Counseling:

Counselling is a therapeutic and growth process through which individuals are helped to define goals, make decisions and solve problems related to personal, social,educational and career concern. (Wamer, 1980)“Counseling is a purposeful, private conversation arising from the intention of oneperson to reflect on and resolve a problem in living, and the willingness of anotherperson to assist in that endeavor.”Counseling is an accepting, trusting & safe relationship in which client learns to discuss freely what respects them, to define their goals, to acquire the essential social skills & to Develop the courage & self-confidence to implement desired new behavior.(Vedanayagan 1988) Counselling is not about giving information or suggestions or influencing the client's values, attitudes, or beliefs.

Misconception related to counselling

Counselling is only for major issues .Admitting that you need help and going for counselling means you’re weak .Counselling doesn’t help or will make the situation worse .The counsellor doesn’t know me, so they can’t help me .Counselling takes a long time and costs a lot .Couples counselling is only for people that have problems in their relationship .They will blame my parents for everything .All counsellors are the same – If you didn’t have success with one, counselling won’t work for you.

Advantages of counseling

• Improved communication and interpersonal skills
• Greater self-acceptance and self-esteem
• Ability to change self-defeating behaviors/habits
• Better expression and management of emotions, including anger
• Relief from depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions
• Increased confidence and decision-making skills
• Ability to manage stress effectively
• Improved problem-solving and conflict resolution abilities
• Greater sense of self and purpose
• Recognition of distorted thinking

Dos of Counselling

• Build Rapport: Establish a warm, nonjudgmental, and empathetic relationship with the client to create a safe and trusting environment.
• Active Listening: Pay close attention to what the client is saying and validate their feelings and experiences. Reflect back their thoughts and emotions to show understanding.
• Maintain Confidentiality: Assure the client that their information will be kept confidential, except in situations where there's a risk of harm to themselves or others.
• Empowerment: Help clients explore their strengths and resources, encouraging them to make decisions and solve their problems.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Be culturally aware and respectful of the client's background, beliefs, and values, avoiding bias and stereotypes.
• Professional Boundaries: Maintain clear and ethical professional boundaries to avoid dual relationships or conflicts of interest.
• Assessment and Goal Setting: Conduct a thorough assessment to understand the client's issues and collaboratively set achievable goals for counseling.
• Feedback and Reflection: Offer feedback and insights that can help the client gain new perspectives and insights into their issues.
• Self-Care: As a counselor, prioritize self-care to prevent burnout and maintain your own mental and emotional well-being.

Don’ts of counselling

• Don’t duck your responsibilities because you know the client will be upset.
• Lots of  grievances come from lack of communication.
• Your role is NOT to be a punching bag (metaphorically or physically), a crutch, or the decision-maker for an unhappy or indecisive client.
• Don't promise what you can’t deliver, for example, unrealistic time frames or deadlines, tasks you cannot or don’t feel comfortable performing, guaranteed results.
• Don’t argue back with a difficult client. This just escalates the problem. State your position and if the client will not accept it, so be it.

Counseling in Nepal:

Psychology was introduced in the first college of Nepal which was affiliated to an Indian University.This was before the first university (i.e., Tribhuvan University) of Nepal came into existence.Yet, misconceptions about psychology prevails which has severely hindered psychology to be relevant and merge in the mainstream academic and development sector for years. The direct consequences is the observed suffering of the discipline.

The growth of psychology in Nepal, when one looks back, is very slow and erratic. In the beginning of 1990s, Nepalese witnessed a brutal armed conflict between hardliner Maoist and the government forces which lasted for 12 years.The psychological damage incurred through this brutal conflict was starkly visible to a large number of innocents. Many suffered from psychosocial problems. During this period, many I/NGOs felt the need of psychosocial services to the victims of armed conflict.

This movement made NGOs and concerned authorities to realize the importance of psychology and its services. Many psychologists were employed in I/NGOs for programme evaluation, conduct training and researches. Most of these psychologists were educated at Tribhuvan University (TU).

Current situation in Nepal

Mental health receives little attention in Nepal. Of the 3% of the national budget that the Government has allocated for health, approximately 1% is spent on mental health.Traditional and religious healing methods are commonly practiced. There is no mental health act and the National Mental Health Policy formulated in 1997 is yet to become fully operational. Western mental health practices have started to get increasing attention, most notably through psychiatric services (there are currently around two dozen psychiatrists) and psychosocial counselling.

Still, the state of counselling in Nepal is largely meagre.Training courses are typically short, do not include clinical practice and more often than not are given by expatriate trainers new to the cultural setting.Counselling is habitually misunderstood, resulting often in judgmental and uninformed implementation, and sometimes in incorrect practices.The state of counselling is further complicated because of the random application of the word ‘counsellor’ to anyone doing ‘social work’ within an NGO setting.

Application of psychology in Nepal:

The only University that introduced psychology as a major subject is Tribhuvan university. By the end of 70s there were many people who had completed their Bachelor level in psychology from Tribhuvan University.Most of the psychologists in the 70s and mid eighties were trained in India. One notable name is late Prof. Dr. Panna Lal Pradhan. He was the first person to publish psychology research article, first Nepali to earn Ph.D. (from USA) in psychology.

Most of the psychologists during 70s and eighties were involved either in government services especially in Public Service Commission or in Tribhuvan university.Psychological activities were confined in teaching psychology at Humanities and Social Sciences or Education Institute. Public Service Commission was and is the single government body that has been employing psychologists in the services of application of psychological tests for selection of personnel in government services.

Mode of counseling:

Counselling is a communication there by which allows people to discuss their problems with trained professionals in a peaceful and safe manner.Counselling supports individuals to speak about their problems to find the primary cause and impart the development plan of action to solve issue.

• In person : Face to face Counselling sessions take place with the Counsellor and individual to discuss and to find the way of dealing with the problem.
• Group Counselling : Counsellors provide group Counselling where one can join to speak the issue which may be a common problem and may develop a strong network to support as well.
• Telephonic issue: A big alternative to in person Counselling is telephonic rounds that can be taken p lace from individual's home which is easily accessible for busy individuals to discuss their problems with individuals in secured environment ,
• Online Counselling : If one wishes not to meet the Counsellor face to face just to protect his identity , he \she mail the problem to Counsellor . In this case you have to give a serious thought to discuss your problem.
• Centre based counseling service: More opportunities for social engagement and the imitation of acceptable peer behaviour arise when peers are accessible.The center-based environment makes it possible for experts with the necessary training and experience to be there, offering advice, support, and criticism to encourage positive growth.More chances for supervision and consultation with several Board-Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBAs) available on site. This facilitates collaborative observation,consultation on programming, opinion-sharing, and option evaluation among specialists.
• Community Based Counseling Services:Community-based mental health services assist older adults with serious psychological disorders who have been moved out of institutional care facilities, as well as seeking to prevent older adults with such disorders from entering institutional care.In addition, community-based services assist older adults with acute psychological distress who are not at risk of placement in institutions.

People with severe and persistent mental illness need access to treatment, rehabilitation, and support services within the community.These services can be provided through a variety of social, health, and mental health agencies, each with its own eligibility criteria and application and monitoring processes.Community-based treatment enables people with mental disorders to maintain family relationships, friendships and jobs while receiving treatment, which facilitates early treatmentand rehabilitation. This type of care is also associated with continuity of care, greater users’ satisfaction,increased adherence to treatment, better protection of human rights, and prevention of stigma.