What makes a good counsellor?

What makes a “good” counsellor?

In the field of counselling and psychotherapy training this is an important question to be asking. However, the problem here is that there are many different approaches to counselling and psychotherapy and depending on the approach you may get a very different answer. These might range from being able to present as a good “blank screen” in traditional psychoanalysis through to providing an empathic accepting and congruent presence in person centred counselling, or being able to appropriately introduce the methods and techniques of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

At the Link Centre we offer training in Transactional Analysis (TA), which whilst it has its roots in psychoanalysis is underpinned humanistic philosophy and has a number of models and approaches that can be used in a behavioural way. This means that TA can offer an approach that is integrative and is therefore a useful standpoint from which to look at the question of what makes a “good” counsellor.

For us there are three essential elements to becoming an effective counsellor, which are: a sound theoretical framework from which to work, a well-developed set of skills for practice, and a good level of personal awareness.

It is well recognised that two components are important in the successful outcome of counselling: the quality of the counselling relationship, and both parties having a clear idea of the aim of the work. However, that does not mean because you usually get on with people and are goal orientated you will necessarily be a good counsellor. Here theories and approaches are important for understanding the nature of both the client and our relationship with them. These can then help in developing our relationships and goals and understanding how we move towards those goals.

Skills are really concerned with understanding how we put our theories into practice. Someone can be the best theoretician in the world but if they struggle to put the theory into practice this will really impact on their ability to be a good counsellor. Learning about how we attune, how to challenge as well as support in a healthy way, how to develop a good relationship, and how to develop a clear agreement with our clients are all skills that can be learnt and developed.

The final element is that of personal awareness. Whilst good theory knowledge and a well-developed set of skills move trainees a long way to becoming a “good” counsellor, perhaps the most important aspect is that of personal awareness. This comes through trainees experiencing their own therapy as well as the use of process time on the course. It is important when counselling clients that we as the counsellor are as aware as possible of our own processes and biases. This then enables us to better recognise what is our material and what is the client’s, so that we can seek to put our material to one side in order to be there fully for the client. This also lays the groundwork for reflective practice.

In our experience a good counsellor needs to have an ongoing process of reflection on their work: exploring and accommodating the limitations of their theories, developing new skills and approaches, and examining the interplay between their own process and that of their client so that they understand how that affects their work.

A good counsellor is always a work in progress and never a fully completed masterpiece!

Words: Mark Head
thelinkcentre.co.uk

Mark Head is an internationally qualified Transactional Analysis Trainer and Supervisor and a Mindfulness instructor. He has a background in training, project management and business consultancy and his focus is now on training, organisational consultancy, coaching, supervision, and psychotherapy. Marks places most emphasis in the development of the individual or group in achieving their desired goal, through increased awareness and insight. Mark is one of the founders and Co-Director of the Link Centre.