This introductory course is a pre-requisite for all students in the diploma programs. In this course we present the information and skills needed to provide individual counselling, including client interviewing, clinical assessment, and referral. This course combines counselling theory and skills practice. Course content is built on humanistic theory developed by Carl Rogers, and uses The Egan Model (Gerald Egan) as its foundation. Each participant is required to demonstrate competency in empathizing, responding and assessing needs.
Course Objectives
This course provides students intending to enter the helping professions with knowledge of theory and practice skills related to client problem management and opportunity development. Using the Egan Model students will come to a better understanding of the importance of developing professional behaviour and effective interpersonal communication skills. Students will examine the role of personal, social, and professional values, ethical codes of conduct, and the ethics of decision-making in the helping professions. Students learn how to open, conduct and close a client interview. Attention is given to effective listening styles, giving and receiving feedback, elements of verbal and non-verbal communication, and the structuring of information and questioning techniques during an interview situation. Through role-playing, simulated interviews, presentations, group discussions and case analysis, opportunities are provided to explore, challenge, and evaluate a broad range of basic interviewing and problem management skills appropriate for helpers.
Before the end of this course, students will demonstrate:
- The theory and principles of the Egan Model
- Stages and steps of problem management with the Egan Model and how they apply to the helping profession
- The basic communication and counselling skills of attending, listening, active listening empathy, probing, challenging, problem specification, goal setting, action planning, confrontation and anger diffusion
- The challenging side of the helping profession; resistance, reluctance, inertia and apathy
- Ethics and ethical dilemmas within the helping profession
Additional Information
Found in These Programs: Life Skills Counsellor Certificate, Life Coach Diploma, Addiction Counsellor Diploma, Wellness Counsellor Diploma, Professional Counsellor Diploma
Course Type: Daytime (FT) / Part-Time (Online or In House)
Course Hours: 60
Prerequisites: None
