PYC-3705-Assignment 1-872450

PYC3705
TRANSFORMATIVE COUNSELLING
ENCOUNTERS
UNISA
Student Name: Jené van Heerden

Student Number: 63682338
Assignment Number: 872450
Due Date: 24 May 2021
Jené van Heerden 63682338

Question 1: Answer
In research from Kabir (2017) a helping relationship in Counselling is a professional, client focused relationship in
which the counsellor and the client work together to resolve a problem, to face crises or foster personal growth in
the direction of the clients choosing. The counselling relationship is not mutual. The counsellor’s (trained
professional) job is to be attentive to the client’s personal challenges or distress and to offer support and
encouragement. This is the client’s time to focus on themselves, make their own choices, reach their own decisions
and to act upon them accordingly. The client also chooses the counselling and leads the counselling sessions. The
counselling relationship is built on trust, respect, equality, confidentiality and a non-judgemental attitude.
Question 2: Answer
Counselling is unique to other forms of helping relationships for various reasons. According to research
(Counsellor Tutor Ltd, 2020) a counsellor’s version of defined confidentiality is much narrower. A counsellor
would not disclose any information about the client unless permission was given or when the client poses an
imminent danger to themselves or others (as part of a defense against a civil, criminal or disciplinary action).
Another difference is that counsellors do not give advice. Counselling skills support the client’s decision-making to
feel better, without imposing on the client’s personal view on what they should do or feel. Counselling skills also
encourage a process of positive change.
Question 3: Answer
Cultural empathy can be describe as having an appreciation and consideration of the difference and similarities of
another culture in comparison to your own and to place oneself in the position of someone from a different cultural
so as to understand their perspective. This allows one to share and to understand their feelings and emotions.
According to research from Dyche (2001) cultural empathy has been defined as a general skill or attitude that
narrows the difference between a counsellor and client. It is the counsellor’s learned ability to understand and
communicate understanding of the culturally diverse client’s experience and to experience and communicate
concern for the culturally diverse client. According to the study guide, cultural empathy is very important to
develop knowledge about other cultures in order to eliminate counsellor’s self-reference criterion and to reduce the
likelihood of covert racism.
Question 4: Answer
When a person fails to appreciate other culture, the phenomenon is called Self-reference Criterion. Self-reference
criterion can be best defined as the propensity to view other cultures through the lens of one’s own culture. It is an
unconscious reference to your own cultural values, experience and knowledge as a basis for decision making. It is
a common mistake made by many counsellors causing indiscretions to be unintentionally committed. It is crucial
for counsellors to not become culturally encapsulated because it puts counsellors at risk of using stereotypes,
becoming judgmental and to impose their values on the clients. The formation of a successfully progressive
relationship between counsellor and client is dependent on the ability of the counsellor to show a positive and
unconditional regard for their client. Unconditional positive regard created an opportunity to explore change, and
provides a client with acceptance and genuine caring. Therefore, counsellors are encouraged to respect and accept

their clients and their life styles and to not be judgemental. Counsellors might need to ask clients to educate them
about their cultures.
Question 5: Answer
1. Establishing a working relationship.

- Create a relationship that allows the client to tell their story, create a climate for change, make use of basic
listening and attending skills and to establish a rapport, to educate clients and to obtain informed consent.
2. Identifying client problems.
- Create a therapeutic climate so clients can identify and clarify their problems, strive to understand the
social and cultural context of the client’s problem, conduct an initial assessment and to identify exceptions
to problems.
3. Helping clients create goals.
- Counsellor works together with client to set achievable goals and suggest ways how the client may achieve
these goals or how to turn the plans into action.
4. Encourage client exploration and action.
- In this stage is where action is being taken and the client is actively attempting to meet all the realistic
goals.
5. Termination.
- Help client bring closure to their work and consolidate their learnings and assist client in developing a plan
for continuing the change process on their own.
Question 6: Answer
The Person-Centred Counselling relationship.
When it comes to the Person-Centred relationship with a client, the counsellor does not have different strategies,
techniques or goals with which to support the client. This approach of counselling focuses on the client being able
to develop a greater understanding of self in an environment which allows the client to resolve his/her own
problems without direct intervention by the counsellor. The client is the core of their own therapy and make their
own goals. The counsellor should create a climate open to change as well as demonstrate courage to face the
unknown. Person-centred counsellors believe that clients are capable and trustworthy and they focus on clients’
ability to make changes for themselves. The Person-Centred counselling provides the client with the opportunity to
have a deep and meaningful relationship based on genuine warmth, regard and acceptance and through this the
client begins to gradually explore difficult facets of their experience which are challenging to their self-concept.
For this approach to be effective a relationship on trust must be formed between counsellor and client. The
relationship is an equal relationship in which the counsellor strives to always foster and nurture the client’s sense of
personal power. The main goal of this approach is to increase sense of power over the client’s own life.

Reference
Kabir, S. M. S. (2017, March 25). INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELING. ResearchGate.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325844365_INTRODUCTION_TO_COUNSELING
Counsellor Tutor Ltd. (2020, November 20). Counselling and Helping • [PDF download for student counsellors].
Counselling Tutor. https://counsellingtutor.com/counselling-and-helping/
Dyche, L. (2001, September 1). Cross-Cultural Empathy and Training the Contemporary Psychotherapist. Clinical
Social Work Journal.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1010407728614?error=cookies_not_supported&code=e42bf30
2-5800-4fb1-82d1-1682ff3fd521
PYC3705/Studyguide. (2019). Transformative Counselling Encounters. Pretoria.: Department Psychology, Unisa.
A. (2016, January 25). Self-Reference Effect - IResearchNet. Psychology.

https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/self/self-reference-effect/

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PYC3705

Student Name: Jené van Heerden

Jené van Heerden 63682338

Jené van Heerden 63682338

1. Establishing a working relationship.

The Person-Centred Counselling relationship.

Jené van Heerden 63682338

Kabir, S. M. S. (2017, March 25). INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELING. ResearchGate.

PYC3705/Studyguide. (2019). Transformative Counselling Encounters. Pretoria.: Department Psychology, Unisa.

A. (2016, January 25). Self-Reference Effect - IResearchNet. Psychology.

Jené van Heerden 63682338

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