Developing Self Understanding for the Future

2.1 Identify your own personal skills and qualities which are strengths in relation to a helping relationship. Part of remaining positive is the willingness to accept change. As a way of helping others to improve and, therefore, helping my own improvement, or development, I am open to change and forward-thinking. I understand that change is part of life and part of remaining positive.

I am aware that self-development is continuous. Helping others helps with my own personal development as one must value their own growth to enable them to help others to develop.

I think about the impact on others when I make decisions. I instantly employ personal feelings as I am naturally sensitive to people’s needs and reactions. I have also experienced grief, depression and anxiety and I feel as though this will help me to empathise to a greater extent.

I give and accept feelings and emotions as I have a high capacity to give altruistic love and to be loved.

I am aware that every client would be different and my adaptability would aid me in counselling them.

I am an active listener. It is a valuable skill in itself to show someone that you are listening. I am aware that I looks for cues to understand which topics the client is struggling with as well as maintain eye contact and watching body language.

I have the respect for others and of their feelings, values, beliefs, needs and experiences. The unconditional positive regard of the helper for the person being helped is one of the most important factors in any helping relationship.

It takes a person time for them to discover their own solutions as change comes from within themselves. My patience, therefore, enables me to tolerate a certain amount of confusion as it takes time for people to change and grow and time must be given to person who is struggling to enable them to begin to find solutions to the problems they face.

I am aware that you must be continually open to new experiences and ideas and that I have the humility to accept that I will always have something new to learn from my clients. Counselling involves helping the others to grow and that you can learn from anyone and that the client will need me to enable them to