COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

COURSE CODE: CED 112

Concept and Meaning of Guidance and Counselling

………. Guidance and Counselling is based on the assumption that every individual in

any society has had, is having and will have a problem that he alone could not solve……

{Prof. Olu Makinde}

Makinde (1983) contended that the genesis of guidance and counselling in Nigeria dates

back to 1959. According to him, this was the year in which a group of Catholic Sisters at

St. Theresa’s College, Ibadan organized a formal careers guidance service for their final

year students. The sister’s felt the need for the graduating students to be informed about

the world and to be trained in human relations. As part of the programme, representatives

of the various government departments and ministries were called to give lectures and

seminars to the students on employment opportunities in their various establishments.

The programme produced results as all the girls who later applied for various jobs were

employed. As a follow-up to this and for subsequent graduating students, lectures,

seminars and guidance workshops were organized. This effort gave insight to the students

about world of work and hence assisted many of the students to select good jobs or higher

institutions of learning. The result was quite encouraging and it geared some other

schools in Ibadan and other big towns around to start organizing career talks for their

senior students. This singular move led to emerging of career masters and mistresses

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while interested teachers in the school system were assigned job of collation and

disseminating of career information to students.

There are different opinions concerning the meaning of guidance. The term has been

described as a concept that is, a mental image. Yet, others view it as a construct of

intellectual idea. While to others, it is an educational service, a practice designed

primarily for meeting a demand in this discussion. Guidance is a group of planned service

that include counselling, it provides the trainee with miscellaneous information to

upgrade his feeling of responsibility, understand himself and know his abilities and

provide guidance service to trainees.

Guidance and Counselling is defined as a planned and organized work aimed at assisting

the trainee to understand himself and his abilities and develop his potentialities in order to

solve his problems and achieve psychological, social, educational and professional

compatibility. Guidance and Counselling complement each other though there are some

differences.

Miller {1968) defined guidance as the process of helping individuals achieve self-

understanding and self-direction necessary to make the maximum adjustment to school,

home and community. According to Durojaiye {1972}, guidance is a complex process

which encompasses the total needs of the individual student to be directed or guided. This

guide is available to the individual’s educational, social, emotional, health, vocational

and leisure time needs and for the individual’s preparation for a suitable occupation.

Shertzer and Stone {1981} defined guidance as the process of helping individuals to

understand themselves and their world.

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In each of those definitions, emphasis has been laid on guidance as a process because it is

not a single event, but involved a series of goal-directed actions and steps. It is also

important to note that guidance is an integral part of education which focuses on the

individual’s present and future needs and life-long decisions.

Counselling on the other hand, is the procedural aspect of guidance; it is therefore the

interaction that comes as a result of the vocational relationship between a specialized

counselor and his student where the counselor assists the student to understand himself

and his abilities and talents to achieve self and environmental compatibility in order to

attain the appropriate degree of mental health in light of the techniques and specialized

skills of the guidance process.

Makinde {1985} described counselling as an enlightened process whereby people help

people by facilitating growth and positive change through an exercise of self-

understanding. According to Olayinka {1972), counselling is the process in which one

person assists another person in a person- to-person or face-to-face or one-on-one

encounter. This assistance may take many forms: it may be educational, vocational,

social, recreational, emotional, and/or moral. Counselling is concerned with the feelings,

attitudes, and emotional dispositions of an individual about him/herself and the situation

facing him /her. According to Makinde (1983), counselling is designed to provide an

interacting relationship where the counsellor is attempting to help a student to better

understand him/herself in relating to his/her present and future decisions or problems.

From the foregoing, firstly, counselling is a special kind of interaction between the two

individuals. Secondly, this special relationship happens between a trained helper

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{Counsellor} an a helpee {counsellee/client} in search of clarification of a problematic

situation he has found himself. Finally, counselling is generally accepted as the heart or

keystone of the guidance programme, that is, the most important function of guidance,

the heart of core of guidance, the hub of the guidance wheel or the pivotal specific

service around which the wheel of guidance revolves.

Differences between Guidance and Counselling:

The concept of guidance and counselling reflect a common meaning that includes

awareness, assistance and change of behavior to the better, but still there is a difference

between the two concepts:

 Guidance is more external and helps a person understands alternative solutions

available to him and makes him understands his personality and choose the right

solution while counselling helps people understand themselves and it is an inward

analysis. Alternatives solutions are proposed to help understand the problem at

hand.

 Intellectual attitudes are the raw material of guidance while emotional rather than

pure intellectual are raw material of the counselling process.

 Decision making is operable at an intellectual level in guidance while counselling

operates at an emotional level.

 Guidance is generally educative and career related and may also be for personal

problems while counselling is mostly offered for personal and social issues.

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 Guidance is mainly preventive and developmental while counselling is remedial as

well as preventive and developmental.

 Guidance is broader, more general and comprehensive while counselling is in-

depth and narrow.

 Guidance usually precedes counselling and paves the way for it. Counselling

follows guidance.

 Guidance stresses the theoretical aspect while counselling takes care of the

practical aspect.

 Counselling is usually the relationship between the teacher and the student who

comes for assistance; therefore, it is an individualistic relationship.

 In terms of method, guidance is informative and didactic while counselling is

largely flexible and less didactic.

 The counsellor usually initiates guidance. The client usually initiates counselling

on the other hand.

 Guidance takes place in the public. Counselling on the other hand is personal and

confidential.

 Guidance is a knowledge based because it deals with facts and principles while

counselling is affective. It is value oriented and it deals with perception,

motivation, needs and feelings.

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Similarities between Guidance and Counselling

Guidance and counselling are twin words which are used either individually or

synonymously.

 Guidance and counselling have the same goals and objectives

 They both assist an individual to solve problems

 They both promote understanding of oneself.

Misconceptions about Guidance and Counselling:

 Some people believe that counselling is a mere service provided by the training

institution.

 Others believe that guidance and counselling are service provided to psychiatric

persons only, though it is provided to normal persons.

 Some also believe that counselling provides ready made plans and solutions to

anyone who seeks counselling, but the truth is that counselling assists individuals

to understand themselves and achieve self-realization.

The Nature of Counselling

Counselling has been defined as “a process by which a person is assisted to behave in a

more rewarding manner. As a process, it takes place over a period of time and promotes

healing, comfort, clarification, and reconciliation. People who seek counselling have

usually attempted to change some behaviours that is not, in the final analysis, rewarding

to them. However, their attempts have been unsuccessful and so they come to counselling

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with aspirations and anxieties, hoping for a helper who will relieve their distress and help

them replace it with something more rewarding.

The three basic elements in counselling are the counsellee (the person in pain desiring to

behealed), the counsellor (the helper who listens), and the negative experience, or that

which causes pain and distress. The counsellee identifies the negative experience and is

helped to choose a path that is more satisfactory. Those seeking help are so-called experts

on the problem; they have been living with it for weeks, months, and often years. Now

they want release. The counsellor must, therefore, carefully listen and help the

counsellees spell out their needs. Counsellors assistindividuals to identify and achieve

goals that they have selected in response to the difficulties they are experiencing. The

counsellor provides an atmosphere of acceptance and genuine caring to facilitate the

process.

Preparation for Counselling

Aside from the formal preparation for counselling, an individual may prepare to do

effective counselling by following some important guidelines. One of these guidelines is

to recognize that the counselor is the most important instrument used in counselling. It is,

therefore, imperative that counselors, preparing to help others, take a very honest look at

themselves. This should be an ongoing process. The counselor needs to be aware of

personal thoughts and feelings and the

impact they have on the counselees.

The Counsellor

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Research shows that the counselor’s personality is the most crucial factor in counselling.

While effective counselors are not limited to one personality type, certain qualities have

been found to be essential to effective counselling. Fortunately, for the person who reacts

to the counselor even before any counselling takes place, these are characteristics that can

be developed. In addition to the belief that the most significant resource a counselor

brings to the relationship is him/herself; the most significant variable is that the counselor

understands him/herself. The counselor must be genuine. The counselee must sense

that the counselor respects him and is genuinely concerned about him as a person.

Closely connected to genuineness is empathy. Empathy is the ability to place oneself in

another person’s position. One can only convey one’s understanding of the counselee’s

problem through this basic quality of empathic understanding. Though you can never

completely understand the counselee’s predicament, you must come as close as you

possibly can. Avoid saying things like “I know exactly what you are going through.” This

is especially important in cross-cultural counselling situations.

The key to empathic understanding is to identify a personal experience that approximates

the counselee’s experience. In cross- cultural counselling, it is also imperative that the

counselor read about the cultures of his counselees. The counselling process is greatly

enhanced if you can refer to some aspect of the counselee’s cultural experience. One

enhancement will be the building of rapport with the individual. Because of rapport the

counselee will feel an affinity with the therapist, paving the way for effective counselling

to take place. Another essential quality is unconditional positive regard. However,

sordid a tale the counselee tells you, he is to be treated as a person worthy of your

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respect. We must look again at our counselees and let them feel that although we may not

agree with everything, they are telling us, we should have positive regard for them as

persons. Treating a counselee with unconditional positive regard means that the therapist

must be nonjudgmental. He will be faced with every human problem imaginable,

including attempted suicide, rape, incest, drug addiction, and spouse abuse. This does not

mean that the therapist agrees with the behaviour, but to be effective, he must understand

how the person came to be in this predicament. It is a great relief to the counselee to be

able to unburden himself in an atmosphere of acceptance. Once his trust has been earned,

the counselee can be confronted about the negative behaviour.

Finally, the counselor must be a stable, dependable person. The client has invariably

experienced many disappointments and frustrations. He needs an individual who will

bring some stability into his life. A simple matter such as keeping appointments at the

time and place agreed upon is an example. Beyond that, the counselor must present

himself as an individual on whom the counselee can depend. For example, a forty-five-

year-old client whose father had deserted the family when he was a young boy was

visibly upset when the therapist was late for an appointment, having been unavoidably

detained. It took much of that session to reassure the counselee that the therapist did

indeed care and would always be there for him if at all possible.

Goals of Counselling

Someone has facetiously said that if we do not set goals, we might end up someplace we

did not intend to go. This is certainly true in counselling. The goal of counseling is to

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help individuals overcome their immediate problems and also to equip them to meet

future problems. Counselling, to be meaningful has to be specific for each client since it

involves his unique problems and expectations. A statement of goals is not only

important but also necessary, for it provides a sense of direction and purpose. In

counselling, we have in mind both immediate and long-term goals.

Immediate goals include:

(1) helping the person do what is in his best interest

(2) the reduction of emotional distress

(3) increased self-knowledge, and

(4) improved relations with others.

The order in which these aim or goals are listed is not always important. However,

sometimes the counselor may find that emotional distress must be reduced before any

other goal can be addressed. The individual may feel he is “going to burst” if he does not

get certain feelings “off his chest.” The counselor must be sensitive to this need. This can

be done by saying something as simple as, “Tell me more about the argument you had

with your boss.” Without any other stimulus and in a permissive environment, the

counselee usually feels free to vent his anger and frustration.

Helping the counselee to do what is in his best interest is one of the earliest goals of

counselling. When the counselor helps the counselee do the right thing. The work of the

counselor involves persuasion. The reduction of emotional distress is the second goal of

counselling. It is sometimes difficult to identify the source of the distress, but as we allow

the counselee to express his feelings, it will normally become apparent. Creating a warm

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and non-threatening environment permits the individual to express his distress freely. It

may be necessary to permit him to release his feelings in terms that may be, strictly

speaking, but this is needed if the release of anger and stress is to come.

A third goal in counselling is increased self-knowledge. The counselor will often need to

raise issues with the counselee that had previously been outside his or her present level of

awareness. These unconscious feelings may surface in dreams that the individual relates

to the counselor.

The last of the immediate goals is the improvement of interpersonal relations. Most

problems that individuals bring to a counselor involve the impairment of relations with

others. Whether the problems are related to past or current relations, they are causing

problems for the counselee now. Most of the time, the poor relationships are with

“significant others”—the counselee’s parents, siblings, and other loved ones. It may be

important for the other party to be brought into the counselling processes. When this is

possible, the counsellor is able to observe the interaction directly and more accurately.

The long-term goals are the more abstract and difficult ones to define even when we

know exactly what they are. They include removing symptoms, restoring earlier levels of

functioning, freeing the person to reach his potential, and helping him find personal

meaning and values. The long range –goals are those that reflect the counselor’s

philosophy

of life and could be stated as:

1. To help the counselee become self-actualizing

2. To help the counselee attain self-realization.

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 3. To help the counselee become a fully –functioning person

These goals, though very important, can be attained only after more immediate goals are

reached.

Aim and Objectives of Counselling

Aim: The aim of guidance and counselling programmes in schools is to assist individuals

to develop the ability to understand themselves, to solve their own problems, and to make

appropriate adjustments to their environment. Counselling also aims at helping the clients

understand and accept themselves “as they are”, And counselling is to help the student to

help himself. Also, the three central aims of counselling are apparent: first, to create a

self-reliant person, who understands his strengths and weaknesses is able to make wise

choices and decisions without the help of a counsellor; second, to help individuals to

adjust satisfactorily to their society and probable personal futures; and third, to ease the

work of teachers in schools. Williamson (1965) suggests

Three main aims:

a. to help the individual to order his experiences.

b. to help him define his goals.

c. to help him define his values.

Objectives: The main objective of counselling is to bring about a voluntary change in

the client. For this purpose, the counsellor provides facilities to help achieve the desired

change or make the suitable choice.

According to Busari (2011), the objectives of Guidance and Counselling include:

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1. Encourage students to develop good interpersonal relationship: Interpersonal

relationship refers to a cluster of activities involved when two or more people

interact with one another in a specified setting or environment. Good interpersonal

relationship involves mutual self-disclosure among students, cultivating

togetherness, peaceful coexistence, cultivating the spirit of give and take among

students, living well and happily in the school, community, at home among staff

members and among fellow students. Through good inter-personal relationship,

students develop good mental health and grow to be worthy in character and

learning.

2. Enable the students develop positive self-image: Counselling is meant to assist

students to identify their worth in society as high achievers and not low achievers

in schools. Students who will be happily married after school and not prostitutes or

school drop-outs; students who will adequately contribute their quotas to the

growth and development of education, economy, politics, culture and religion of

their communities, states and the nation as a whole and not people who will turn

out to be armed robbers, drug addicts or alcoholics. Acts like examination

malpractice, involvement in secret societies or occultism, alcoholism drug abuse

and addiction, prostitution etc do not make positive self-image.

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3. Equip the students with the skills of making appropriate and satisfying choice: In

this context, students have to bear in mind, the basic considerations for choosing

subjects which eventually should be offered at the senior secondary school

examinations. Such factors include interest, ability, availability of teachers and

learning materials. It is expected that these subjects which should be chosen to

assist students should be conform to the guideline of science, art or commercial

based careers. Students are also expected to be groomed to identify that the arears

chosen should lead them to the jobs of their dream.

4. Assist teachers, other school staff members and parents in understanding the

needs and problems of each student: Generally, teachers are trained to handle

teaching learning situations and they only have elementary knowledge of

adolescent psychology. Even though the parents bring up their children daily, they

may not at all know their children’s innermost problems. It is therefore the duty of

counsellors to assist these people to identify those things that are injurious to

students, those that are pleasing to them, and how to maximize their potentials in

life.

5. Help students cope with examination anxiety: Any student preparing for an

examination is in a way bound to be anxious of what it will look like. How to

approach it and whether he could pass it at high or low grade. But most of the

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 time, ill-prepared students get more worried because they know that they have not

put in any worthy effort towards it. In the light of this, objectives of counselling in

secondary schools is of utmost necessity. In effect, such worried students would be

counselled towards the need for hard work, dependability, ambition and courage in

facing examinations.

6. Assist students develop adequate time management skills: Often times, students

fail their examinations or perform poorly because of their inability to make good

use of their time at school. This is indeed true of many secondary school students

who placed their personal enjoyment above other considerations. Such students

spend good time attending parties at weekends, watching non-educative films,

drinking alcohol etc to the effect that they hardly have time left to study to justify

the money their parents spend in sponsoring their education while others do not

cultivate the right study habits. Hence the need for counselling cannot be over

emphasized.

Other objectives include:

 Assisting students to develop learning skills and values. It also makes students to

progress towards a productive and rewarding career through making appropriate

and satisfying personal, social and vocational choices.

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  Assisting teachers to understand better the individuality of each student for whom

they are responsible and to plan programme of educational and vocational training

consistent with their goals.

 Assisting parents to understand their children’s educational progress and develop

realistic perceptions of their children development in relation to their potentials.

 Assisting counsellors to understand the students for whom they are responsible;

understand the educational programmes of the school, and participate in helping to

attain their guidance objectives.

 Assisting the government to understand the characteristics of schools, students’

population conditions under which learning take place and participate in helping

students to attain their guidance objectives.

School Guidance Programme

A number of highly specialized service usually constitute the pattern of activities within a

school guidance programme. These service that make up the basic element of a guidance

programme can be defined as the formalized action or steps the school takes to make

guidance operational and available to students. According to Busari (2011), guidance

service may be defined as professional aid to individuals and small groups in dealing with

commonly recurring personal, educational and vocational needs and problems. They are

often classified to the area of life in which the problems occur. Thus, the basic elements

of a school guidance programme comprises:

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1. Information Service

This is designed to provide students with better knowledge of educational, vocational

and personal-social opportunities so that they may make better information and

realistic choices and decisions about their educational and vocational plan. The

information service consists of a huge system of data usually categorized into three

main sections:

a. Educational Information

b. Vocational Information

c. Personal-social information

Educational Information consists of data which students may require in helping them

concerning educational or training opportunities and requirements for entrance,

duration and condition of stewardship for the presents or any other future relevant to

educational programme. It also means educating the students towards becoming a

cultivated individual and at the same time preparing them for participation in a life

activity which will be socially useful and personally satisfying.

Vocational Information deals with problems of selection, training for and adjustments

to occupation. It is a systematic study of each student with a view to suggesting

possible careers or jobs. It also consists of data which students may need concerning

positions, jobs, occupation, including requirements for entrance, duties, conditions of

work, nature of training and education required for some occupations. The ultimate

aim of vocational information is to match the intellectual, educational and personality

traits known to determine success in particular careers or jobs.

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 Personal-social Information aims at dealing with interpersonal problems and problems

of life adjustment with fellow students, parents and teachers. It also consists of data

which students need concerning how they can achieve personal understanding such as

insight into personal happenings, relationships in friendship, information concerning

the achievement of healthy personal characteristics.

2. Appraisal Service

Appraisal service involves gathering, organizing, and interpreting information or data

about the student for the purpose of understanding himself. When the student understands

and knows his strength and weaknesses, he can make reasonable choice from different

alternatives at his disposal. Through this service, the counsellor provides relevant data

that will assist parents, teachers and school administrators to understand the students

holistically. All the information or data needed for evaluating students are usually kept or

obtained in the students’ Cumulative Record Folder. This is the record that gives most of

the background information an individual may want about a student who needs

counselling.

3. Counselling Service

Counselling service is the most important aspect of the school guidance programme. This

service can be defined as an interaction process that takes place between professionals in

the school setting. It could be interaction between the counsellor and a teacher, the

counsellor and administrator or the counsellor and the parents of the students. The

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activities in counselling service are aimed at helping students to effect change in their

behavior processes thereby acquiring ability to enhance their functioning, live a more

productive and self-satisfying life. Counselling service is an interactive process involving

the counsellor and a client who needs assistance in order to enable him/her deal more

effectively with himself and the reality of his environment. The activities in counselling

service include, the use of either a dyadic approach or group interaction to assist students

to explore and understand better their needs, feelings, values, attitudes, strengths,

weaknesses, how they relate to others and the environment. Counselling service is often

described as the heart or nucleus of guidance. It is usually offered to help individuals

have better understanding of themselves in terms of their confused feelings, ideas, fears,

hopes and aspirations.

4. Planning Service

Planning is an essential activity which every individual carries out during his/her life

time. It refers to deciding in advance what an individual intends to do and how to achieve

the goal. The counsellor in a guidance programme has the responsibility of assisting the

students to plan their academic, occupational and personal-social activities in order to

make them succeed in these endeavours. This plan must be done more realistically and

effectively by the counsellor because most of the students are ignorant and lack skills for

planning.

5. Orientation Service

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Orientation service are group approaches through which students are assisted in making

plans and adjustment to school. The purpose of orientation is to help students feel

emotionally secured and better adjusted in a new environment especially, during critical

transition periods, that is, from one class to another or one school to another. Orientation

service also assists the students to become used to his/her new social environment, know

the staff and fellow students. It also helps both old and new students become familiar

with the school, its history, its traditions, rules and policies and its vast opportunities.

6. Placement Service

Placement involves activities for helping the students choose the right situations, jobs or

employment. Guidance provides opportunity through which the students can be placed in

appropriate subjects, schools, training programmes and vocations. The guidance

counsellor therefore has a responsibility of placing students in various activities so that

they can perform according to their abilities.

7. Follow-up Service

The follow-up service consists of activities involving visit to places such as institutions,

establishments, and collection of data, keeping up with past students and up dating

educational, vocational and personal-social information. The counsellor follow-up those

he has assisted by obtaining regular progress reports on their performance and how

satisfied they are with their jobs. In the light of the feedback, the counsellor obtains from

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those he had interacted, if need be, the school programme may be reassessed. This may

lead to adopting a new approach in solving their problems.

8. Referral Service

The referral service is designed to transfer clients from one professional or agency either

within or outside the school system. Personnel outside the school are used because they

provide specialize service that are not available from the original counsellor within the

school setting. The counsellor may refer students to the dentist, medical officer, optician,

the physiotherapist, e.t.c according to each student’s needs. In addition, the counsellor

cannot claim that he knows everything or has solutions to all the problems of the

students. As a result of this, he has to make referral with the consent of the client on

matters outside his competence.

9. Evaluation Service

Evaluation service is not a direct service to the students per see. Rather, evaluation is

designed to assess the effectiveness or otherwise of other service rendered to students in a

school guidance programme. Evaluation of a guidance programme can be done through

the use of interview, observation and questionnaire to collect data or information

concerning the progress of a school guidance programme. The information will be used

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to assess the effectiveness of the programme in order to improve on it or modify it as the

case may be.

Individual and Group Counselling

Individual Counselling is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained

counsellor in a safe, caring, and confidential environment. Individual counselling is

focused on the individual's immediate or near future concerns. It is a way of offering an

opportunity to the student to experience a one-to-one relationship which is accepting and

tolerant yet relatively free from moralizing, directing, advising or judging. In this way,

the hope is that students will have enough understanding of themselves so that they can

stand on their own feet without support.

The goal of counselling process is to improve adjustment, higher functioning, self-

direction, self-supporting and greater happiness. The focus is usually placed upon the

process involved, the learning that occurs and the assistance that is given to the person

who needs help.

Some basic guidelines for conducting counselling interview with students are:

1. Preparing for the interview and getting started: For counselling to be effective,

both counsellor and students should be prepared for what is to take place. The

counsellor may need to review background information concerning the student. It

is best for the counsellor to concentrate in the beginning on communicating

acceptance in a sincere way. The student needs to know who the counsellor is,
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 what he is able to do and what he expects of the student. The student should be

made to feel comfortable- this is establishing rapport.

2. Developing opening structure: After initial greeting and casual conversation with

the student, the counsellor should explain the nature of the relationship, the role

each plays, the type of assistance he can offered, the task ahead, the goals of

counselling and amount of time available.

3. Helping the client talk: A times the client may unable to express himself. When

this occurs, the counsellor may need to give particular assistance to get

communication going. The counsellor must therefore assist the client express his

feelings; understand why the student is experiencing difficulty; and help the client

to recognize feelings of which he is unaware.

4. Remaining alert to client’s feeling and providing for needs: The counsellor must

pay close and constant attention to what the client says, how he says it and as well

as to his non-verbal behaviours. Client’s needs may include the need for

information, clarification, the need for choices and decision among others. If the

needs of the clients cannot be met by the counsellor but by other specialists’

procedures for referral must be initiated.

5. Building the relationship: As the interview progresses, the counsellor must

continue to build upon the relationship that has been established. The honesty,

expression of interest, humility etc will allow the client to realize that the

counsellor is fully committed to assisting him. For instance, a warm smile, a touch

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 on the hand, a nod of head to show understanding etc will help the client to have

more confidence and be more honest in his communication,

6. Terminating the interview: Termination of the interview session involve (a)

bringing an interview to a close and (b) ending a series of contacts with a client,

The decision to terminate a counselling contact can be made by either the client or

in some cases, the counsellor,

Group Counselling is a form of counselling where a small group of people meet regularly

to discuss, interact, and explore problems with each other and the group leader. Group

counselling seeks to give students a safe and comfortable place on campus where they

can work out problems and emotional concerns. Group counselling is a process in which

a counsellor is involved in a relationship with a number of counsellees. Group

counselling is typically a small group of not more than six to eight participants at the

same time and involves talking and listening to students’ concerns and progress.

Participants usually feel open to express their beliefs, thoughts, and emotions, without

fear of judgment or retaliation.

Procedures in Group Counselling

According to Busari (2011), the following is a summary of the procedures which the

counsellor must follow and be able to implement before involving clients in group

counselling.

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1. Identification of objectives: Each member’s objective must be identified. The

counsellor must meet with the prospective members, individual and determine the

purpose of each in joining the group.

2. Organizational decisions: The counsellor needs to consider the optimal size,

physical site, and length and frequency of meeting for each group with which he

works. Research evidence indicates that a group of six is optimal for counselling

purposes. At the initial stages of a group, 2 or 3 meetings each week may be

beneficial. Length of sessions may be reduced as the group continues.

3. Formation of the group: It is important for the counsellor to form a group that will

maximally benefit each other. The counsellor could have a group composed of

students with different problems.

4. Getting started: This can be done by getting the group started through explanation

of his role and clarifying the role of group members. The counsellor must be able

to assist the group in starting to talk just as in the case of individual counselling.

5. Building the relationship: The counsellor must demonstrate transparent, honesty

and sincere interests in the affairs of group members. The counsellor must be able

to assist the group in starting to talk just as in the case of individual counselling.

6. Termination of group membership: The counsellor should decide whether

members should leave the group singly or stay until the entire group is terminated.

It would seem an imposition if the counsellor should ask members to remain after

purposes have been achieved.

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 7. Evaluation of outcomes: The effectiveness of of counselling, individual or group,

can only be measured by observing how successful the client in attaining the

objective outside of counselling that he established at its onset. A simple

measurable objective might be identified by a person who is shy with stranger. If

as a result of group counselling, he could be confidence to discuss with a stranger

more current issues and had a handshake with the stranger before he leaves,

counselling would have been effective.

Disadvantages of Group Counselling

 Some students may be too shy, tense or nervous to bring up certain personal

problems in a group.

 Group guidance is frequently restricted to problems in the area of vocational and

educational guidance with less focus on social and emotional difficulties of the

students.

 The group problems may or may not be relevant to the problems of individual

group members.

 There are students who are so aggressive that they would take too much of the

counsellor’s attention, and they would constitute a threat to other students.

Functions and Characteristics of Guidance and Counselling

Functions of Guidance and Counselling

guidance.

 It provides the needed information and assistance.

 It helps an individual to make wise choices.

 It improves the understanding of self.

 It assists individual students with personal problems; social, emotional etc.

 It assists individual students with personal development.

 It facilitates adjustment

 It helps to adapting to the changes or new environment.

 It makes self-sufficient and independent.

 It advises individual students on study techniques.

 It advises on job applications and interviews.

 It facilitates efficient use of capabilities and talent.

 It promotes the optimal personal/professional development.

 It balances physical, psychological, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual

growth.

 It helps in overall development and to live productive life.

 It provides optimum development and well-being for individual.

 To help individuals adjust to themselves in relation to the world.

 To aid individuals in efficient decision making.

 To help individuals plan for a productive life in their social context by focusing on

their assets, skills, strengths and possibilities for further development.

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  To bring about changes in the attitude and behavior of individuals.

Characteristics of Guidance

 Guidance is a process and it is a continuous process.

 The distinctive concerns of guidance are choice and problem points.

 It is the assistance to the individuals in the process of development rather than a

direction of that development.

 It is a service meant for all.

 It is both generalized and a specialized service

 Guidance is not a branch of any discipline.

 It is centered around the needs and aspirations of students.

Characteristics of Counselling

 Counselling involves two individuals—one seeking help and the other a

professionally trained person who can help the first.

 There should be a relationship of mutual respect between the two individuals.

 Counselling is aimed at bringing about desired changes in the individual for self-

realization and providing assistance to solve problems through an intimate

personal relationship.

 The counsellor discovers the problems of the counsellee and help him to set up

realistic goals.

 It helps the client acquire independence and develop a sense of responsibility.

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  Counselling is more than advice giving.

 It involves something more than offering an assistance to find a solution to an

immediate problem.

 Counselling is democratic.

 It concerns itself with attitudes as well as actions.

 It is centered around the needs and aspirations of students.

Principles of Guidance

 Guidance and counselling place emphasis on the dignity, worth and individuality

of the child as a means of promoting the democratic way of life.

 Guidance and counselling should not be limited to the few who are obviously

maladjusted; it should be extended to everyone who can benefit from it

 Guidance service help the individual to become increasingly competent in self-

direction and self-help.

 Guidance and counselling is a sequential and continuous and development process

of service to the child. It starts from the first day at school.

 Guidance and counselling aim to promote the all-around growth and development

of the individuals and group evaluation.

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 Acceptance of individual needs. Guidance is based upon individual needs i.e.

freedom, respect, dignity.

 Guidance and counselling activities should be based on the individual needs and

total development of every child. That is, it is a continuous guidance process from

early childhood throughout adulthood.

 Guidance and counselling involve using skills to communicate love, regard,

respect for others.

 Guidance and counselling is based on the true concept of the client.

 Guidance and counselling is designed to provide assistance to a person in crisis in

solving it through self-discovery and self-direction.

 Holistic development of individual. Guidance needs to be provided in the context

of total development of personality.

 Guidance and counselling recognize individual differences and dignity. Each

individual is different from every other individual. Each individual is the

combination of characteristics which provides uniqueness to each person.

Similarly, human beings have an immense potential. The dignity of the individual

is supreme.

 Every aspect of an individual’s complex personality pattern constitutes a

significant factor of his total display of attitude and behaviours.

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  Although all human beings are similar in many ways, individual differences must

be recognized.

 The practitioners should practice within ethical and moral limits.

 The objectives of counselling should be based on clients’ needs and not on the

needs of the counsellor.

 Guidance and counselling do not provide solution to all human problems.

Unresolved problems can be referred to more competent agencies for possible

solution; guidance is not a cure for all problems. The counsellor should recognize

his limitations and promptly refer clients to other agencies whose service will

better meet the needs of the clients which the counsellor has identified.

Qualities of a Good Counsellor

G – Good technical knowledge

O – Obtaining appropriate information from the client

O – Objectively answering the questions

D – Demonstrating professionalism

C – Confidentiality maintenance

O – Observant

U – Unbiased and Unconditional positive regards

N – Non-judgmental

S – Sensitive to the needs of the clients

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E – Empathetic and Endurance

L – Listen carefully

L – Let the client make decision

O – Open minded

R – Respect the rights of the client.

The Need for Guidance and Counselling

It is a statement of the fact that in all societies of the world, people have always turned to

other people for help whenever they experienced some personal problems. The youths,

for instance, have always turned to adults or other significant people in the community

for help on matters affecting their personal, emotional, vocational and spiritual needs. It

is gratifying to note that in a rapidly changing world as the one we live in, young people

and children need professional assistance from professional helpers in order to ensure full

and total development of an individuals.

The federal government, through the National Policy on Education (1981) clearly stated

that:

“In view of the apparent ignorance of many young and in view of the personality

maladjustment among school children, career officers and counsellors will be approved

in post-primary institutions. Since qualified personnel in this category is scarce,

government will continue to make provision for the training of interested teachers in

guidance and counselling. Guidance and counselling will also feature in teacher

education programme” (p.39).

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This statement is an attestation to the recognition of the importance of guidance and

counselling as an integral part of education process. In Nigeria, some factors are

responsible for the introduction of guidance and counselling in the school system.

Growing needs of the young people

The developmental needs of youth in Nigeria are multifarious and complex. The needs

include attaining individuality, making progress towards an organized personality,

developing a philosophy of life, understanding of personal assets and abilities and

making plans for future living. This calls for a school curriculum that will be built around

the developmental stages of the youth. In view of these needs, a coordinated guidance

programme becomes imperative in order to meet the needs of the students in secondary

schools in Nigeria.

Problems and concerns of students in the school

The rapid changes that are taking place in both economic and social spheres have brought

along many problems and challenges to students. In those days, students hardly

experience any hardship and difficulties in the school setting but in the present day

Nigeria, a lot of changes are taking place which have made learning a difficult task for

students. Hence, Nigerians have problems with study, choice of subjects, difficulty in

making choices and decisions concerning academic, vocational, personal and social

activities. A professional helper is therefore needed to assist students solve all these

multifarious problems in the school setting.

Changes in the education system

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A number of changes have been witnessed in the education system of this country since

independence. The current 6-3-3-4 system that is adopted has its advantages and

disadvantages. Apart from the changes in the education system, the school year has also

changed repeatedly. All these changes are capable of disrupting the academic planning of

youths, their vocational needs and plans. These changes have implications for counselling

service in school. Thus, the role of guidance and counselling cannot be over-emphasized

because of the changes in the education system in Nigeria.

Problems of National Integration

There is abundant evidence that Nigeria is a pluralistic society. The diversity is glaring in

tribal, religion, cultural and social facets. This diversity has largely been responsible for

political instability, ethnic rivalry, religious intolerance and tribal loyalties and other

forms of vices, which have mutilated against the development of a sound political, social

and economic solidarity of the country. Thus, guidance and counselling could be used as

a tool for inculcating attributes of tolerance not only of our ethnic or political differences

but also of our religious differences in our youth for sustaining the survival of the nation.

Problems of unrest and cultism

The education system in Nigeria is populated by a student body with varied personality

with different needs and traits, while there are students in higher institutions because of

genuine desire to study and obtain degree and secure employment in future. Yet, there are

still others who are in the school to socialize, not knowing what subjects they are to study

what combinations of subjects they need, how to plan time and how to develop

appropriate study habits and skills. In the same vein, cult activities are worrisome. They

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use guns, daggers, axes and machetes to attack their rivals and innocent students. To curb

these vices, counsellors have role to play in orientating the students about the need to

avoid actions capable of having negative consequences in their developments.

Need for skilled work force

Nigeria is a country with abundant human and natural resources. Despite this abundance,

there is deficiency in the skilled work force in almost all sectors of the nation’s economy.

For instance, there is a noticeable shortage in manpower in the field of medicine,

engineering and technology. Hence, in order to meet the short fall of manpower in some

vital sectors of Nigerian economy, guidance and counselling is needed for the purpose of

identifying potentials, nurturing and developing individuals with talents in different fields

of human endeavour.

Changes in home and family life of Nigerians

Most parents work from dawn till dusk just in an attempt to make ends meet. Because of

the demands of their jobs, very little attention is given towards the development of the

children usually because of the busy schedule of parents. Children find comfort and

consolations in staying at home and watching films with disastrous consequences. Thus,

guidance and counselling become the buffer, the citadel of hope for correcting,

reinstating, reorientation and for redirecting the society of the path of sanity.

Population explosions in schools

Students’ population in schools will become explosive that the personnel in the system

may not be able to cope with. This is because such an explosion in population means

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increase in social behavior and delinquent activities in the school. In order to curb those

activities, guidance and counselling service are needed in Nigerian schools.

The universal primary and basic education schemes in Nigeria

The goal of these education schemes is to enable the children have assess to education at

both primary and junior secondary schools in Nigeria. The implication of this is that

children of assorted abilities such as retarded, gifted, abnormal and handicapped children

must be enrolled in the schools. These children cannot learn at the same rate and in the

same environment in order to ensure that they derive maximum benefit from learning in

the school. There is need to screen, sort and group them according to their abilities and

needs. Hence, because of the needs and the challenges associated with these schemes,

guidance and counselling service are needed in Nigerian schools.

Drugs and Alcohol

The rate at which youth abuse and consume drugs in Nigeria is worrisome. Heroine and

cocaine are now being abused along with other traditional drugs such kola nuts, tobacco,

snuff, alcohol and other derivatives such as marijuana and local gin (ogogoro).

Involvement by youths in a drug culture is deleterious to their health, educational

preparations and to their entire future. Counsellors could organize seminars, workshops

and symposia for youths, parents and educational policy makers. This is very necessary

so that the negative consequences of youths’ involvement in drugs should be spelled out

to inculcate them against drug abuse and independence.

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