The Counseling Skills and Strategies 1 course builds on Gerard Egan’s problem-management approach combined with Carl Rogers’ core conditions of “acceptance, empathy and genuineness” in counselling. Within this framework, students’ activities will be mostly experiential as they explore and practice a variety of helper skills and strategies from Egan and other models.

Emphasis will be placed on but not limited to Micro skills such as attending, responding, dealing with defenses and valuing, and on macro skills such as interviewing, relationship- building, note- taking, and termination among others that will help students develop necessary helper/counselor competences.

Upon completion of this course students should:

• Have gained a solid grasp of basic counseling concepts, verbal and non-verbal communication and attitudinal skills necessary for carrying out helping services.
• Be able to discuss the physical and psychological factors that influence an effective counseling environment.
• Be able to analyze strengths and weaknesses in communication skills as observed in role plays or video demonstration.
• Become self-aware of motives values, strengths and limitations that can influence the counseling relationship.
• Determine what skills are appropriate for different stage and context of the helping process.
• Demonstrate empathy as evidence of increased growth in their understanding of the client’s feelings and non-verbal communications.
• Apply appropriate techniques and skills to specific concerns.
• Be able to describe ethical standards and issues related to counseling.