Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

Anyhow, I just thought I would say, I think it is a good idea if therapists had some basic counselling training to help their clients further. All too often we offer advice, but how do we know it's good advice to the person we are offering it too?

Hi Angel

All of our therapists are given the opportunity of counselling training as part of their courses if they wish to do so.

Although some will say that therapists should only be given listening skills and a professional Counsellor should give counselling.

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

Hi Angel,

I am fully intending to mix counselling with my holistic therapies and have just started my counselling training. I feel that it is a good idea for all therapists to have counselling skills, but I do not think it would work for all of them to be trained counsellors.

I am looking at incorporating both for a very specific client base, but in most areas would keep the two seperate.

Laura

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

As part of my training on the post grad Holistic Therapy course we had to do a AQA Certificate in Counselling skills. This really made me more aware on the difference between listening and hearing. It also helped give structure to the consultation and gave ideas on how to empower your client.
If then you felt out of depth the client was referred on to a qualified counsellor. By the way we had to state that i wasn't a qualified counsellor too.
This qualifiation can lead you on nicely to doing counselling.

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

I think that they go together, but that if you're not trained / keep
that training up to date in counselling then as a therapist you should
not offer advice. You are there to give them therapy. Sometimes that
involves listening to people open up to you, that's fine if they do but
it's not your job to advise them.

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

Opps, I maybe should of clarified that basic counselling skills would only cover listening skills etc, it wouldn't mean that you were qualified to counsell a person. (Sorry about that.)

Plus if you had the basic skills then you would be able to direct your client towards a counsellor, you would know your limitations to what you could offer.

As for giving people advice, I believe even qualified counsellors don't give advice. The problem with giving advice is how do you know it is the right advice???

Angel x

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

[sm=hug.gif]Hello Angel,

You are right counselors do not give advice, the idea of counselling is to help the client help themselves.
by finding the answers to their problems from within.
the basic course will just give you a taster of what counselling is.

take care

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

This is something I am interested in doing too. Im a massage therapist and find i do get clients that want open up and share problems with me, i am empathic towards them and a very good listener but I nevertry to offer advice, as we are not supposed to and is classed unethical.
I would love to do some training in counselling witha view to gaining a qualification,then this could be offered to clientsas a seperate issue.

chickenlicken:

As part of my training on the post grad Holistic Therapy course we had to do a AQA Certificate in Counselling skills. This really made me more aware on the difference between listening and hearing. It also helped give structure to the consultation and gave ideas on how to empower your client.
If then you felt out of depth the client was referred on to a qualified counsellor. By the way we had to state that i wasn't a qualified counsellor too.
This qualifiation can lead you on nicely to doing counselling.

What a great Idea!Unfortunately we wasnt given an opportunity to do a course in counselling skills. Perhaps it should be offered to all therapists as an option after passing their exams.
Sounds like you you trained somewhere really good. Where did you train? and what does AQA stand for?

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

ORIGINAL: Angel

Opps, I maybe should of clarified that basic counselling skills would only cover listening skills etc, it wouldn't mean that you were qualified to counsell a person. (Sorry about that.)

Plus if you had the basic skills then you would be able to direct your client towards a counsellor, you would know your limitations to what you could offer.

As for giving people advice, I believe even qualified counsellors don't give advice. The problem with giving advice is how do you know it is the right advice???

Angel x

Thanks for clarifying that, I was using the words that you used in your original post in my answer!

(sometimes forums such as these can't convey completely what we mean - I know I've written things that have been interpreted differently to what I meant when people answered!!)

LR

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

When I signed up to train as a coach with Coach University one of the courses that we had to take in order to graduate was a personal development course called 'The Personal Foundation'.

The principles behind the Personal Foundation course are basic principles for living and, following the course, gives you clarity on some necessary self management techniques - such as setting healthy boundaries, understanding more about personal integrity, letting go of the past. Working through the course I became stronger as a person and stronger as a coach - because I began to understand both myself and other people better. It taught me a lot about how to be with people.

I think that this course has a lot to offer therapists as well as coaches.

Alison

RE: Holisitcs & Counselling, What Do You Think?

Hi Jdholistic

I did my training with Northbrook College in Worthing. The AQA is just the name of the examining board.
If i remember rightly, you could go on and do further counselling exams once you had passed this.