Unit 1: Overview on Counseling
The ever growing complexity of society, coupled with social problems and the rapid development of science and technology, place heavy demands on education. The school, as an important social institution, is required to adapt quickly to changing patterns, and help prepare citizens for tomorrow's challenges. Counseling helps clients and patients develop their capacities to the full. These include intellectual, social, physical and moral capacities.
However, it is difficult to think of a single definition of counseling. This is because definitions of counseling depend on theoretical orientation.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit you should be able to

1. Describe the role of community
2. Define counseling
3. Explain types of counseling
4. Discuss principles of counseling
5. Discuss principles of counseling
6. Explain the importance of counseling
7. Describe the Qualities of a good counselor
8. Explain common counseling skills
9. Describe the counseling process
10. Explain barriers to effective counseling
11. Demonstrate by counseling a patient/client
12. Identify IEC Messages for specific conditions that can be used for counseling

1. The extended family system, including the clan and the tribe
2. Chieftaincy
3. Taboos
4. Various forms of initiation
5. Close links with ancestors and elders

The Role of Community
Basically, traditional chiefs had multiple roles which included serving as a symbol of authority and as a regulator. Since these roles were accepted and respected by all, they acted as aclear direction in the day-to-day affairs of the society. The elders and the chief were a valuable source for guidance and counseling for the community members. In most cases, the chiefs were regarded as a vital link between ancestors and the present generation. This link was strengthened by the rituals, ceremonies and taboos attached to them. Because of such a set up, it was easy to guide and counsel the young, since the rituals or ceremonies were also aimed at preparation for adult roles in society. On the other hand the extended family, the clan, and the village made society to be supportive resulting in no individual regarding him/herself as alien. Counsel was therefore readily sought and provided. While each one of these elements is important, only a few are used to illustrate the role of counseling in present-day sub-Saharan African societies.

At present, sub-Saharan African countries experience many changes, which have resulted in the weakening of the structures of the society. The most outstanding examples are:

1. A gradual shift from the extended to the nuclear family unit, or single parent family unit.
2. A heavy reliance on a cash economy in poor countries.
3. Political demands and expectations.
4. A rapid rate of urbanization with a high unemployment rate compounded by a high illiteracy rate.
5. A high population growth rate.
6. The infiltration of foreign culture through films, television, videos, live performances, and magazines, which are counter-productive.
7. Wars, political instability and epidemics, leading to increased numbers of orphans and refugees; resulting in moral decay due to elements from within and outside the nations that has been noted in most communities.

Forms of Counseling in Traditional African Societies

In traditional African societies, counsel was given in various forms, the most common of which were giving advice and sharing wisdom. Giving advice has been a common way of providing help for other people. The advice offered was frequently instrumental in helping people to consider their future. In many instances, the extended family was the main source of advice for family/clan members. There was usually no shortage of people willing to share their wisdom with others. Therefore giving advice often promoted the dependence of the young persons on the advice given which was largely subjective and did not promote the personal development of young people. Wisdom generally refers to experience and knowledge about life and using them judiciously. In African societies, it was considered the responsibility of elders to provide wisdom or counsel to young boys and girls. The wisdom provided by elderly men and women was part of the counseling function of the family or society for boys and girls. Another aspect of wisdom is sharing proverbs or folk stories. A well-known African proverb is, ‘When elephants fight, the grass suffers.’ Folk stories about the ‘hare’ are also told in many parts of Africa. However, let us consider the fact that counseling is not giving advice nor is it providing wisdom per se. So what is counseling?

Counseling is provided under a variety of labels. For example, there are instances where counseling is offered when a relationship is primarily focused on other, non-counseling concerns. A student may use a teacher as a person with whom it is safe to share worries. In such a situation, the teacher uses counseling skills, but does not engage in an actual counseling relationship. In schools, if the collaboration between teachers and students is good, students learn in a practical way. Young people develop degrees of freedom in their lives as they become aware of options and take advantage of them. The teacher therefore can counsel but is not a counselor. This entails that helping should enable people to manage life situations effectively.

Counseling therefore is a concept that has existed for a long time globally and in most communities. There has been a deeply embedded conviction that, under proper conditions, people can help others with their problems or help others find ways of dealing with, solving, or transcending problems.

The changing social economic environment has, changed the ways in which people manage their lives, hence the need for counseling has become paramount in order to promote the well-being of clients and patients and more especially the adolescents to improve their self-image and to facilitate achieving life tasks.

Effective counseling should benefit clients and patients if assisted by a nurse/midwife who has the skills of counseling. Counseling therefore in this context can be defined as  the professional advice and guidance given to a person by a trained person (usually counselor), in order to assist the client to explore, discover and clarify ways of living more positively, satisfactorily and resourcefully in society.

Aims of Counseling

1. To help clients and patients gain an insight into the origins and development of emotional difficulties, leading to an increased capacity to take rational control over feelings and actions.
2. To alter maladjusted behaviour.
3. To assist clients and patients to move in the direction of fulfilling their potential, or achieve an integration of conflicting elements within themselves.
4. To provide clients and patients with the skills, awareness and knowledge, which will enable them to confront social inadequacy.

Due to various factors individuals and especially young people face many difficulties and problems which may be expressed through: withdrawal, unhappiness, annoyance, anger, anxiety and hyperactivity; and inability to meet needs, get required knowledge, partial or total failure; inability to realize aspirations.

Added to these is the problem of substance abuse for which a great deal of psychological support may be required for young people. Since young people are a large segment of the population, counseling is important at this stage, because this is when young people develop interests to substances due to peer pressure.