4.

3 STEP 2: PROBLEM
ASSESSMENT (PG75)
Assessment: Anything counsellor do to gather
information and draw the conclusions about the
concerns of clients.
According to Seligman (1996), assessment
should attempt to recognise the importance and
uniqueness of the client.
In a way, saying to the person, You are special
and I want to get to know you and understand
why you are the way you are.
 Why Assess Your Client?
a) Enable counsellors to make an accurate
diagnosis;
b) Determine a persons suitability for a particular
treatment plan;
c) Enable counsellors to develop a treatment plan;
d) Make goal-setting easier and achievement of
goals measurable;
e) Enable assessment of environment or context;
and
f) Facilitate generation of options and alternatives.
What to Assess?
Hackney and Cormier (2005) listed
Identifying Data
Problems Presented
Clients Current Life Style
Family History
Personal History
Description of the Client during the Interview
Summary and Recommendations
What is the Nature of the Problem
Presented by the Client?
How does the problem manifest itself?
a) Feelings associated with the problem (for example,
anger, fear).
b) Thinking associated with the problem (such as the
clients beliefs, perceptions)
c) Behaviours associated with the problem, for example,
rudeness; insults; avoidance of crowds, and so on.
d) Physiological complaints associated with the problem
(for example, stomach aches, insomnia).
e) Interpersonal effects (for example, quarrels with
family members; keeps to himself; bullies
classmates).
How is the Assessment Information to be
Used?
different ways use the information collected about their
clients
mainly for patterns of behaviour
planning relevant counselling strategies and approaches
to use with problems.
assessment is important in seeking relevant information
about clients and their problems.
Assessment gives an idea to the counsellor about the
intensity of the problems and how the client is coping with
the problem.
4.4 STEP 3: GOAL SETTING (PG80)

Goals are the result or outcome that a client wants to

achieve at the end of counselling.
Goals help the counsellor and client determine what
can and cannot be accomplished through
counselling.
With the help of the counsellor, specific ways in which
he/she wants to resolve the issues and what course
of action should be taken to resolve the problem.
 Why do you Need Goals?
According to Dixon and Glover (1984), once a goal is
formulated and selected by a problem solver, it is likely to be
rehearsed in the working memory and stored in long-term
memory. A goal encoded in this way, then, becomes a major
heuristic for the problem solver as he or she interacts with the
environment.

a) With clear goals, clients are more likely motivated to work

toward achieving those goals.
b) With goals, clients learn how to structure their lives towards
achieving the goals.
c) With goals, it is easier for the counsellor to select and
evaluate appropriate counselling interventions.
What Prevents a Client from Setting
Goals?
the client may be reluctant to participate in goal setting.
It is possible that the client could be protecting the very
behaviour that is in need of modification because that
behaviour is also serving some other desirable
behaviours.
For example, a smoker who recognises the negative
consequences of smoking, including its addictive
properties, will also cling to the habit believing that it helps
him or her to relax during stressful moments, or that it
increases the enjoyment of a good meal.
Guidelines for Selecting and Defining Goals
a) Goals should relate to the desired end or ends sought
by the student.
b) Goals should be defined in explicit and measurable
terms.
c) Goals should be feasible.
d) Goals should be within the range of the counsellors
knowledge and skills.
e) Goals should be stated in positive terms that emphasise
growth.
f) Goals should be consistent with the schools mission
and school health policy.
Process of Selecting and Defining Goals
with the Student
Determine the students readiness to negotiate goals.
Explain to the student the purpose of selecting and
defining goals.
Select appropriate goals together.
Define the goals explicitly.
Determine the feasibility of the goals and discuss potential
benefits and risks.
Assist the student to make a choice about committing to
the goals.
Rank goals according to the students priorities and
according to the nature of the goals. The easiest goals
should be addressed first. This allows the student to feel
success, which builds confidence and motivation.
Breaking Down Large Goals into Smaller
Steps
The first task in developing strategies to attain goals is to
reduce them to manageable parts.
These parts consist of discrete actions to be undertaken
by the student.
Behaviour change is very difficult for all of us and
particularly for addicts.
It is important to bear in mind that when a student agrees
to carry out a task, it does not necessarily mean that the
student has the knowledge, courage, interpersonal skill or
emotional readiness to implement the task successfully.
The student needs to be helped to set small, realistic and
achievable goals, to avoid disappointment by large
failures at the beginning of the relationship.
 Example of Breaking Down Large Goals
into Smaller Steps
To reduce criticism and put downs that provoke
defensiveness and recriminations.
To identify physical outlets or calming techniques that
can help the student resist the impulse to use physical
violence. This should be an immediate urgent priority for
a counsellor.
To identify sources of anger and to learn and apply
effective conflict resolution skills.
To work together in identifying problems and employing
problem-solving strategies.
 The counsellor could perhaps suggest that the student
use another way to gain the attention of the teacher,
which becomes the goal.

To summarise, goal setting is a central part of the change

process that people often take for granted.

Goals can motivate clients to make desired changes and

help counsellors to evaluate progress.