Assignment

Effective Counselors

George is a 28-year-old male, currently pursuing a degree in psychology. He wants to be a counselor for people with adjustment difficulties.

However, George's supervisors are suggesting he consider changing his career because he seems to lack the particular skills he needs to be a competent and effective counselor. His supervisors have identified the following tendencies in George:

• He has a tendency to be judgmental and narrow-minded about people different from him.

• He is very guarded and defensive with people and typically thinks that other people are trying to put him down.

• He often forces his opinions on people.

Please answer each of the following questions thoroughly in a paper that is a minimum of 800 words in length.

1. How will George's usual ways of dealing with people affect his attempt to be an effective counselor? Analyze each of the characteristics mentioned above (judgmental, narrow-minded, guarded/defensive, and opinionated).

2. Identify and discuss at least five of the most important skills that a counselor should have to be effective in their field? Explain what each skill entails and why each skill is important to the therapeutic process.

3. What ethical standards might George be in danger of violating if he does not change his way of interacting with clients? Be sure to include at least a couple of references to the ethical codes in your response.

4. Suggest at least three practical steps that George can take to develop the characteristics and skills he needs to be an effective therapist?

Your paper should be at least 800 words in length, follow APA style for attributing sources, and include a cover page and reference page.

- Analyzed all four of the problematic behaviors George has shown (judgmental, narrow-minded, guarded/defensive, and opinionated) as they related to him being an effective counselor.

- Discussed at least five important skills that any effective counselor should possess, explained what each skill entailed and why each is important to the therapeutic process.

- Discussed at least two potential ethical violations that George might realistically commit given his current way of interacting with clients. Incorporated and explained at least two ethical codes and discussed the relevance of each given George's situation.

- Proposed at least three practical steps George can take to develop the characteristics and skills he needs from this point to be an effective counselor.

- Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources, displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.