Characteristics of an Effective Counselor
Characteristics of the effective counselor
April R. Tessmer
Liberty University
Author Note I 'd like to acknowledge the wonderful help that I received from one of the finest professors at Liberty University Online. I am very grateful to you, Dr. McCarthy, who provided me with the much needed suggested improvements and gave me the tools to complete this research paper. Thanks!
Abstract
The characteristics that make up an effective counselor are the personality traits that really define the counselor. Several leaders in the field of counseling have listed many of these personality qualities; self confidence, high energy level, optimistic, sense of humor, neutrality, flexibility, emotional stability, risk-taking experience, analytic thinking, creativity, enthusiasm, honesty, sensitivity, hope, self control, awareness, and knowledge. The research compiled in this paper confirm that it's the richness of the personality that builds the effectiveness of the counselor. Being an effective counselor requires forming not just a solid relationship with your client, but an emotional experience, where the counselor works with the client in a supportive role to recognize and move through challenges as the goals are achieved. It's the counselors and not the psychotherapists that must allow an emotional alliance and empathetic responses to their client's issues. Overall, the most important personality qualities in any effective counselor seem to center on warmth, genuineness, compassion and empathy. These are the traits that will be addressed the most in this paper. These four traits seem to provide the purest motivation and seemingly guide the direction of the moral compass within the most effective counselors. The biggest obstacle is identifying how to increase these ideal qualities in oneself as a counselor. The answer seems to lie in a consistent daily practice of mind-body-medicine and self-care.
Characteristics of the Effective
April R. Tessmer
Liberty University
Author Note I 'd like to acknowledge the wonderful help that I received from one of the finest professors at Liberty University Online. I am very grateful to you, Dr. McCarthy, who provided me with the much needed suggested improvements and gave me the tools to complete this research paper. Thanks!
Abstract
The characteristics that make up an effective counselor are the personality traits that really define the counselor. Several leaders in the field of counseling have listed many of these personality qualities; self confidence, high energy level, optimistic, sense of humor, neutrality, flexibility, emotional stability, risk-taking experience, analytic thinking, creativity, enthusiasm, honesty, sensitivity, hope, self control, awareness, and knowledge. The research compiled in this paper confirm that it's the richness of the personality that builds the effectiveness of the counselor. Being an effective counselor requires forming not just a solid relationship with your client, but an emotional experience, where the counselor works with the client in a supportive role to recognize and move through challenges as the goals are achieved. It's the counselors and not the psychotherapists that must allow an emotional alliance and empathetic responses to their client's issues. Overall, the most important personality qualities in any effective counselor seem to center on warmth, genuineness, compassion and empathy. These are the traits that will be addressed the most in this paper. These four traits seem to provide the purest motivation and seemingly guide the direction of the moral compass within the most effective counselors. The biggest obstacle is identifying how to increase these ideal qualities in oneself as a counselor. The answer seems to lie in a consistent daily practice of mind-body-medicine and self-care.
Characteristics of the Effective
References: Bowen, N., & Moore, J. (2014). Common Characteristics of Compassionate Counselors: A Qualitative Study. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 36(1), 17-29. Clinton, Timothy, and George Ohlschlager. Competent Christian Counseling. Vol. 1. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook, 2002. 184-186, 570-574. Print. Campbell, J. C., & Christopher, J. C. (2012, July). Teaching mindfulness to create effective counselors. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34(3), 213+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA297915507&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=dc53ce42d985ee78066b8600c33ca82c Rogers, C.R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21,95-103. doi:10.1037/h0045357