The Importance of Transferable Skills for the Counselling Psychologist
The Importance of Transferable Skills for the Counselling Psychologist
Counselling Psychologists work therapeutically with clients of all ages and backgrounds helping them to cope with and overcome problems and difficulties arising from everyday life. Therapy is an activity which takes place when someone who has problems allows another person to enter into a particular kind of relationship with them. A person seeks this relationship when they have encountered a problem in life which they cannot deal with themselves or through everyday resources. The client seeking counselling is looking for someone to provide them with the time and assistance they may need to overcome their problems (McLeod, 2007, p. 12). It is the role of a counselling psychologist to supportively assist the client by exploring the issues and underlying problems the client may have had or be currently dealing with.
In order to assist the client in overcoming their problems it is essential for the counsellor to possess a broad range of skills; some of which may have been acquired though life experiences before becoming a counsellor. These skills are known as transferable skills and they are an important element to any career as these skills can be developed throughout life creating a more effective learner and a more skilled individual (University of Cambridge, 2010). However it is argued that the skills acquired throughout life differ from those that can be used in therapy. The skills used in therapy have to be identified, understood, learned and practiced repeatedly in order to help a client. It is important to remember that the skills gained by many professionals may be for their own benefit, for example, a sales person intending to win customers over. However the use of counselling skills is associated with therapy and the skills are used with means of helping and healing others and not with self-centred agendas (Palmer, 2000, p. 4).
The transferable skills relevant to a counselling
Counselling Psychologists work therapeutically with clients of all ages and backgrounds helping them to cope with and overcome problems and difficulties arising from everyday life. Therapy is an activity which takes place when someone who has problems allows another person to enter into a particular kind of relationship with them. A person seeks this relationship when they have encountered a problem in life which they cannot deal with themselves or through everyday resources. The client seeking counselling is looking for someone to provide them with the time and assistance they may need to overcome their problems (McLeod, 2007, p. 12). It is the role of a counselling psychologist to supportively assist the client by exploring the issues and underlying problems the client may have had or be currently dealing with.
In order to assist the client in overcoming their problems it is essential for the counsellor to possess a broad range of skills; some of which may have been acquired though life experiences before becoming a counsellor. These skills are known as transferable skills and they are an important element to any career as these skills can be developed throughout life creating a more effective learner and a more skilled individual (University of Cambridge, 2010). However it is argued that the skills acquired throughout life differ from those that can be used in therapy. The skills used in therapy have to be identified, understood, learned and practiced repeatedly in order to help a client. It is important to remember that the skills gained by many professionals may be for their own benefit, for example, a sales person intending to win customers over. However the use of counselling skills is associated with therapy and the skills are used with means of helping and healing others and not with self-centred agendas (Palmer, 2000, p. 4).
The transferable skills relevant to a counselling
References: British Psychological Society. (2006). Regulations and syllabus for the qualification in counselling psychology University of Cambridge. (2011). Retrieved Februrary 6, 2011, from http://www.skills.cam.ac.uk/undergrads The Counsellor 's Guide. (2000). Retrieved February 1, 2011, from http://www.thecounsellorsguide.co.uk/counselling-self-awareness.html Egan, G. (2007). The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping McLeod, J. (1993). An Introduction to Counselling. Buckingham, England: Open University Press. McLeod, J. (2007). Counselling skill. Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Munro, A. , Manthei, B. ,& Small, J. (1988). Counselling: the skills of problem solving. London: Longman Paul Limited. Nelson-Jones, R. (2002). Essential counselling and therapy skills: the skilled client model. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Nelson-Jones, R. (2009). Introduction to counselling skills text and activities. (3rd ed). London: Sage Publications Ltd. Palmer, S. (2000). Introduction to counselling and psychotherapy: the essential guide. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Parker, I. (1999). Deconstructing psychotherapy. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Rogers, C. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology 5:2-10. Simon, H. A. , Dantzig, G.B. , Hogarth, R. , et al. (1986). Report of the research briefing panel on decision making and problem solving