Theoretical foundations of psychological counseling. Basics of psychological counseling

The further a person moves away from traditional culture, the more often the need for psychological support arises at different stages of his life’s journey. And if not so long ago a psychologist was often perceived by people as a psychiatrist and one could hear: “Why do I need a psychologist, am I crazy?”, now practical psychology has become very widespread in various fields our life. It is becoming common to contact a psychologist in case of difficulties in a child’s development or family conflicts. And this is understandable: recently the problem of mismatch of capabilities has become more and more acute. human psyche pace of life, information loads, highly stressful social environment. In particular, in our country one of the most stressful factors can be called instability: economic, political, and values. If we talk about children, then the widespread introduction of early education And school overload. A child with external signs adulthood (intellectualism, rationalism) with internal social immaturity and infantilism. However, as the child gets older, the number of stress factors not only does not decrease, but increases significantly. And if school psychologists, medical-psychological-social centers, etc. work with the problems of children and adolescents, then adults, especially old people, find themselves alone with their difficulties. Moreover, the level psychological culture population in Russia is so low that people sometimes not only do not know that they need psychological help, but also do not know about the availability own problems- they attribute them external environment. “I don’t have any crisis – this is a crisis in the country.” Thus, today there is a huge need for psychological support mentally healthy people of different ages.

Based on this, we determine target psychological counseling and psychological correction: psychological support for healthy people in critical situations. At the same time, under critical situation, according to F. E. Vasilyuk, we will understand the situation of impossibility, i.e. “a situation in which the subject is faced with the impossibility of realizing the internal needs of his life (motives, aspirations, values, etc.).”

However, how legitimate is it to use the terms “consulting” and “correction” to describe psychological support? Today there is some confusion regarding their use. Both psychological counseling and psychological correction are sometimes equated with the synonymous concept of “psychotherapy,” and in Russian literature Psychological counseling is more often understood as a form of work with families. Therefore, to begin with, let’s define our understanding of the areas of application of counseling, correction and psychotherapy using key questions: what? Who? with whom? and why?

Theoretical basis of psychological counseling is developmental psychology, which determines the patterns of human development from birth to old age. However, it should be noted that only the development in early ages(up to 20 years) and in old age. There are currently two main approaches to adult development: tracking changes in various mental processes(memory, attention, thinking, etc.) during a person’s life and the study of the dynamics of life events, i.e. the influence on the individual in life important points. Psychological counseling of adults, taking into account the achievements of the first approach, should rely mainly on the second approach. However, within the framework of this approach, the idea of ​​development itself is less clearly traced, since it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to identify universal life events that will lead to significant changes in a person’s life and can be considered as manifestations of the development process. Most often occurring in life important changes relate to four areas: family, work, health, marriage. For the purposes of psychological counseling, it is important to identify and analyze such events that have an impact on psychological health a person, that is, they significantly change him in one direction or another.

As Rimantas Kociunas, a specialist in the field of psychological counseling, writes (Polish) Russian. - given professional activity arose in response to the needs of people who, without clinical disorders, were still looking for psychological help. That is why psychological counseling specialists help, first of all, people experiencing difficulties in everyday life, activities, communication, etc.

Psychological counseling appeared, filled with content various theories- both psychological and psychotherapeutic, and philosophical, socio-psychological, and actually advisory.

The emergence of theories of psychological counseling is influenced by socio-historical (features public organization, social problems the time in which the creator of the theory lives, changes in society, etc.) and cultural factors (differences in the cultures in which theories are created). Theory creators often create their theories by solving their own problems, while expressing or reflecting their own individuality and having a strong interest in recording and communicating ideas.

The goals of psychological counseling depend on the specific psychological school. Let's look at some of them:

• The behavior-oriented direction in counseling aims to change human behavior.
• For existential direction, as Emmy van Dortzen notes, the purpose of psychological counseling “is to clarify, shade and understand life.” The assistance provided by the consultant to the client is aimed at the latter finding his own direction in life using insights. This process involves understanding the goals and intentions of a person, as well as his general attitude to life.

Generally speaking, the goal of psychological counseling is to help the client solve his problem. Realize and change ineffective behavior patterns in order to make important decisions, solve emerging problems, achieve your goals, and live in harmony with yourself and the world around you.

Based on their focus, the goals of psychological counseling are divided into goals related to correction (correction) and goals related to ensuring growth and development, although such a division is not always possible to make quite clearly.

In general, in psychological counseling (with a number of exceptions) much attention is paid to achieving a state of psychological comfort and maintaining mental health(both client and consultant), and especially great value given an increase personal responsibility clients for the course of their own lives, and, ultimately, the ability to live without the help of a consultant.

Setting the goal of psychological counseling, which is its anticipated result, due to the mutual activity in the counseling process of both the consultant and the client in different theoretical traditions, is usually a single joint creativity of both subjects, although at the same time, its understanding (for example, depth of understanding), and also, their ways of relating to this goal may differ, due to the fact that they occupy various positions in psychological counseling.

One of the most general definitions The main goal of psychological counseling is the definition given by Yu. Aleshina - it is the provision of psychological assistance. At the same time, further specification of this goal is a rather difficult task.

The goal of psychological counseling, almost regardless of the approach the consultant uses, can be considered listening and understanding the client, which in itself often leads to positive changes. In other words, the anticipated result of counseling is to provide the client with the opportunity to speak out, talk frankly, talk about what worries and worries him.

A number of criteria are identified that indicate that the goals of psychological counseling have been achieved. Let's consider the main ones:

1. Customer satisfaction. In particular, satisfaction should not be understood only in such a way that the client should feel better than before the consultation. Client satisfaction is one of the criteria that the assistance was provided effectively, but much is determined by the nature of the client's problem. For example, if a client is experiencing grief or loss, then he can and should expect that after the consultation he will feel at least a little better, and the consultant will try to ease his grief. In another situation, relief emotional state may not be the main goal of the consultant, and moreover, the client may begin to experience his problems more acutely and painfully, since in some cases the feeling own responsibility that comes with understanding the situation may not be an easy or pleasant experience.
2. Acceptance by the client of responsibility for what happens to him.

Psychological counseling differs from psychotherapy, although a clear boundary is not drawn between them.

In particular, as R. Nelson-Jones notes, most counselors do not consider the use of a helping relationship (i.e., psychological counseling) to be effective enough to bring about constructive changes in the client, and believe that it is necessary to also use a whole repertoire of influences (i.e., psychotherapy ), in addition to helping relationships.

In psychotherapy, the emphasis is on change in personality, while in psychological counseling, the emphasis is on using the resources available to clients. In psychological counseling, as a rule, greater importance is attached to information and explanation than in psychotherapy. Psychotherapists tend to deal with more severe disorders, deeper problems, and “psychotherapy” is a more medical term than “counseling.” Yu. E. Aleshina, in particular, notes that the differences between the needs for psychotherapeutic help and psychological counseling “often manifest themselves in the forms of seeking help, in the specifics of complaints and expectations from a meeting” with a specialist, and the locus (more precisely, the locus of control) of these complaints. Clients in need of psychological counseling are usually distinguished by their emphasizing the negative role of other people in the emergence of their own life difficulties, while clients in need of psychotherapeutic help are usually distinguished by complaints about “the inability to control and regulate their internal states, needs and desires”, as well as some forms of behavior. In addition, clients in need of psychological counseling have already done some of the work of analyzing their own problems and failures and decided that they need help - this is already a “step that requires a certain courage,” while clients in need of psychotherapeutic help often express themselves clients who are less meaningful and active in relation to their problems, which in some directions is seen as their transition more to the quality of a “patient” than a “client”.

Some authors, for example Yu. E. Aleshina, also note that the duration of psychological assistance varies - psychological counseling, as a rule, is short-term (rarely exceeds 5-6 meetings between the consultant and the client), while the process of psychotherapy can last much longer (dozens, or even hundreds of meetings between a consultant and a client over a number of years), but there are exceptions associated with the peculiarities of understanding the advisory process in some theories.

Traditionally, the following types are distinguished in psychological counseling (the criterion for differentiation is the focus of psychological counseling on areas of an individual’s life):

• Individual psychological counseling;
• Family psychological counseling;
• Group psychological counseling;
• Professional (career) psychological counseling;
• Multicultural psychological counseling.

In the activities of a psychologist-consultant, when providing them with psychological assistance, there are some principles and requirements, the implementation of which is mandatory. The existence of various ethical codes activities of professional psychologists in various countries and psychological communities due to the fact that there are no clear and simple answers to ethical and moral problems that arise in psychological practice. These principles are necessary to ensure that the provision of psychological assistance is not only more effective and meaningful, but also socially acceptable. Numerous works on this topic discuss various difficult situations, in particular - how a consultant should behave if during a consultation he learns that his client is planning or has committed an antisocial act, if he sees signs of beatings or other violence on the child’s body, if parents want to find out something about their secretive child -teenager, as well as many others. In some countries, such as the USA, non-compliance professional principles and requirements can lead to the deprivation of a psychologist’s diploma, rights to practice and offer their professional services etc.

It is very difficult and hardly possible to distinguish between the ethical principles of psychological assistance in general and psychological counseling. Among the most important ethical principles of psychological counseling (according to Yu. E. Aleshina), the following are traditionally distinguished:

1. A friendly and non-judgmental attitude towards the client is “a whole complex professional behavior aimed at making the client feel calm and comfortable.” The consultant must be able to listen carefully to the client (for example, using active listening techniques), trying to understand him without judging him, and also provide psychological support and help.
2. The psychologist's orientation to the client's norms and values ​​- the psychologist focuses on the client's norms and values, and not on socially accepted norms and rules, which can allow the client to be sincere and open. A relationship of acceptance of the client's values ​​and respect for them is not only an opportunity to express support for the client, but also allows you to influence these values ​​in the future if they become seen in the counseling process as an obstacle to the person's normal functioning.
3. The ban on giving advice is a psychologist, even despite his professional and life experience and knowledge cannot give guaranteed advice client, in particular because the client’s life and the context of its course are unique and unpredictable and the client is the main expert in his own life, while the psychologist usually acts as an expert in other areas, in particular in ways of building relationships with the client, and also in the theory of psychological assistance. In addition, giving advice means accepting responsibility for the client’s life if he uses it, which does not contribute to the development of his personality. In addition, by giving advice, a psychologist can change his professional position, and by taking advice, the client can also change his position towards greater passivity and a superficial attitude towards what is happening. Often, any failures in the implementation of advice by the client can be attributed to the psychologist as the authority who gave the advice, which prevents the client from understanding his active and responsible role in the events happening to him.
4. Anonymity - no information communicated by the client to the psychologist can be transferred without his consent to any organizations or other persons, including relatives or friends. At the same time, there are exceptions (about which the psychologist must warn the client in advance) that are specifically noted in the legislation of the country in accordance with the laws of which the psychologist’s professional activities are carried out.
5. The distinction between personal and professional relationships is a principle-requirement for a consultant associated with a number of psychological phenomena influencing the process of psychological assistance. For example, it is known that professional relationships can be affected strong influence personal relationships, in particular personal needs and the desires of the psychologist influence both the process of psychological assistance and the client himself, and therefore can hinder the effective implementation of psychological assistance. There are various studies these influences (see, for example, the phenomena of transference and countertransference). At the end of the 20th century, discussions took place on this issue, various consequences of the psychologist and the client entering into personal relationships were analyzed, including sexual relations, but the main conclusion from these discussions was the position that when a psychologist carries out professional activities, personal relationships are best avoided if possible. If such or similar relationships appear, then it is necessary to try to act in the interests of the client and interrupt the process of psychological assistance as soon as possible.

Bibliographic description:

Nesterova I.A. Basics of psychological counseling [ Electronic resource] // Educational encyclopedia website

Psychological counseling is a popular and promising area in psychology. In Russia, psychological counseling received an impetus for development in the second half of the 90s of the last century and continues to actively develop.

Concept of psychological counseling

The problem of interpreting the term “psychological counseling” does not lose its relevance due to the growing interest in the process of consultations in psychology. In addition, domestic psychological counseling began to develop areas independent of foreign schools. Within the framework of this article, we should consider the key approaches to the definition of psychological counseling proposed in domestic psychology.

One of the most common interpretations is an interpretation similar to that offered by Burlachuk L.F., Kocharyan A.S., Zhidko M.E. V scientific work"Psychotherapy". It is given below.

Psychological counseling– professional assistance to the client in solving his problem situation. It can also be defined as a specific relationship between people in which a way of communication is possible that allows the other person to explore his feelings, thoughts and behavior in order to come to a clearer understanding of himself, and then discover and use his strengths, drawing on internal resources.

Many authors are similar in that they consider psychological counseling effective and how it helps a person overcome psychological difficulties and solve your problems yourself. Thus, A.F. Kopyev suggests considering psychological counseling as helping a person overcome his condition.

Now let's consider different points perspective on understanding what counseling is.

According to R. Kociunas, psychological counseling means a generality of procedures that will help a person in solving his problems and making vital decisions regarding professional career, marriage, family, personal development and interpersonal relationships.

Yu. E. Aleshina, considering psychological counseling in the context of methods of psychological influence, notes the complexity of its precise definition. In her opinion, the specificity of counseling is compared with psychological correction and psychotherapy. She defines psychological counseling as “...direct work with people aimed at solving various types of psychological problems associated with difficulties in interpersonal relationships, where the main means of influence is a conversation constructed in a certain way."

O.V. Galustova in her book Psychological Counseling quotes P. P. Gornostay and S. V. Vaskovskaya, who write: “Counseling is one of the forms of providing professional psychological assistance to a person. By the nature of providing assistance, counseling is closest to psychotherapy. Some of the specialists does not draw a clear line between them at all, considering counseling to be an abbreviated or simplified version of psychotherapy. However, we are of the opinion that counseling has the right to independent existence as a separate branch. practical psychology, because despite its content and technological proximity to other types, it also has its own specificity...".

M.A. Gulina defines counseling as: “...a learning-oriented process that takes place between two people, when a professionally competent consultant in the field of relevant psychological knowledge and skills seeks to help the client with the help of methods that correspond to his (the client’s) current needs and within context of his (the client’s) general personal program learn more about oneself, learn to link this knowledge with clearer perceived and more realistically defined goals so that the client can become a happier and more productive member of his society."

The difference between psychological counseling and psychotherapy

Psychological counseling is often confused with psychotherapy. However, the difference is obvious. These terms are opposites on the same continuum. On the one hand, the work of a professional concerns mainly situational problems that are solved at the level of consciousness and arise in clinically healthy individuals. On opposite side we see a deep analysis of problems with a focus on unconscious processes, structural restructuring of the personality. The first is psychological counseling, the second is psychotherapy. What lies between the opposites is a field of activity that can be called both counseling and psychotherapy.

The figure below shows the specific features of psychological counseling that distinguish it from psychotherapy.

Specific features of psychological counseling that distinguish it from psychotherapy

IN modern practice It is very difficult to draw a line between psychological counseling and psychotherapy. It should be remembered that in the process of counseling, the problem of the person being consulted is always at the center of the consultation. The psychologist and the patient jointly try to solve the problem. In this case, the problem, as a rule, is determined by the situation, that is, we can say that it is a situationally determined problem. Client faced with problematic situation in his life turns out to be maladaptive. In this regard, we note that the problem itself can be identified as a specific symptom and the purpose of the consultation is reduced to eliminating the symptom. The problem is often presented in the form of a specific symptom and the work is mainly limited to working through the problem-symptom. Sometimes to solve a problem you just need to look at the situation differently, change your perception or attitude towards it.

Psychotherapy penetrates deeper into the client's psyche. She no longer stops at the symptom, but goes further and looks for the roots of the symptom-problem. In this case, the symptom is not a consequence of the situation, but rather of the client’s personality structure, his character.

Goals of psychological counseling

Psychological counseling is based on a certain system of goals united by a single goal.

Purpose of psychological counseling– adaptation to environment, overcoming psychological barriers that interfere with self-realization and full-fledged existence in society.

In modern psychology, the main provisions of counseling include the following:

• helps a person choose and act at his own discretion;
• helps to learn new behavior;
• promotes personality development;
• focuses on the client's responsibility;
• a “consultative interaction” is formed between the client and the consultant.

Types of psychological counseling

Currently, the science of psychology recognizes four main types of psychological counseling:

• intimate and personal counseling,
• family counseling,
• psychological and pedagogical,
• business consulting.

Intimate and personal counseling carried out on problems of psychological or behavioral deficiencies, which the client would like to get rid of; personal relationships with significant people regarding various fears, failures, deep dissatisfaction of the client with himself, intimate relationships.

Family counseling used when choosing a spouse, in order to prevent and resolve conflicts in intra-family relations and in relations between family members and relatives, regarding the solution of current intra-family problems, before and after divorce.

Speaking about psychological counseling, we must not forget about psychological and pedagogical consultation. This type counseling involves discussing with a psychologist a number of problems related to upbringing and relationships with children. In addition, psychological and pedagogical consultation is aimed at increasing the level of pedagogical literacy and the adequacy of constructing educational process in the family.

Business consulting is counseling related to how people overcome business problems choosing a profession, improving and developing abilities, organizing work, increasing efficiency, conducting business negotiations.

Very often in modern psychology I use this type of counseling as so-called correspondence counseling. Special Interest calls for advisory correspondence. The need for this form of psychological assistance is due to the fact that telephone counseling is sometimes difficult due to the heavy load of the “helpline” or the lack of a telephone number with clients. However, he does not dare to have a personal conversation with a psychologist. In addition, some clients in need of psychological help are often isolated from society.

Literature

1. Burlachuk L.F., Kocharyan A.S., Zhidko M.E. Psychotherapy – Sp.: Peter, 2011
2. Kop'ev A. F. Psychological counseling: experience of dialogical interpretation [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.voppy.ru/issues/1990/903/903017.htm
3. Kociunas R. Fundamentals of psychological counseling - M.: Academic project, 1999.
4. Aleshina Yu. E. Individual and family psychological counseling" - M: Klass, 2014
5. Galustova O.V. Psychological consultation. Lecture notes. – M: Prior-izdat, 2015.
6. Nemov R.S. Fundamentals of psychological counseling - M.: Humanit. ed. VLADOS center, 2001

M.: "Academic Project", 1999

1. GENERAL PROBLEMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

1. 1. Definition and goals of psychological counseling

1. 2. Psychological counseling and psychotherapy

1. 3. Personality theories and counseling practice

1. 4. Structure of the counseling process

2. CONSULTANT

2. 1. The role and place of the consultant in counseling

2. 2. Requirements for the personality of a consultant - a model of an effective consultant

2. 3. Consultant’s value system

2. 4. The influence of professional activity on the personality of a consultant

2. 5. Professional training of a consultant

3. ADVISORY CONTACT

3. 1. Definition of advisory contact

3. 2. Therapeutic climate. Physical components of the therapeutic climate

3. 3. Emotional components of the therapeutic climate

3. 4. Skills for maintaining consultative contact

3. 5. Transference and countertransference in counseling and psychotherapy

4. PROCESS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

4. 1. First meeting with the client

4. 2. Assessing customer problems

4. 3. Counseling procedures and techniques

4. 4. Tips for a beginning consultant

5. SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

5. 1. Counseling anxious clients

5. 2. Counseling for fear reactions and phobias

5. 3. Counseling hostile and aggressive clients

5. 4. Features of consulting “unmotivated” clients

5. 5. Consulting clients with excessive demands

5. 6. Counseling when experiencing guilt

5. 7. Features of counseling crying clients

5. 8. Counseling hysterical personalities

5. 9. Counseling for obsessive personalities

5. 10. Counseling for paranoid disorders

5. 11. Counseling for schizoid individuals

5. 12. Counseling antisocial individuals

5. 13. Counseling for alcoholism

5. 14. Counseling clients with psychosomatic disorders

5. 15. Counseling clients with depression and suicidal ideation

5. 16. Bereavement counseling

5. 17. Features of a conversation with a dying person

5. 18. Counseling for sexual problems

6. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

Rimas Kociunas

BASICS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

M.: Academic project, 1999. - 240 p.
Annotation

The book by Rimas Kociunas is a unique guide to communicating with clients - we're talking about about counseling people without expressed mental disorders. How to correctly enter into a consultative contact, skillfully maintain it and competently complete the consultation - these are very difficult questions for the first time covered in such detail in the Russian language educational publication. The book is relevant for psychologists and doctors of any profile, as well as for everyone whose professional activity is related to communication.

UDC 159.9.07

BBK 56.14

ISBN 5-8291-0002-9

© Kociunas P., 1999

© Matulevičienė V., translation from Lithuanian, 1999

© "Academic Project", 1999

Currently, psychologists, doctors, and teachers are faced in their practice with many psychological problems that are difficult or impossible to characterize in clinical terms and cannot be solved within the framework of traditional psychiatry. These are problems of everyday life associated with difficulties in the development and adaptation of the individual, disharmony in interpersonal relationships, social deviations (drug addiction, alcoholism, family breakdown, AIDS, etc.), age crises. Wide range Such problems constitute the subject of a relatively new professional field- psychological counseling, separated from clinical psychology and psychotherapy.

The monograph will introduce readers to the most important theoretical principles and concepts, basic techniques and procedures of psychological counseling. It sets out universal principles psychological counseling, and not just one theoretical approach (although I admit to sympathy for existential-humanistic psychology).

The monograph can serve as a textbook for students studying psychology, medicine, and pedagogy. Knowledge about the conditions for establishing and maintaining professional contact, O psychological understanding main human problems. I hope that my work is also relevant for specialists already working in the field of psychological counseling and psychotherapy; it will help them improve their professional skills, more easily overcome problems that arise in their work, and apply their knowledge more flexibly. Finally, I count on the interest of all readers interested in psychology.

This book is the result of many years practical work as a psychologist-psychotherapist, but my professional development would have been impossible without comprehensive help. First of all, I would like to thank my first teacher, Dr. Alexander Alekseichik, and my colleagues, with whom, working together for many years, we learned to solve the problems of other people and cope with our own difficulties. I am also grateful to the hundreds of clients whose meetings helped me to understand much more deeply the complexities and contradictions of human existence, and to believe in the reality of changing life towards greater well-being.

R. Kociunas

Vilnius, July 1998

Chapter 1

GENERAL PROBLEMS

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTING

1. 1. DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

Definition options

Psychological counseling as a profession is a relatively new field psychological practice, which emerged from psychotherapy. This profession arose in response to the needs of people who do not have clinical disorders but are seeking psychological help. Therefore, in psychological counseling, we primarily encounter people experiencing difficulties in everyday life. The range of problems is truly wide: difficulties at work (job dissatisfaction, conflicts with colleagues and managers, the possibility of dismissal), instability personal life and troubles in the family, poor performance at school, lack of self-confidence and self-esteem, painful hesitations in decision-making, difficulties in establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, etc. On the other hand, psychological counseling, as a young area of ​​psychological practice, does not yet have strictly defined boundaries, in a wide variety of problems come into his field of vision.

Some uncertainty about the subject of psychological counseling is reflected in the variety of definitions. Thus, the licensing commission of the US Employees and Managers Association, which issues permits for private practice, offers following definition: “Counseling is a set of procedures aimed at helping a person solve problems and make decisions regarding professional career, marriage, family, personal development and interpersonal relationships.” N. Burks and B. Steffire (1979) proposed a somewhat broader definition of counseling: “Counseling is the professional relationship of a qualified consultant to a client, which is usually presented as a “person-to-person”, although sometimes more than two people are involved. The purpose of counseling is help clients understand what is happening in their life space and meaningfully achieve their goals based on conscious choices in resolving emotional and interpersonal problems."

There are many similar definitions, and they all include several basic provisions:

1. 
   Counseling helps a person make choices and act on their own.
2. 
   Counseling helps you learn new behaviors.
3. 
   Counseling promotes personal development.
4. 
   Counseling emphasizes the client's responsibility, i.e. it is recognized that an independent, responsible individual is capable, in appropriate circumstances, of taking independent decisions, and the consultant creates conditions that encourage the client’s volitional behavior.
5. 
   The core of counseling is the "counseling interaction" between client and counselor, based on the philosophy of "client-centered" therapy.

1. 
   each person has unconditional value and deserves respect as such;
2. 
   each individual is able to be responsible for himself;
3. 
   Every individual has the right to choose values ​​and goals and make independent decisions.

Goals of psychological counseling

The question of determining the goals of counseling is not simple, since it depends on the needs of clients seeking psychological help and the theoretical orientation of the consultant himself. However, before getting acquainted with the variety of goals of counseling, let us formulate, following George and Cristiani (1990), several universal goals that are mentioned to a greater or lesser extent by theorists of different schools:

1. 
   Facilitate behavior change so that the client can live a more productive, life-satisfying life despite some inevitable social restrictions.
2. 
   Develop coping skills when faced with new life circumstances and demands.
3. 
   Ensure effective life-saving decision making. There are many things that can be learned during counseling: independent actions, distribution of time and energy, assessing the consequences of risk, exploring the value field in which decisions are made, assessing the properties of one’s personality, overcoming emotional stress, understanding the influence of attitudes on decision making, etc.
4. 
   Develop the ability to establish and maintain interpersonal relationships. Socializing with people is a significant part of life and is difficult for many due to low self-esteem or poor social skills. Be it family conflicts adults or children's relationship problems, clients' quality of life should be improved through training in better interpersonal relationships.
5. 
   Facilitate the realization and increase of the individual’s potential. According to Blocher (1966), counseling should strive to maximize the client's freedom (taking into account natural social constraints), as well as to develop the client's ability to control his environment and his own reactions provoked by the environment.

Despite some commonality of goals of psychological counseling, the main psychological schools Still, there is a significant difference in their understanding (see Table 1).

Table 1. Modern representations about the purpose of counseling

The goals of the consultant and the client ultimately coincide, although each consultant has in mind his own system of general goals corresponding to his theoretical orientation, and each client has his own individual goals who brought him to a specialist. Very often, the formulation and reformulation of goals occur during the counseling process during the interaction between the consultant and the client. The realization of the consultant's goals depends on the needs and expectations of the client. To successfully combine your general goals and the client’s specific goals, you need to ask the client questions from the very beginning: “What do you expect from our communication?”, “What are your desires?” etc. Clients, as a rule, have only the most general idea about what counseling is and what to expect from a consultant. When the client does not have any information about counseling, he is unable to properly formulate goals. If we inform the client about the length of the conversations and in general about what usually happens during counseling meetings, it is easier for him to understand the possibilities and limitations of counseling. Most clients come to psychological counseling hoping that the consultant will immediately provide some help. In this situation, the consultant must remember main goal counseling - to help the client understand that he himself is the person who must decide, act, change, and actualize his abilities.

1. 2. PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

Distribution of these two areas of psychological assistance - difficult task, since in quite a number of cases it is difficult for a professional to say whether he is engaged in psychological counseling or psychotherapy. Both counseling and psychotherapy use the same professional skills; the requirements for the personality of the client and the psychotherapist are the same; The procedures used in counseling and psychotherapy are also similar. Finally, in the first and second cases, assistance to the client is based on the interaction between the consultant (psychotherapist) and the client. Due to the difficulty of separating these two areas, some practitioners use the concepts of “psychological counseling” and “psychotherapy” as synonyms, arguing for the similarity of the activities of a psychotherapist and a psychological consultant.

But since in most countries these professions exist as separate ones, it is important to find reasons on which they could be at least partially separated. Bramer and Shostrom (1982), speaking about the relationship between counseling and psychotherapy, resort to the idea of ​​two poles of a continuum. At one extreme, the work of a professional concerns mainly situational problems that are solved at the level of consciousness and arise in clinically healthy individuals. This is where the counseling area is located. At the other pole is a greater desire for a deep analysis of problems with a focus on unconscious processes and structural restructuring of the personality. This is where the field of psychotherapy is located. The area between the poles belongs to activities that can be called both counseling and psychotherapy.

Gelso and Fretz (1992), Blosher (1966) highlight specific features of psychological counseling that distinguish it from psychotherapy:

• 
  counseling is clinically oriented healthy personality; These are people who have psychological difficulties and problems in everyday life, complaints of a neurotic nature, as well as people who feel good, but set a goal for themselves further development personalities;
• 
  counseling is focused on the healthy aspects of the personality, regardless of the degree of impairment; this orientation is based on the belief that “a person can change, choose a satisfying life, find ways to use his inclinations, even if they are small due to inadequate attitudes and feelings, delayed maturation, cultural deprivation, lack of finances, illness, disability, old age "(Jordan et al.; cited in: Myers et al., 1968);
• 
  counseling is more often focused on the present and future of clients;
• 
  counseling usually focuses on short-term assistance (up to 15 meetings);
• 
  counseling focuses on problems arising in the interaction between the individual and the environment;
• 
  counseling emphasizes the value-based participation of the consultant, although the imposition of values ​​on clients is rejected;
• 
  counseling is aimed at changing the client’s behavior and developing the client’s personality.

The importance of theory in psychological counseling, as in other areas of psychological practice, cannot be overestimated. We can say that an attempt to skillfully help another person in solving his problems without relying on a system of theoretical views is like flying without guidelines. Such a “pilot” in counseling is not only ineffective, but sometimes even dangerous. In psychological counseling, the role of a map is played by personality theory, which opens up a broad perspective for understanding the client’s problems and indicates effective methods their permissions. Theory helps the counselor formulate dynamic hypotheses that explain the client's problems, and allows the counselor to feel safe when confronted with the chaotic, disorganized inner world of some clients. Bramer and Shostrom (1982) emphasize that a consultant who has not mastered the theoretical foundations of his profession and has not familiarized himself with the research done in this area will not be able to do anything for the client except the use of private technology.

Each theory performs four main functions: summarizes accumulated information; makes complex phenomena more understandable; predicts the consequences of various circumstances; promotes the search for new facts (George, Cristiani, 1990).

These functions fit well into any theory underlying counseling practice. The theory helps the consultant generalize his experience of working with a wide variety of clients, understand the nature of most of their problems and the forms of manifestation of conflicts, and promotes the effective use of specific methods. Thanks to theoretical training the consultant can put forward hypotheses in his practical work and anticipate the results of consulting.

Each consultant, based on practice, “constructs” his own theory, which most often relies on already known theoretical paradigms or orientations (psychoanalytic, behavioral-cognitive, existential-humanistic). With the accumulation of experience, the theoretical base is constantly adjusted, expanded, and strengthened. What determines the choice of one or another theoretical orientation? First of all, it is determined by the consultant's point of view on human nature. The nature of the answers to fundamental questions depends on it:

• 
  what is a person?
• 
  what innate tendencies are characteristic of him?
• 
  Is a person’s choice free under any circumstances or is it determined by heredity and past events?
• 
  Are there prerequisites for a person to change and how can he change?

As can be seen from table. 2, the main principles of the main schools of psychological counseling and psychotherapy differ significantly (George, Cristiani, 1990).

Table 2. Theoretical principles of modern psychological trends

Psychological counseling is professional assistance to the patient in finding a solution to a problem situation.

Professional counseling can be provided by psychologists, social workers, teachers or doctors who have undergone special training.

The patient can be healthy or sick people presenting with problems in interpersonal relationships, family difficulties or problems in professional choice.

Consulting is widespread today and one of the main tools in the field of intelligent technologies. Advisory practice is applied in any area where psychological knowledge: in organizations and management, in medicine and psychotherapy, in pedagogy and education, in personnel and management work. Currently, significant knowledge potential and experience have been accumulated in each of these areas. practical use various techniques consulting, which may be useful for specialists in other areas of practice.

It is difficult to give a clear definition of this type of activity or clearly indicate the scope of its application, since the word “consulting” has long been a generic concept for various types consulting practice. So, in virtually any area in which psychological knowledge is used, counseling is used to one degree or another as one of the forms of work. Consulting includes career counseling, pedagogical, industrial consulting, management consulting, and much, much more.

But perhaps the widest area of ​​application of psychological counseling today is helping those who come to us about their family and personal problems. This area includes many individual directions, among which we can highlight such as work with married couples, joint counseling of children and parents, premarital counseling, psychological assistance to those divorcing, etc.

Psychological counseling places certain moral and ethical requirements on the consultant, without which the work cannot be successful. By analogy with the moral and ethical code of a doctor, the main standard for a consultant’s work can be called the principle “first of all, do no harm.” Regardless of the form and method, psychological influence during the counseling process should not be psychologically traumatic for the client, worsen his condition, or reduce self-esteem. Communication with a consultant should not pose additional psychological burden for the client.

Requirements

Friendly and non-judgmental attitude towards the client. aimed at making the client feel calm and comfortable during the appointment. A friendly attitude involves more than just following generally accepted standards behavior, but also the ability to listen carefully, provide the necessary psychological support, not judge, but try to understand and help everyone who asks for help.

Focus on client norms and values. This principle implies that a psychologist during his work should be guided not by socially accepted norms and rules, but by those life principles and ideals, the bearer of which is the client. Effective influence is possible only when relying on the client’s own value system; the consultant’s critical attitude can lead to the fact that the person who comes to the appointment withdraws, cannot be sincere and open, and, consequently, the possibilities of advisory influence will turn out to be practically unrealizable. By accepting the client’s values, respecting them and giving them their due, the consultant will be able to influence them if they are an obstacle

Prohibition of giving advice. The reasons for this are quite broad and varied. First of all, no matter what the life and professional experience of a psychologist, it is impossible to give guaranteed advice to another: everyone’s life is unique and unpredictable. In addition, when giving advice, the consultant takes full responsibility for what is happening, which does not contribute to the development of the person being counseled and his adequate attitude to reality. In such a situation, the psychologist puts himself in the position of a guru, which really harms counseling and leads to the fact that the client, instead of actively striving to understand his life and change it, develops a massive and superficial attitude towards what is happening. Moreover, any failures in implementing the advice are usually attributed to the consultant as the authority who gave the advice, which naturally prevents the client from understanding the full role in the events taking place.

­ Anonymity. The most important condition for psychological counseling is its anonymity. This means that any information communicated by a client to a psychologist cannot be transferred without his consent to any public or government organizations, private individuals, including relatives or friends. There are exceptions to this rule (of which the client is always notified in advance) that are specifically provided for by law in many countries. For example, a situation where a psychologist learns during an appointment about something that is a serious threat to someone's life. Distinguishing between personal and professional relationships. .

In psychotherapy, there are two most important concepts that are of great importance for working with patients: a) “transference,” that is, the client’s tendency to transfer and project onto the psychotherapist and the relationship with him his relationships with significant people, main problems and conflicts; b) “countertransference,” that is, the psychotherapist’s tendency to project his relationships with significant people and the main internal problems and conflicts onto the relationship with the patient. These concepts, introduced into psychoanalysis by Z. Freud, are today widely used in a variety of areas of psychotherapy (Freud Z., 1989). These concepts mean that any human relations and even such special relationships that develop within the framework of psychotherapy are influenced by a person’s internal needs and desires, which he most often does not realize.

To one degree or another, these phenomena also operate in the counseling process. It is enough for the consultant to understand that maintaining his authority for the client is largely due to the fact that the latter knows little about him as a person; he has no reason either to admire the psychologist or to condemn him as a person. The establishment of close personal relationships between the consultant and the client leads to the fact that they, as close people, begin to satisfy certain needs and desires of each other and the consultant can no longer maintain an objective and detached position necessary for effectively resolving the client’s problems.

Client involvement in the counseling process. In order for the counseling process to be effective, the client during the appointment must feel as included in the conversation as possible, vividly and emotionally experience everything that is discussed with the consultant. In order to ensure such inclusion, the psychologist must ensure that the development of the conversation looks logical and understandable to the client, and also that the person not only listens to the specialist, but is really interested in him. After all, only if everything that is being discussed is clear and interesting can you actively look for ways to resolve your situation, experience and analyze it.

Thus, it is when all moral and ethical requirements are met that trust arises between the consultant and the client. This trust allows the psychologist to act effectively without manipulating, without taking a position “from above,” and without tying himself to the client.

REFERENCES:

1. Aleshina Yu.E. “Specifics of psychological counseling” / “Bulletin of psychosocial and correctional and rehabilitation work”, No. 1, 1994

R. Kociunas

M.: “Academic Project”, 1999

1. GENERAL PROBLEMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

1.1.Definition and goals of psychological counseling

1.2.Psychological counseling and psychotherapy

1.3.Personality theories and counseling practice

1.4.Structure of the consulting process

2. CONSULTANT

2.1.The role and place of the consultant in counseling

2.2.Requirements for the personality of a consultant - a model of an effective consultant

2.3. Consultant’s value system

2.4. The influence of professional activity on the personality of a consultant

2.5.Professional training of a consultant

3. ADVISORY CONTACT

3.1.Definition of advisory contact

3.2.Therapeutic climate. Physical components of the therapeutic climate

3.3.Emotional components of the therapeutic climate

3.4.Skills for maintaining consultative contact

3.5. Transference and countertransference in counseling and psychotherapy

4. PROCESS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

4.1.First meeting with the client

4.2.Assessing customer problems

4.3.Counseling procedures and techniques

4.4.Advice for a beginning consultant

5. SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

5.1.Counseling anxious clients

5.2.Counseling for fear reactions and phobias

5.3.Counseling hostile and aggressive clients

5.4.Features of consulting “unmotivated” clients

5.5.Consulting clients with excessive demands

5.6.Counseling when experiencing guilt

5.7. Features of counseling crying clients

5.8.Counseling with hysterical personalities

5.9.Counseling for obsessive personalities

5.10.Counseling for paranoid disorders

5.11.Counseling for schizoid individuals

5.12.Consulting antisocial individuals

5.13.Counselling for alcoholism

5.14.Counseling clients with psychosomatic disorders

5.15.Counseling clients with depression and suicidal ideation

5.16.Bereavement counseling

5.17. Features of a conversation with a dying person

5.18.Counselling for sexual problems

6. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

Rimas Kociunas

BASICS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

M.: Academic project, 1999. - 240 p.

Annotation

The book by Rimas Kociunas is a unique guide to communicating with clients - we are talking about counseling people without severe mental disorders. How to properly enter into a consultative contact, skillfully maintain it and competently complete the consultation - these very complex issues are covered in such detail for the first time in a Russian-language educational publication. The book is relevant for psychologists and doctors of any profile, as well as for everyone whose professional activity is related to communication.

ISBN 5-8291-0002-9

© Kociunas P., 1999

© Matulevičienė V., translation from Lithuanian, 1999

Currently, psychologists, doctors, and teachers are faced in their practice with many psychological problems that are difficult or impossible to characterize in clinical terms and cannot be solved within the framework of traditional psychiatry. These are problems of everyday life associated with difficulties in the development and adaptation of the individual, disharmony in interpersonal relationships, social deviations (drug addiction, alcoholism, family breakdown, AIDS, etc.), age-related crises. A wide range of such problems constitute the subject of a relatively new professional field - psychological counseling, which emerged from clinical psychology and psychotherapy.

The monograph will introduce readers to the most important theoretical principles and concepts, basic techniques and procedures of psychological counseling. It sets out universal principles of psychological counseling, and not just one theoretical approach (although I admit to sympathy for existential-humanistic psychology).

The monograph can serve as a textbook for students studying psychology, medicine, and pedagogy. Knowledge about the conditions for establishing and maintaining professional contact and psychological understanding of basic human problems is especially useful for them. I hope that my work is also relevant for specialists already working in the field of psychological counseling and psychotherapy; it will help them improve their professional skills, more easily overcome problems that arise in their work, and apply their knowledge more flexibly. Finally, I count on the interest of all readers interested in psychology.

This book is the result of many years of practical work as a psychologist-psychotherapist, but my professional development would have been impossible without comprehensive help. First of all, I would like to thank my first teacher, Dr. Alexander Alekseichik, and my colleagues, with whom, working together for many years, we learned to solve the problems of other people and cope with our own difficulties. I am also grateful to the hundreds of clients whose meetings helped me to understand much more deeply the complexities and contradictions of human existence, and to believe in the reality of changing life towards greater well-being.

R. Kociunas

Vilnius, July 1998

GENERAL PROBLEMS

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSULTING

1. 1. DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

Definition options

Psychological counseling as a profession is a relatively new area of ​​psychological practice that has emerged from psychotherapy. This profession arose in response to the needs of people who do not have clinical disorders but are seeking psychological help. Therefore, in psychological counseling, we primarily encounter people experiencing difficulties in everyday life. The range of problems is truly wide: difficulties at work (dissatisfaction with work, conflicts with colleagues and managers, the possibility of dismissal), unsettled personal life and troubles in the family, poor performance at school, lack of self-confidence and self-esteem, painful hesitations in decision-making, difficulties in establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, etc. On the other hand, psychological counseling, as a young area of ​​psychological practice, does not yet have strictly defined boundaries; a wide variety of problems fall into its field of vision.

Some uncertainty about the subject of psychological counseling is reflected in the variety of definitions. Thus, the licensing commission of the Association of Employees and Managers of the United States, which issues permits for private practice, offers the following definition: “Counseling is a set of procedures aimed at helping a person solve problems and make decisions regarding a professional career, marriage, family, personal improvement and interpersonal relationships " N. Burks and B. Steffire (1979) proposed a somewhat broader definition of counseling: “Counseling is the professional relationship of a qualified consultant to a client, which is usually presented as a “person-to-person”, although sometimes more than two people are involved. The goal of counseling is to help clients understand what is happening in their life space and meaningfully achieve their goals based on informed choices in resolving emotional and interpersonal problems.”