Counseling Skills & Techniques

The Process of Counseling

Counseling doesn’t have a fixed set of stages that apply to every client situation. However, there are common elements that they generally share.

Counseling Skills

Earning a master’s degree in counseling can help you practice different techniques for working with and helping clients. However, building strong and trusting relationships with clients requires both technical and interpersonal skills. As such, a counselor should possess the following skills and qualities:

Listening and observation skills: To fully comprehend clients' needs and devise an appropriate treatment plan, counselors must have strong active listening and observational skills.

• Attending: Staying present for your client requires giving them your undivided attention, making eye contact, mirroring body language, and demonstrating your understanding. These behaviors demonstrate to your client that you hear and recognize their concerns.
• Active listening: Using all your senses to listen to your client means more than just hearing what they say. According to the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), active listening builds trust, fosters respect, and strengthens working relationships.

Ability to ask the right questions: Counselors learn about their clients by asking questions. It’s important to understand the psychology behind question order and type to set the right tone for your relationship.

• Closed questions can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. Because they do not encourage deeper exploration, they can provide limited information and should be used sparingly.
• Open questions cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and require a client to reflect on an answer. Open questions should be intentional and aimed at helping a client explore their feelings.

Communication: Interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues, explaining research and treatment to clients and filling out reports are all important aspects of being a counselor. Communication techniques that you may need to employ include:

• Reflections: Clients may not always be able to put their feelings into words. Counselors can help them identify the emotions they express in their statements or nonverbal cues.
• Restating/rephrasing: Counselors can validate and clarify their clients' statements by rephrasing them during a session.
• Affirmations: Building a client's self-confidence can help to eliminate harmful thought patterns and increase their propensity toward positive life choices.

Empathy: Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes shows you understand your client’s experience and associated feelings.

Genuineness: When your actions and words match your feelings and thoughts, you are operating from a place of authenticity. Remaining authentic is an important part of your relationship with clients.

Unconditional positive regard: Making your client feel accepted for who they are can bring warmth and respect to your sessions and help them feel more comfortable opening up.

Counselor self-disclosure: This can be tricky to navigate, as each client scenario is unique and may warrant different levels of disclosure. However, it can be helpful in building rapport and trust between a counselor and client.

Counseling Theories

Counseling theories can provide helpful context when working with different clients. As you become familiar with each one, you can determine which approaches you will use in your own sessions.

• Psychoanalytic Theory: Developed by Sigmund Freud, this theory holds that unconscious mental processes — including repressed memories, emotions, and desires — influence human thought and behavior.
• Person-Centered Theory: Developed by Carl Rogers, this theory operates on the assumption that every human being has the ability to fulfill their potential. In person-centered therapy sessions, counselors act as a supportive guide.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960s, CBT is based on the principle that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. CBT helps clients identify and challenge unhelpful or distorted thought patterns and develop more adaptive thinking and coping strategies.
• Family Systems Model: Developed by Murray Bowen, this theory states that the family is the primary source of emotions and personality. It is often used in marriage and family counseling sessions.

Becoming a counselor allows you to promote client welfare and build strong relationships that empower them to obtain mental health and fulfill their goals. Start building the skills you need to empower your clients.