Basic counseling

1. Basic counseling HAIVN Havard Medical School AIDS Initiative in Vietnam

2. Learning objectives By the end of this session, participants should be able to: • Present concept, objectives and general principles of counseling • Distinguish counseling and health communication / health education • List the 6 steps of the counseling process

3. What is counseling? • An interactive process between counselor and counselee • A way to assist and provide information to counselees so they can: • Develop self-sufficiency • Find solutions and resolve problems independently • Feel more confident when acting on decisions they have made

4. Counseling is not: • A conversation • An interview • A confession • A request / plea • Teaching or commanding • Giving recommendations

5. Goals of counseling Focus on counselees in order to: • meet counselees’ needs • solve specific problem according to each counselee’s situation

6. The essentials of counseling (1) • The process of interaction, collaboration and the impact of counselor on counselee • Primary goal of counseling • Self-reliance and personal responsibility of counselee

7. The essentials of counseling (2) • In communications with the counselee, the counselor should consider the counselee’s: • Cultural and social context • Willingness / readiness to change • How a counselor poses questions, supplies information, from that: • consider the alternatives • develop action plans

8. HIV/AIDS counseling should target… • Individuals who may be experiencing difficulties: • People living with HIV or their relatives • People with high-risk behaviors • Injection drug users and their relatives • Medical staff with occupational exposure • …

9. The purpose of the counseling • Help counselees: • understand their situation • look for and choose the appropriate solutions ​​to problems • Change: • Counselees’ perceptions through providing information • Counselees’ behaviors

10. Counseling and Communication(1)

11. Counseling and Communication (2)

12. General principles of counseling (1) • Respect the feelings and values ​​of counselee • Do not judge, sermonize, or force counselee to follow the opinion of the counselor • Express empathy by learning more about the counselee's specific circumstances

13. General principles of counseling (2) • Maintain confidentiality: • never disclose counselee’s information • Be patient: • do not rush counselee • allow time for counselee to consider his/ her situation • Recognize your limitations: • May not know all information or how to directly assist counselee • Be able to provide counselee with reliable contact information for resources / referral services

14. Counseling process Counseling usually has 3 stages

15. Steps of counseling

16. Key points • Counseling should focus on the central problem • Counseling is different from health communication or health education • Counselors need to: • Clearly understand the concept of counseling • Follow the general principles of the 6 step counseling process • Pay attention to their own emotions which could interfere with objectivity / ability to counsel

17. Thank you! Question ?