GUIDANCE COUNSELLING AND THEIR IMPORTANCE

GUIDANCE :

The primary goal of educational guidance is to provide learners an opportunity to take their potential skills and interests and to build an educational plan for their future. Educational guidance encourages students to pickup positive study habits, and also prepares students to be able to adjust to newer learning environments. It enables students to grow into a leaders by arming them with correct social skills. Guidance counselling also puts students in a position to get a head start on their educational journey. In the beginning of this process, guidance equips students for any difficulties that may be faced while transitioning to secondary education. Once in the secondary stage, students are able to navigate the various aspects of the school, they are also able to understand the different courses, and the potential implications it may have on their plan for the future. Upon elevating to the tertiary level, through the process of educational guidance, students are made aware of their potential options in the higher education sphere. It is, therefore, essential for each college or university to have a special guidance unit.

Aims Of Guidance :

It allows students to discover what skills they are able to obtain and develop in an efficient manner.
It provides an environment where students are able to consider their strengths, and their flaws. By considering their skills, they are able to scholastic work easily.
It helps students make realistic decisions for their academic and vocational future.
It provides opportunities for students to explore and then select a curriculum that suits their interests and needs.
It helps students comprehend the purpose and function of schools, and their function.
It gives students the opportunity to pick institutes of higher learning that they identify with.
It helps leaders develop leadership qualities, and this gives them an opportunity to participate in activities all around school.

As you can see, guidance is centrally important in all levels of education, and needs to be provided for students. At the primary level of education not much formal guidance is needed by the students. At the secondary and the higher stage, however, students need formal guidance from peers, teachers and trainers and also professional counsellors.

Counselling:

Counselling refers to services of a professional nature that are offered to individuals who are facing obstacles and are unable to overcome these obstacles. Counselling is a quintessential part of the guidance proves. It provides individuals with an opportunity to find solutions to their problems in a structured and helpful environment. The process of counselling involves two people, the counsellor, and the person seeking assistance. The counsellor is a professionally trained person who offers counselling. Counselling is meant to facilitate a thorough understanding of oneself, and the environment they operate in.

This, however, does not mean that counselling is limited to a single activity. It is important to not limit counselling to a single definition. Counselling should not be reduced to something that is:

• Judgmental

• Restricted to giving advice

• Attempting to solve the problem

The three primary activities that constitute counselling include the following:

Informing: Informing is an activity where the counsellor provides learning materials and information to the client or the person needing help.
Advising: Advising is when the counsellor suggesting the proper course of action that must be followed to solve the problem.
Counselling: Counselling involves assisting the client understand his needs and providing the necessary help so that the client can take the right decision.

Therefore, counselling entails assisting a person so that the individual can face any challenging situation with a positive frame of mind. Counselling helps to alleviate negative responses to a problem and enables an individual to overcome the problem.

The characteristics of counselling can be summarized as follows: