Analysis of Basic Counselling Skills: Active Listening Strengths

This essay provides a critical discussion of basic counselling skills, with a focus on active listening. It reflects on the author's strengths in active listening, such as maintaining an open mind, avoiding distractions, and clarifying information, which aids in understanding clients effectively. The essay also acknowledges a weakness in asking closed-ended questions and suggests improvements for future practice. Feedback from a tutor indicates strong open-question skills and listening abilities, but also highlights areas for development in paraphrasing and immediacy. The author aims to improve time management and avoid repetitive language to enhance overall counselling effectiveness. This document is available on Desklib, a platform providing various study tools and solved assignments for students.

Basic Counselling skills

Table of Contents
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Critically discussing one counselling skill...................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

MAIN BODY
Critically discussing one counselling skill
Counselling is the combination of the values, ethics and the knowledge that is helpful in
supporting other person emotional health and well-being in the long run. Furthermore, these are
also considered as technical traits that are helpful in understanding and listening to clients in
better way (Dansie, 2019). Moreover, through identifying the such traits in clear manner the
counsellor is able to the overcome the obstacles so that same problem does not exist in the future.
Also, during my whole sessions I have realized that there are various counselling skills that are
required to become good counsellor in the future. Some skills that are been required includes
note taking, trustworthiness, non-verbal communication transparency, clarifying and much more.
Thus, the combinations of the skills allows in carrying out the work in easier manner than the
others.
Also, during my counselling sessions I have realized that I have certain strengths and the
weakness inside me that have to be looked upon so that more clarity in within the future working
is ensured. Thus, in this context one of the best counselling skill that I have identified in me is
active listening skills through which I am able to cover all the important points that have been
said to me during the sessions (France and et.al., 2021). Furthermore, keeping an open mind and
avoiding distraction during any kind of conversations helped me to understand client in better
and simplified manner. Also, clarifying skills helped me to understand other problems in well-
defined manner so that best possible solutions than might be provided for the same. Moreover,
with presence of focusing skill I did not fail in hearing the meaning of the sentence said by the
client and also do not lack fear of losing any kind of control. Also, being the active listener I do
not jump to the conclusions and summarized only after developing the proper thinking of the
problem of client. Moreover, real listening also helped em remain motivated, remove any kind of
obstacles during the whole conversations and improve my self-esteem so that I am able to guide
the client in the best possible manner.
However, during the counselling sessions I have also come to know about one of my
weakness of not being able to ask more of the closed ended questions such as “Are you happy or
was your day good” etc. that need to be answered in either yes or no format. Hence, such type o
closed question helps in getting the overview of the client situation at the present moment and
based on that further discussion might be undertaken (Geldard, Geldard and Foo, 2019). Thus,

counselling requires that there is ability to ask both for open and closed questions that I have
realized that I need to work more so that I am able to achieve excellence and ensure my
continuous growth for all my future undertaking. Hence, it can be said that counselling skills
would help me in forming the strong alliance with the client that will help in reach the desired
goals through overcoming certain barriers
Reflection:
From the overall feedback from tutor I can say that my ability tasks open question is very
much good and also I able to challenge myself in most efficient manner. Moreover, my listening
skill are quite good, and I am able to remember things most of the times. However, I have
analysed from my feedback that my paraphrasing and immediacy skill are not very good and
need improvement with time. Also, I would avoid using the repeated words that creates problems
in understanding. Furthermore, I would ensure that time management is ensured in proper
manner as it would allow me to organize things in better way.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dansie, T., 2019. Basic Counselling Skills for Teachers. Routledge.
France, M. H. and et.al., 2021. Diversity, culture and counselling: A Canadian perspective.
Brush Education.
Geldard, K., Geldard, D. and Foo, R. Y., 2019. Counselling adolescents: The proactive
approach for young people. Sage.
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