COUNSELLING SKILLS AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

Counselling is a helping approach that highlights the emotional and intellectual experience of a client, how a client is feeling and what they think about the problem they have sought help for. There are a number of skills that are required by counsellors. Basic skills in conducting a counselling session are defined as a capacity required in performing some counselling skills and becomes a crucial skill owned by a counsellor.

Besides, there are some skills required to conduct a counselling session namely: exploration skills (Attending, initiating a question, emotional reflection), knowledge (challenges, interpretation, self-reveal), and action skills (information and immediate action). A counsellor must have the ability to help clients to solve their problems. Besides, a counsellor should be able to help his clients to find out and develop their potentials and make changes in their lives.

Psychotherapy is any form of treatment for psychological, emotional, or behaviour disorders in which a trained person also called a psychotherapist who establishes a relationship with one or several patients for the purpose of modifying or removing existing symptoms and promoting personality growth. Psychotropic medications may be used as adjuncts to treatment, but the healing influence in psychotherapy is produced primarily by the words and actions of the therapist and the patient’s responses to them, which in combination are meant to create a safe, intimate and emotionally meaningful relationship for the open discussion and resolution of the patient’s concerns.

Counselling skills and Psychotherapy is the department add on course provided to the second year MSc Psychology and second year MSc clinical Psychology students by the department of psychology in association with Santhwana Institute of Counselling and Psychotherapy, Kacheripady, Ernakulam. Counselling & Psychotherapeutic Skills & Practice has been specifically designed for those who want to develop key foundation-level counselling skills. This is an ideal introduction to the world of counselling and psychotherapy, offering participants the opportunity to explore this growing profession. It serves as an excellent introduction to the area of counselling, and teaches general counselling skills that will benefit people in both their personal and professional lives.   It is a 36 hour programme distributed as 3 hours/ week (first three hours of every Wednesday).Mrs. Siji M M was faculty in charge for the programme. And the same agency provided the certificate for the  43 students after conducting the assignments at the end of the class. The class was started on 18th August  2020. And completed 30 hours on 20th January 2021.

The students expressed that they are enriched and enlightened by this course. They gave a satisfactory report about the course and teacher.

Counselling skills and Psychotherapy is the department add-on course provided to the final year MSc Psychology and MSc Clinical Psychology students by the department of psychology in association with Santhwana Institute of Counselling and Psychotherapy. The  main objective of this programme is to help students in identifying and developing their basic skills for counselling.

It is a 36-hour programme distributed as 3 hours/ week. And the same agency will be providing the certificate for the students after conducting the examinations at the end of the year.