Explain four types of counselling

related: definition of words related to counselling and guidance

Introduction

Types of counselling and categories of counselling have been interchangeably used to mean the other by scholars, this is a cause of confusion until I read this report from two Nigerian scholars who made a clear distinction between the two. But still, there are counsellors who use categories of counselling to mean types of counselling vis a vis.

Counselling Session

Types of Counselling

According to Olugbenga David Ojo,(PhD) and Dr. Ogidan Rotimi (2014) of the National Open University of Nigeria, there are two types of counselling namely: Individual counselling and Group counselling.

Individual Counselling

This is referred to as one-to-one counselling. It occurs between the professionally trained Counsellor (Therapist) and his client (Counsellee). The goal of this is to help the client to understand himself, clarify and direct his thought, in order to make a worthwhile decision. Through this, clients’ problems are alleviated. Frumboltz and Thoreson (1967) as cited in Ojo (2005) remarked that it is mainly to bring about change in the client either by altering maladaptive behaviour, learning the decision making process or preventing problems. 

Group counselling

​This is a counselling session that takes place between the professionally trained counsellor and a group of people. Number of this group should not be more than seven, or at least ten, in order to have a cohesive group and an effective well controlled counselling session. Members of the groups are clients/counselees whose tasks or problems that are meant for resolution are similar. 

Categories of Counselling

Counselling can be classified into different spheres of life in which human beings could encounter problems. Common counselling categories include:-

1. Educational Counselling: problems that could be of learning, teaching and that of education generally are handled here.
2. Marital Counselling: problems that could emanate from married life beginning from spouse selection are resolved here.
3. Personal Social Counselling: problems including personality and life in general are taken care of here.
4. Rehabilitation Counselling: problems emanating from life disruptions such as accidents, retrenchment and natural mishaps are handled here.
5. Vocational Counselling: problems from work and training, career choice making and adjustment are handled here. 

These categories can further be broken down into sub-categories that include:-
Person-centred counselling

• In the person-centred approach, you’re in a relationship with a counsellor in which you can freely express yourself without being judged. This can help you deal with negative feelings and experiences that may have caused problems. It can also help you develop new ways of living your life and relating to others. Person-centred counsellors believe in your potential to make changes that will help you lead a more fulfilling life.

Counselling for Depression

• Counselling for Depression is a short-term therapy for people with depression. It helps you manage your emotions by making sense of them and using them in a more beneficial way. It’s based on the person-centred approach.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is for clients suffering from depression. It sees depression as a response to difficulties in relationships. Generally, you’ll work with your therapist on one or two problem relationships in your life that affect how you feel about yourself and others. IPT does not delve into past experiences. Rather it attempts to help you find better ways to deal with current problems.

Brief psychodynamic therapy

• Psychodynamic therapy seeks to discover how unconscious thoughts and past experience shape current behaviour. It’s likely you’ll talk to your therapist about your childhood and relationships with parents and others – and how this impacts your day-to-day experiences now.

Integrative counselling

• Integrative counselling means drawing on and blending different types of therapy. Practitioners of integrative counselling are trained in several different approaches. They do not believe that one approach will work for every client in all situations.

Cognitive behavioural therapy

• Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is a one-to-one talking therapy. It can help with a range of emotional and psychological problems. CBT works on how we think about a situation and how this affects the way we act and feel.

Post-traumatic stress counselling

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) can help resolve symptoms resulting from disturbing experiences, including trauma. EMDR taps into the brain’s information processing system to relieve the distress caused by a disturbing event. It is a proven way of helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Counselling for sexual abuse and rape

• For survivors of sexual abuse and/or rape

Counselling for abuse and addiction

• For those whose lives are affected by abuse, domestic violence and drug and alcohol addiction.

Couples counselling

• Couples counselling, also known as relationship counselling, offers a caring and supportive environment to help you find a way through any difficulties you may be facing in your relationship with your spouse or partner.

Conclusion

There should be a clear disinction between categories of counselling and types of counselling to avoid confusing scholars and learners. As stated by Olugbenga David Ojo,(PhD) and Dr. Ogidan Rotimi (2014) in their report, the distinction between the two looks to be in order thus there are only two types of counselling with numerous categories of counselling. Our questions could have therefore been rephrased to look like

1. Explain two types of counselling or
2. Explain any four categories of counselling

this could have been more appropriate, precise and in order.

related: differences between guidance and counselling

Reference

• ​Olugbenga, O. D., & Ogidan, D. R. (2014). FUNDAMENTALS OF GUIDANCE AND     COUNSELLING. Retrieved 12 23, 2016, from National Open University of Nigeria: http://nou.edu.ng/uploads/fileuploads/GAFdVaNaIV1436440560.pdf
• Types of counselling. (n.d.). Retrieved 12 23, 2016, from Oasis Talk: http://www.oasis-talk.org/services/counselling/types-of-counselling/

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