Health
work, but not performing well, is a liability 6. Bereavement
for the organizations. 7. Work Relationship
8. Phobias
- Counselling focuses on the problem, not 9. Family Issues
the employee, and is positive and 10. Financial Problems
constructive. 11. Work Stress

Benefits of counselling
- Counselling is a formal straight, face-to-
face conversation between a supervisor 1. Helps employees to tackle with the
and an employee concerning conduct, problems effectively
and performance. 2. Employees are able to sort their
problems
- The counselling relationship is 3. Helps in decision making
confidential and not reciprocal. The focus 4. A new way to look at the perspective.
of a counsellor is to offer support and 5. Prevent termination from employer or
encouragement to the employee. resignation from employee.
6. Reduces the cost of hiring new employee
- Employee Counselling is based on the and training new staff.
premise that employee performance can 7. Smooth coordination between employer
be enhanced if the employee is properly and employee.
counselled by skilled managers.

- two important reasons – firstly to improve

performance and secondly to serve as
support and possible evidence for
 Employee Counselling
LESSON 3A: Basic Issues in Workplace LESSON 3B- Basic Issues in Workplace
Counseling Practice: Personal Counseling Practice
Characteristics of an Effective Counselor
The Role of Values In Counseling
1. Have an identity
- they know who they are Our values are core beliefs that influence how
- what they are capable of becoming we act:

2. Open to change - both in our personal

- They exhibit a willingness and courage - and our professional lives

Personal values influence

3. Make choices that are life-oriented
They are aware of early decisions they - how we view counseling and the manner
made about themselves, others, and the in which we interact w/ clients
world. - including the way, we conduct client
assessments
4. Are authentic, sincere, and honest - our views of the goals of counseling
- They do not hide behind rigid roles - the interventions we choose
or facades - the topics we select for discussion in a
counseling session
5. Have a sense of humor - how we evaluate progress and how we
- Able to put the events of life in interpret client’s life situations.
perspective
• As counselor/coach/mentor we need to
6. Make mistakes and are willing to guard against the tendency to use our
admit them power to influence the client to accept our
- Do not dismiss their errors lightly, yet values because it is not our function to
they do not choose to dwell on them, persuade clients to accept or adopt our
either value system.
• The role of the counselor/coach/mentor
7. Live in the present is to create a climate in which clients can
- Are not riveted to the past, nor are they examine their thoughts, feelings, and
fixated on the future actions
• The counseling task is to assist
8. Appreciate the influence of culture individuals in finding answers that are
- Aware of the ways in which their own most congruent with their own values.
culture affects them
• It is not beneficial to provide advice or to
give clients your answers to their
9. Have a sincere interest in the welfare
questions.
of others
• You may not agree with certain of your
- Concern is based on respect, care, trust,
client’s values, but you need to respect
and a real valuing of others
their right to hold divergent values from
yours.
10. Possess effective interpersonal skills
• Your role is to provide a safe and inviting
- Capable of entering the world of others
context in which clients can explore the
without getting lost in this world
congruence between their values and
their behavior.
11. Deeply involved in their work and
derive meaning from it 3) Becoming an Effective Multicultural
- Can accept rewards flowing from their Counselor
work, yet they are not slaves to their work
• recognize diversity issues and shaping
12. Able to maintain healthy boundaries one’s counseling practice to fit the client’s
- Know how to say no, which enables them worldview.
to maintain balance in their lives • to develop sensitivity to cultural
differences if they hope to make
13. Passionate interventions that are consistent with the
- Have the courage to pursue their dreams values of their clients.
and passions • It is a good idea for counselors to ask
clients to provide them with the
 Employee Counselling
information they will need to work - Learn to tolerate the ambiguity of not
effectively. knowing for sure whether your client is
• Incorporating culture into the therapeutic improving.
process is not limited to working with
clients from a certain ethnic or cultural 9. Becoming aware of your
background. countertransference
• In the case of individuals who have lived - Working w/ clients can affect you in
in more than one culture, it is useful to personal ways, and your own
assess the degree of acculturation and vulnerabilities and countertransference
identity development that has taken are bound to surface.
place.
• Counseling is by its very nature diverse 10. Sharing responsibility with the client
in a multi-cultural society, so it is easy to - It is counselor’s responsibility to discuss
see that there are no ideal therapeutic specific matters such as length and
approaches. overall duration of the sessions.
- It is important to be alert to your clients’
LESSON 3C: Issues Faced by Beginning efforts to get you to assume responsibility
Counselors for directing their lives.

1. Dealing with your anxieties 11. Declining to give advice

- One way is to openly discuss our self- - help clients discover their own solutions
doubts with a supervisor and peers, the and recognize their own freedom to act.
possibilities are rich for meaningful - help clients make independent choices
exchanges and for gaining support from and accept the consequences of their
fellow interns who probably have many of choices.
the same concerns and anxieties.
12. Defining your role as a Counselor
2. Being Yourself and Self-disclosure - you will likely be expected to function with
- to be ourselves in our therapeutic work a diverse range of roles.
and appropriately disclose our reactions
in counseling sessions, we increase the 13. Learning to use techniques
chances of being authentic. appropriately
- level of genuineness and presence - theoretical rationale for each technique
you use.
3. Avoiding Perfectionism - Methods need to be thoroughly chosen
- energies are tied up presenting an image as a way to help clients make therapeutic
of perfection. progress.

4. Being honest about your limitations 14. Developing your own counseling style
- cannot realistically expect to succeed - counseling style will be influenced by
with every client. your teachers, counselors, and
supervisors, but don’t blur your potential
5. Understanding silence uniqueness by trying to imitate them.
- Silent moments during therapeutic
session may seem like silent hours to a 15. Maintaining your vitality as a person
beginning counselor. and as a professional
- When silence occurs, acknowledge and - your single most important instrument is
explore with your client the meaning of the person you are, and your most
the silence. powerful technique is your ability to
model aliveness and realness.
6. Dealing with demands from clients - paramount importance that we take care
- heading off unrealistic demands is to of ourselves for how can we take care of
make your expectations and boundaries others
clear during the initial counseling
sessions. LESSON 4: Ethical and Legal Issues in
Counseling Practice
7. Dealing with clients who lack
commitment CONFIDENTIALITY
- Counselors who omit preparation and do
not address client’s thoughts and feelings - all aspects of the counselling relationship
should be held in the strictest confidence.
8. Tolerating ambiguity
 Employee Counselling
- Confidentiality continues to apply when • Informational documents
counselling has ceased.
• Pens and Paper
BASIC VALUES Before each interview familiarize yourself with
the client and try to determine what the starting
- the basic values of counselling are
point is. For example, find out about:
respect, impartiality and integrity.
• their work goals;
SAFETY
• what they have done previously to find
- Counsellors should take all reasonable work;
steps to ensure that the client comes to
•any previously identified barriers to
no emotional, psychological or physical
employment.
harm during counselling

COMPETENCE
BENEFITS OF PREPARATION
- should take all reasonable steps to both
monitor and develop their competences. • Saves time during the interview, when
This includes participating in available time is important
training and development activities. • Provides ideas that can be raised during
the interview
KNOWING PERSONAL LIMITATIONS • Looks professional
• Can make client feel more comfortable
- Counsellors must be aware of and only • Can identify potential problem areas and
work within their limitations and should prepare appropriate strategies.
be prepared to refer a client to an
appropriate support. DON’T FORGET!

APPROPRIATENESS to prepare yourself mentally and

physically for each interview – your tenth client
- Counsellors should ensure that of the day will require the same level of expertise
relationships with clients are maintained and commitment from you as the first client of
on an appropriate basis at all times the day.

PREPARATION BEFORE THE ETHICS IN COUNSELING

COUNSELLING INTERVIEW
COUNSELING RELATIONSHIP
THE SETTING / PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
1. General Responsibility- Counselors
- interruptions by colleagues; have a primary responsibility to respect
- telephone calls; the integrity and promote the welfare of
- background noise; their clients.
- poor layout of the room / furniture; 2. Confidentiality. The counselor must
- uncomfortable temperature; preserve and safeguard the
- poor lighting. confidentiality of the clients.
- the information revealed during therapy
PRIVACY will be protected from unauthorized
disclosure.
- They may cover matters of a personal
nature or subjects which clients may find Privacy
upsetting or uncomfortable.
- make a private interview room available - legal concept that recognizes individuals’
for clients who ask for one or for sensitive rights to choose the time, circumstances,
interviews. and extent to which they wish to share or
withhold personal information.
INFORMATION AND EQUIPMENT
Except:
It is important to have everything to hand that
might be required at an interview: 2.1 When disclosure is required to prevent clear
and imminent danger to the client or others
• Knowledge about services
• When a client is a danger to self or others
• Labor Market Information
• Forms
 Employee Counselling
• When a client is considering committing a LESSON 6: Counselling Skills and
crime Techniques
•During court-ordered psychological evaluations
1. OBJECTIVITY: he or she should not
• For the purposes of involuntary hospitalization become too involved in the problem of
the employees, as else they would
• When a client raises the issue of mental lose the objective of the problem.
condition in legal proceedings - The counsellor should always be in an
2.2 When legal requirements demand that objective mood so as to direct the flow of
confidential matter be revealed; the session in a desired direction towards
a positive outcome.
• In cases of child abuse or neglect
• When vulnerable adults are being abused 2. LISTENING SKILLS: most important
skill required for effective counselling.
• When a client has been a victim of a crime - Listening here means listening with
3. Children and Persons with interest and asking proper questions at
Diminished Capacity. Counselors appropriate time. Along with this the
conduct the informed consent process quality to refrain oneself from asking too
with those legally appropriate to give many indifferent questions and also to
consent when counseling children and/or give advice has to be followed.
persons with diminished capacity. - The speaker should have confidence that
4. Maintenance of Records. Counselors the listener is not making fun of him or her
maintain records in sufficient detail to and should trust that whatever is being
track the sequence and nature of said is confidential.
professional services
5. Access to Records. Counselors 3. EMPATHY: Empathetic listening
understand that clients have the right to means to see the problem and
access their counseling records. understand it from the point of view of
6. Dual Relationships. Counselors avoid the other person.
personal, familial, social and/or business - A counsellor should always remember
relationships. that the problem is very much real and
difficult for the counselled person and
➢Social dual relationship—the
therefore the counselling is being sought.
therapist is also a friend
➢ Professional dual relationship—the
4. ACCEPTANCE: step towards the
therapist doubles as someone’s work acceptance of the problem. Once a
colleague or collaborator counseled person knows that the
➢Business dual relationship—the counselor accepts his or her problem
therapist is also involved with someone as real than the trust starts building up
in a business capacity and encourages in solving the
➢Communal dual relationship—both problems of the counseled.
therapist and client are members of a
small community 5. CONGRUENCE: This means
➢Institutional dual relationship—the showing the genuine of concern by
therapist serves as counselor and other the counsellor. An employee can
roles within a particular institution, such easily comprehend when a concern
as a prison, hospital, or in the military shown is real and when it is not.
➢Forensic dual relationship—the - This caring attitude is difficult to be found
therapist is a counselor as well as a in the cut-throat business managers and
witness in legal trials or hearings has to be developed.
involving his or her client
➢Supervisory dual relationship—the
therapist is also responsible for
overseeing and supervising the client’s
development
➢Digital, online, or Internet dual
relationship—the therapist is connected
with the client on social media sites
➢Sexual dual relationship—the
therapist and client are engaged in a
sexual relationship