A counselor is a certified professional who has obtained a license from the state regulatory bodies to administer counseling services to people suffering from several physical and psychological problems.
Counselors are schooled and well-informed in areas like interpersonal relations, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. They are concerned with relationship/marital issues, job stress, poor social life, family issues, and mental stress disorders.
Mental disorders include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, and self-distrust. A counselor should be one why take helping people as a habit, not a profession or skill.
Most counselors enjoy helping people and are keen to provide relevant advice and guidance to people facing personal or psychological issues. The following are some essential attributes of a good counselor:
- Empathy: Counseling requires a counselor to meet different people passing through diverse problems. So, a counselor must be show empathy in their listening, conversing, and facial expression. It makes their client feel comfortable, heard, understood, and wanting to talk more.
- Strong communication and interpersonal relation skill: Counselors must possess a quality communication skill in the language their client understands. They must have the ability to listen and express their ideas with clarity.
A good counselor must also possess the ability to build a good rapport with clients/patients and establish a strong relationship. This quality is crucial to gaining client’s trust, making them comfortable, and quickly discovering their problems. Generally, people only discuss personal issues with people they trust.
- Professional skills: Counseling has its professional requirements that every counselor must be aware of to perform effectively. A counselor must be knowledgeable and well versed in the responsibilities, methods, demands, aims, and objectives associated with counseling.
- Confidentiality: Counseling avails a counselor to ask and know about the personal issues of their client. However, a counselor must understand that all information disclosed in the counseling session is confidential. Professional ethics require counselors to avoid divulging such information to a third party without the consent of their clients.
- Acceptance: Another attribute of a counselor is acceptance. Acceptance is the ability of a counselor to receive information with warmth and offer advice without a sense of judgment. It is accepting their clients for who they are and understanding their current situation.