Counselling, in most cases, appears to be the last resort that clients take when they are faced with challenges or when experiencing struggles in life. Before resorting to visiting a counsellor, individuals are most likely to have exhausted the different support systems around them. They may have sought the counsel of parents, siblings, religious leaders and other members of the society. The counsellors have an important role of replacing the pessimism that clients have accumulated with hope.
Creating a sense of hope
There are several ways through which counsellors can successfully create a sense of hope and optimism in the client. When a client first enters the counselling room, he/she is often overwhelmed by a sense of failure. This is because they usually blame themselves for having failed to overcome the challenges set before them (Edey & Jevne, 2003). A counsellor should help the clients remember incidents in the past, where they overcame challenges to make them appreciate that they have the capability to meet any challenge. Another important aspect in re-installing hope is focussing on the time that the clients did not have the challenges they are trying to overcome. By being reminded of a better past, the clients can develop hope for a better future. This form of positive mentality improves the chances of therapy being successful.
During therapy, a counsellor needs to take note of the advancements that the client is making. Highlighting these gradual improvements can help foster a sense of hope. Besides, counsellors can encourage the clients to copy other people within the society who are hopeful. The counsellor can be the model of hope that the client uses, and through the act of borrowing hope; therapy can become more successful (Edey & Jevne, 2003).
Role of goal establishment in creating hope
The concepts of goal setting and hope are intertwined in counselling. This is because goal setting can be defined in terms of hope, where it is the process of coming up with measurable achievements that clients hope to realise from the therapy. Goal setting, therefore, is a testament of a client’s hope in the therapy sessions. Goals in counselling are viewed from two perspectives. The first perspective is that of outcome goals, which represent the anticipated outcomes from the therapy. The next perspective is that of process goals, which are strategies, put in place to aid in the achievement of the outcome goals (Shebib, 2010).
The creation of hope within a client is dependent on the establishment of a sense of direction. The client needs to identify clearly, where they are, and where they wish to be. This aspect is dealt with since goals help clients get a sense of direction. Central to the aspect of creating hope is motivation. Motivation in itself is therapeutic since it gives the clients the energy to have and pursue positive outcomes (Shebib, 2010). Setting goals, therefore, serves the important role of motivating clients, which in turn makes them develop a high sense of optimism.
Steps a counsellor can take to help clients identify goals for change
The first step in helping clients identify goals for change is conceptualising the client’s mind-set. The mind-set is important since it defines the kind of goals that a client is willing to pursue. By getting to know what the client wants, the counsellor can generate the right environment upon which the goals are set (Prochaska, Norcross, & DiClemente, 2013).
The next step involves educating clients on the components of effective goals. Before clients set their goals, it is important for the counsellor to highlight what works when it comes to goals. For instance, effective goals are concrete, with clear and specified targets. Effective goals also need to be measurable, where indicators are put in place to show the client’s progress towards the achievement of the goals. Besides, effective goals need to be both challenging and realistic (Shebib, 2010). Here, the client should be made aware that the goals to be set need to be reasonable, but requiring a defined level of effort.
The next step involves going through the expectations placed on the client once the goals are set. First, the client needs to own the goals, such that they view the goals to be relevant to their situations and in line with their beliefs and values. Besides, the counsellor needs to deal with the fears that the clients may have about goal setting. These fears mainly originate from the sense of inability to realize set targets (Prochaska, Norcross, & DiClemente, 2013).
Strategies to help clients commit to change
One of the most challenging aspects in counselling is ensuring that a client maintains the changes made through therapy. Issues of relapse are common, and can be a result of a myriad of factors such as sabotage, unsupportive environments and temptations. First, counsellors need to ensure that the decision to change originates from the client. This is because the process of changing established patterns of behaviour is difficult, and success can only be guaranteed when clients themselves convince themselves on the necessity of change (Prochaska, Norcross, & DiClemente, 2013).
Another proven strategy in helping clients commit to change is the constant motivation of the client. The best way through which counsellors can motivate the clients and, therefore, help them sustain change is by having belief in the capacity of the clients to change. Counsellors need to show belief in their client’s ability to change since this will motivate the clients to sustain the change. The self-belief that clients develop is key to sustaining change since leaving behind established patterns of behaviour takes a lot of energy and determination (Shebib, 2010).
References
Edey, W., & Jevne, R. (2003). "Hope, illness, and counselling practice: Making hope visible.". Canadian Journal of Counselling 37.1, 44-51.
Prochaska, J., Norcross, J., & DiClemente, C. (2013). "Applying the stages of change.". Psychotherapy in Australia 19.2, 10-15.
Shebib, B. (2010). Choices: interviewing and counselling skills for canadians fourth edition. Pearson .
