Counselling in dyslexia

This paper is basically a report of personal experiences. In Part one I shall describe and comment on some of the things which are said and done when parents bring their children to me to be assessed for dyslexia; in Part Two I shall consider what conclusions, if any, can be drawn which are relevant to counselling in general.     

Pastoral Counselling

The beginnings of the modern pastoral-care and counselling movement in the 1960s are reviewed, in particular, the attempt to integrate theology with the behavioural sciences, and the theories born of that integration with the practice of pastors and religious leaders. The developments of the last ten years are explored and the tensions of the movement analysed. Pastoral counsellors' contribution to counselling in general in the United Kingdom, and to pastoral ministry both here and overseas, is assessed.     

Counselling in Medical Settings

The slow development of counselling as an alternative to traditional treatment within the medical model is described. Counselling in medical settings has its roots in the work of the Marriage Guidance Council and the influence of Balint towards psychotherapy. 10-30% of all consultations in general practitioners' surgeries are related to emotional distress, yet the adoption and rise of counselling is more patchy than widespread. The factors which have hindered its expansion in the past are discussed, and it is concluded that its development in the future will depend largely upon pronounced changes in public health policy.     

Spiritual Experiences in Counselling

Three questions are addressed. First, what are spiritual experiences? The one-two-three-infinity theory of spirituality is questioned, and it is suggested that there are at least nine distinguishable spiritual experiences. Second, how do we use such experiences in counselling? Examples are given of how this approach is useful in counselling. and particularly in dream work. The importance of intuition is stressed, and group work is discussed. Third, what are the implications for the training of counsellors? The issues of ego inflation and psychosis are raised, and it is suggested that the training of future counsellors needs to include the coverage of such issues, as well as the more general material dealt with in this paper.     

Counselling Psychology in Japan

Les caractéristiques du conseil psychologique au Japon ont été passées en revue selon les points-de-vues suivants: (1) l'histoire du conseil psychologique. (2) le conseil psychologique aujourd'hui, (3) le conseil psychologique comparé au psychologue clinicien. (4) l'avenir du conseil psychologique, et (5) le conseil psychologique appliqué au, conseil d'etudiants. Au Japon, le conseil psychologique est encore jeune, si Ton en juge par sa familiarité chez les professionnels comme chez les non-professionnels, probablement autant à cause des caractéristiques nationales des japonais que du système scolaire. Il semble important que le conseil psychologique sauvegarde son identitéà I'intérieur des disciplines de la psychologie appliquée et/ou de la psychologie de la santé.
The outlook for counselling psychology in Japan has been reviewed from the following viewpoints: (1) the history of counselling psychology, (2) counselling psychology today, (3) counselling psychology compared with clinical psychology, (4) the future of counselling psychology, and (5) counselling psychology applied to student counselling. It is found that counselling psychology in Japan is still young in terms of its familiarity to both professionals and non-professionals, probably because of the national characteristics of the Japanese as well as the certification system. It seems to be important for counselling psychology to secure its identity within the discipline of applied psychology and/or health psychology.     

Youth Counselling

Youth counselling and advisory work takes various forms in various settings. Against a background of key trends affecting the lives of young people, the range of such services is outlined. Particular attention is paid to generalist youth counselling and advisory agencies, to guidance and support in the Youth Training Scheme, and to relevant work in the Youth Service. The importance of promoting autonomy, and at the same time responding to wider social and political influences on individuals and services, is emphasised.     

Counselling studies

It is proposed that a discipline of 'counselling studies' be considered as an extension of counselling and a contribution to social guidance. Likely features of such a discipline are suggested, including a focus on the individual person, interdisciplinarity, humanistic values, applied and theoretical dialectic, critical attitude and dynamic nature. Questions of suitable name, location and goals are considered. Some indication of possible contents is given in the article.     

Counselling Psychology in Canada

Counselling psychology in Canada has experienced tremendous growth and greater recognition within the last 30 years. However, there is little empirical research on the practice of counselling psychology in Canada and the characteristics of Canadian counselling psychologists. We administered a 74 item questionnaire to 79 counselling psychologists who were members of the Counselling Psychology Section of the Canadian Psychological Association, achieving a 35.4% response rate. The survey asked various questions organized under the headings of: Background Information, Theoretical Orientations, Professional Activities, Training and Career Experiences, and Future. Overall, these Canadian counselling psychologists seem to see the discipline as moderately different from clinical psychology and from counsellor education, and are largely satisfied with their choice of career in counselling psychology. Results further indicate that independent practice is the most common work-setting and that respondents spend a large share of their time providing individual, non-career related, counselling/psychotherapy of primarily a rehabilitative/treatment-oriented nature. A strengths-focused approach was also highly valued by the sample. The development of the field, distinctive characteristics of Canadian counselling psychology, the place of counselling psychology in the Canadian health care delivery system, credentialing, professional organizations, education and training issues, allied professions, opportunities for the field, and threats to the field are also discussed.     

Guidance and Counselling in Schools

Developments in counselling over the last ten years have failed to meet the expectations of those who helped introduce counselling to British schools in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Changes contributing to the current situation are discussed: in particular, changes in the theory and practice of counselling both outside and inside the school, the expansion of pastoral-care Systems, and economic, political and other shifts of emphasis during the period. Finally, some positive proposais for the future of counselling in schools are considered.     

Counselling in colleges of education

Information on the form and functioning of student welfare services in colleges of education is reported from evidence supplied by college principals, by counsellors, and by student bodies reporting through their union presidents. The personal tutor system is ubiquitous, but is supplemented in two-fifths of the colleges by full-time and/or part-time 'trained' counsellors.¹ Where the personal tutor system operates alone, a modest degree of effectiveness can be claimed in dealing with academic and vocational problems, but little success in identifying and resolving the more personal problems of students. Various inferences are drawn for the further development of counselling services in colleges of education.     

Counselling psychology in South Africa

The origin and development of counselling psychology in South Africa has been profoundly influenced by the country’s sociopolitical history and the impact of apartheid. As a result of this, counselling psychologists in the country face a number of challenges and opportunities for the future. In this paper we provide a portrait of counselling psychology in South Africa by describing the current character of the specialty and the context in which South African psychologists work. We critically discuss the challenges that the specialty faces to meet the country’s mental health care needs, contest the current Scope of Practice; affirm multiculturalism without essentialising or reifying race and ethnicity, and build an evidence base for community interventions in the country. We also consider how, in the future, counselling psychologists in South Africa may make a more meaningful contribution within public health and the country’s health care and education systems.     

Buddhism and Counselling

The relevance of the principles and practices of Buddhism to the field of counselling is discussed. Buddhist techniques have already been used by the helping professions in many settings (e.g. Japan, Sri Lanka). The extension of their use to a wider range of settings, and to a wider group of clients, is both feasible and desirable. In addition to the obvious relevance of Buddhist techniques to clients who have a Buddhist background, it is argued that they have a wider applicability. As Buddhism espouses the notion of a productive and healthy lay life, it offers ways not only of dealing with problems and difficulties, but also of improving psychological well-being in general. Examples are cited of relevant Buddhist techniques and their application. It is argued that, once systematically evaluated, many of these could profitably be incorporated into the repertoire of techniques used in present-day counselling and therapy.     

Counselling for Tolerance

Tolerance is not neutrality, nor should tolerance in counselling be equated with a spiritual and emotional vacuum. Tolerance applies to style rather than stance, and a counsellor needs a conception of the ideal — broadly speaking, a moral position.
Originally proclaimed against religious and political tyranny, the political ideal of tolerance has in the twentieth century become confused with permissiveness, and is thus sometimes charged with generating many of the ills of modern society, including crime and family breakdown. Counselling has become the universal remedy, replacing punishment and compulsion.
The counsellor needs
(a) a view of human nature
(b) a conception of what is good for those possessing that nature.
Constants in the first mean there cannot be too much variation in the second. Society is varied and plural, so the counsellor must be non-judgemental, but while this means accepting the person , it does not necessarily mean endorsing the conduct.
A distinction is drawn between therapeutic and philosophical counselling; the latter considers a problem , where the former focusses on the client , but both may fall short of offering a holistic view. Counselling may also exacerbate some of the problems of modern life by too readily accepting the conditions which cause them. Some ethical problems raised by confidentiality and informed consent are discussed. It is concluded that the counsellor must be tolerant, but not morally ambivalent, nor a relativist.     

Crying in the Counselling Situation

Crying is a natural response which may be hindered by learned social inhibitions. The counsellor's embarrassment or uncertainty about how to respond may also be a block. If it is suspected that the crying is a diversion or manipulative act, this must be discussed. In general, however, expressing emotions openly may be an important learning experience. Requests to explain during crying are often unhelpful, and attempts atphysical comforting may be suppressive. The act of weeping may be an important stage for clients who are having to gain, or regain, contact with their own experience and feelings as they develop a proactive approach to managing their future.     

Community Counselling in African Contexts

This article explores community counselling as a form of professional practice for psychologists, with a particular focus on practices that are relevant in African contexts. The discussion identifies and discusses various models of practice identified in community psychology, including an ecological perspective, a public health and community mental health framework, interventions that focus on promoting a sense of community, indigenous approaches to community counselling and a critical or social action framework. Examples relating to each of these models of practice are drawn from various African settings, providing practitioners with some insights into how theory can be operationalised into practices that are relevant to African contexts. The article concludes with a discussion on community research, with a particular focus on ethical considerations relevant to a community approach in African contexts. The latter discussion emphasises the importance of working with the community as partners, and suggests the possibility of developing a Code of Ethics aimed specifically at guiding community counselling practice in African contexts.     

Rehabilitation Counselling: The Development of a New Course Specialism in British Counselling

The introduction of rehabilitation counselling to the UK in 1990-initially as a diploma and now as an MSc—is described. The worldwide development of rehabilitation counselling from its beginnings in America in the 1950s is outlined, highlighting key areas of debate. Evidence of the need for rehabilitation counselling in the UK is presented, and the current course is described with reference to its integrative counselling approach and specialist areas of enquiry. The future development of rehabilitation counselling in the UK is considered, emphasising the need for this specialism as we move towards more holistic models of care.     

Training and Research in Counselling

Formal counselling training in Britain began with the preparation of school counsellors in universities and relied largely upon American models. Early courses were highly didactic but over the last decade practical and experiential aspects have taken precedence. Basic counselling training has now been extended into the preparation of many workers, voluntary and professional. Counselling research also had academic origins, but has broadened to include many different work settings. Much of the published research has been in the form of surveys of counselling services, but some detailed studies of process are noted. There is a need for research to be increased, and the gap between research and practice shortened, if counselling is to demonstrate its relevance to contemporary needs.     

Counselling in the enterprise culture

The way in which therapeutic models and language have been dravm upon to provide support for concepts of human flexibility and 'human resource development' in the enterprise culture ofthe 1980s and 1990s is described. The use ofhumane managerial rhetoric to mask the practice of increasingly ruthless public and private-sector organisations, and the dilemmas posedfor counsellors operating within these kinds of institutional settings, are examined.     

Hindu Counselling in the Netherlands

Increasing participation of Muslims and Hindus in church-state relations in the Netherlands is bringing about a slow change in the different cultural and historical backgrounds of non-indigenous religious traditions and in their self-esteem and religious attitudes. We may call this participation, and especially the changes it causes, a good example of Systemzwang, the systematic power of the dominant but historically grown social and cultural order in which newcomers are expected to fit. This process of external influence will be demonstrated by the example of the development of the traditional Hindu priest, the pandit, to a modern professional pastoral or Hindu-spiritual counsellor and by the mutual-learning process of the religiously different pastoral professionals in the semi-governmental service organizations.