How to Become an Effective Counselor

To be an effective counselor, you must do more than take the required classes or complete your service requirement. You must be able to establish rapport with your clients. Practice counseling techniques aimed at making your clients feel accepted and understood to establish a proper counseling relationship.

Instructions

1

Practice active listening. Active listening requires looking at and listening to the person and reflecting back his feelings. For example, you might rephrase what the person has said or say something like, "I imagine that must really hurt."

2

Avoid giving advice. Effective counseling helps the other person figure out for herself what the best solutions for her problems are. Instead of advice-giving, ask open-ended questions or share your own experiences.

3

Point out negative thinking patterns or behavior patterns that may contribute to the client's distress. Direct your client towards new ways of thinking in an accepting manner. Use statements such as "I wonder if..." or "Would you be willing to consider..." to give the client a sense of freedom rather than the feeling that you expect him to follow your directives.