EMPLOYEE COUNSELING

1.1 BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR COUNSELING

As human beings, we all face various challenges in our daily lives, whether personal or professional. The seriousness or gravity of the issues can vary, and this will decide how much and how much it affects us personally or at work.

When we are faced with such issues, we all need assistance to analyze, solve, and make decisions. We are often not very good at dealing with problems in a structured and efficient manner, particularly when they affect us personally.

• Problems could affect us personally an intern can affect our work or even affect our families.
• The problem sometimes could be only work related and may cause performance Problems 

Source : bigstock (2021)

THE NEED FOR WORK PLACE COUNSELING

• There are a variety of reasons why employers use counseling as one of their employee-care strategies. The following are some of the reasons;
• One of the most important duties of employers is to ensure the well-being of their workers. More and more workers are realizing that physical and psychological health, as well as efficiency, go hand in hand.
• Counseling helps depressed people improve their mental health. Employees should not leave their issues at home when they arrive at work. Costs and organizations should be used to address psychological and social issues.
• Counseling is one method of assisting workers in coping with the changes that are occurring in the company. Change is never easy; it disrupts, disorients, and causes distress. Therapy may assist individuals and teams in navigating these changes.
• More and more businesses are recognizing that their workers are one of their most valuable assets. A major factor persuading employers to use employee therapy facilities is the direct obligation of caring for their employees, as well as the desire to achieve success and benefit.
• Counseling programs can also be seen as a preventative measure, with counselors available to provide training and guidance to help people avoid mental illness.
• Organizations are recognizing the importance of taking a holistic approach to workers, which means that their physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being are all intertwined and must be addressed as a whole.
• Finally, therapy is a catalyst of organizational transformation in and of itself.

1.2 DEFINITIONS OF COUNSELING

• Counseling is described as a relationship in which one person tries to understand and resolve the problems of another. Counseling is a two-way street in which both the counselor and the counselee are involved. - English as well as English
• Counseling is described as a complex and purposeful partnership between two people in which procedures differ depending on the nature of the client's needs, but in which there is often reciprocal involvement by the counselor and the client, with a focus on the client's self-clarification and self- determination by the client.-Wren
• Employees are assisted in recognizing their feelings about issues, correctly defining personal problems, finding solutions, or learning to cope with a solution. R. Bennet's Dictionary of Staff and Human Resource Management

1.3 WHAT DOES NOT COME UNDER THE SCOPE OF COUNSELING?

• Advising done by the counselor
• Psychotherapy (treatment of severe mental illness)
• Solving all life’s Problems.

Source : Mindlerblog (2016)

1.4 WHO CAN COUNSEL?

You don't have to be a licensed psychologist to learn how to advise and help people who are in need. We've probably all done it, consciously or unknowingly, at some point in our lives.

Perhaps the most important thing is to learn the skills needed to be a good counselor; you don't have to be born with them; all of them can be learned.

Source : Verywellmind (2020)

1.5 COUNSELING SKILLS

• Activity listening and Empathy
• Respect
• Genuineness or Sincerity
• Tolerance
• Self-Knowledge
• Strength and Balance
• Direction

Reference

Abewickrama, Dorothy , Employee Counseling and Absenteeism, 1st Edition,1991

Bigstock (2021) Background concept wordcloud illustration of counseling , bigstock [Online] available at https://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-97157225/stock-photo-background-concept-wordcloud-illustration-of-counseling Access on May 2, 2021

L. Gibson, Robert and H Mitchell, Introduction to Counseling and Guidance, 6th Edition 2006

Mindlerblog (2016) Exhaustive guide to becoming a psychologist and its scope in india ,mindlerblog [Onlone] available at https://www.mindler.com/blog/psychology-courses-scope-india/ Access on May 2, 2021

Verywellmind (2020) Visiting a counselor vs. psychotherapist ,verywellmind [Online] available at https://www.verywellmind.com/counselor-or-psychotherapist-1067401 Access on May 2, 2021