We all go through times of difficulty, crisis, loss, tension or uncertainty. Counselling is a service and a support to individuals and families who are facing life issues.
These problems may range from financial hardship, marital discord, stress at work, relationship conflict, child management to crisis of confidence in oneself.
In any counselling intervention, counsellors are guided by a set of beliefs and principles.
These are:
- a belief in the dignity of the human person
- a belief in the uniqueness of the individual
- the respect for confidentiality and privacy
- a belief in the responsibility of every individual to decide and initiate change
As a counselling client, you have a right to:
- have your points of view, decisions and emotions respected, not ridiculed
- know the qualifications and experience of the counsellor
- have the counsellor state his/her professional and objective point of view
- ask to be referred to another counsellor or agency
- be informed of any negative consequences that may follow a particular course of treatment
- expect confidentality of information within the limits defined by the counsellor, the agency, and the courts of Singapore
Qualified counsellors have undergone professional training in both the theory and practice of helping people with life issues. As professionals, they are skilled in structuring and guiding the counselling intervention and are effective in their response to individual needs.
There is no fixed method or approach for helping people through counselling. Instead the counsellor’s personality and professional skills form an important factor in the counselling intervention.
(The above text is extracted and adapted from “Do I need counselling?”, a guide to professional counselling services published by the Singapore Association for Counselling.)