Counselling is the application of mental health, psychological or human development principles, through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions, strategies that address wellness, personal growth, or career development, as well as pathology.
Counselling deals with wellness, personal growth, career, and pathological concerns. In other words, counselors work in areas that involve relationships (Casey, 1996). These areas include intra- and interpersonal concerns related to finding meaning and adjustment in such settings as schools, families, and careers.
Counselling is conducted with persons who are considered to be functioning well and those who are having more serious problems. Counseling meets the needs of a wide spectrum of people. Clients seen by counsellors have developmental or situational concerns that require help in regard to adjustment or remediation. Their problems often require short-term intervention, but occasionally treatment may be extended to encompass Mental Disorders.
Counselling could be of significant help to prevent break downs in times of major life change such as examinations, job changes, marriage, career selection, death of loved ones, break up, reitrement etc.
The problems addressed by counselling psychology are addressed from developmental (lifespan), environmental and cultural perspectives.
They include, but are not limited to:
- School and career/work adjustment concerns.
- Making decisions about career and work, and dealing with school‐work‐retirement transitions.
- Relationship difficulties‐including marital and family difficulties.
- Learning and skill deficits.
- Stress management and coping with negative life events.
- Organizational problems.
- Dealing with and adjusting to physical disabilities, disease or injury.
- Personal/social adjustment.
- The development of one’s identity.
- Persistent difficulties with relating to other people in general.
- Mental disorders.
Clients served by counselling psychologists include individuals, groups (including couples and families) and organizations. Counselling psychologists work with individual clients of all ages, such as children who have behavioral problems; late adolescents with educational and career concerns or substance abuse problems; adults facing marital or family difficulties, career changes, or overcoming disabilities; and older adults facing retirement. They work with groups to assist them in finding solutions to many of these same problems, as well as to improve the personal and interpersonal functioning of group members. Counselling psychologists also consult with organizations (e.g., businesses) and work groups to help provide a work environment in which people can succeed, and to enhance the ability of organizations to increase productivity and effectiveness.