Counseling: What it is..and what its not?

Even studying psychology makes me feel incompetent when you learn the dos and don'ts in counseling, and as i have always reiterated..if you sincerely have no good advice to give someone, refrain..you can seriously make things worst for the other person..or worst still reinforce that person's weakness...just a word of caution..this would be my 2nd counseling class..and on our 1st day...our lecturer sought to debunk myths too?

Counseling IS NOT

• information giving
• dispensing advice
• influencing attitudes, beliefs, & behaviours by persuading, compelling or threatening
• selection and assignment of persons for jobs and activities
• giving a pep talk
• making people dependent on us

Counseling IS/HAS

• A process - requires time and a conducive setting
• A Rship - between 2 individuals, and trust is KEY
• A specific outcome - goals/decisions
• A systematic approach - adequate level of skills & knowledge of theoretical approaches in cultures

**hence always, when ppl ask me stuff...i would typically as...i not qualified, i am not counseling, but as a friend i can tell you this...(frankly, can't stand those think they know it all, where they try to diagnose people...when they don't even have a degree..plus...don't you remember what they taught you about labeling ppl? but of course as psych students, we still like to do it la....like to revise our concepts? ahah...or more like its in us maybe...)

Interesting subjects this sem...especially forensic psych...been waiting for like EVER for this subject to be a subject choice...