Key words on the topic: read, translate, train the pronunciation, memorize. Facilitating, alleviate, unique, background, intervention, prevention, adjustment, growth, bereavement

Facilitating, alleviate, unique, background, intervention, prevention, adjustment, growth, bereavement, anxiety, priority, suitable, pathway, self-discovery, collaboratively, underlying, empower, holistic, stance, trauma, enhance, evaluate, blended, supervision, setting, consultancy.

2. Read the text:

Counseling Psychology (CP) is a specialty within professional psychology that maintains a focus on facilitating personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span. The specialty pays particular attention to emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns.

The practice of CP encompasses a broad range of culturally-sensitive practices that help people improve their well-being, alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to function better in their lives. With its attention to both to normal developmental issues and problems associated with physical, emotional, and mental disorders, the specialization holds a unique perspective in the broader practice-based areas of psychology.

Counseling Psychologists serve persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds in both individual and group settings. They also consult regularly with organizations seeking to enhance their effectiveness or the well-being of their members.

Interventions used by Counseling Psychologists may be either brief or long-term; they are often problem-specific and goal-directed. These activities are guided by a philosophy that values individual differences and diversity and a focus on prevention, development, and adjustment across the life-span.

Counseling aims to help people manage their difficulties and transform personal problems into their own personal growth.

Counseling is able to help with a broad range of individual and social problems. Many people find it helpful when faced with difficult stages in their normal life cycle such as career changes, loss and bereavement or crisis points in relationships. Others look to psychological counseling to help alleviate distress whether from pressures of living or through longstanding problems which have proved resistant to change. Psychological counselors are trained in modern psychological methods to help you resolve fears, panics and anxieties, and to help you break through depression or other forms of sadness.

Personal problems can have a way of taking over. You might find yourself repeating the same old pattern, or you might feel stuck and uncertain what, if anything you could change. Sometimes having someone to talk to is all that it takes to cope. A counselor has to be a good listener. More than this, a psychological counselor’s first priority is to help in search for strategies to deal with the immediate problem concerning you, and then to help you discover how you can change things for the better.

Psychological Counseling is especially suitable to help you: handle crises in relationships, deal with stress and other pressures, resolve fears, panics and anxieties, cope with continuing family problems, work through difficult decisions, break through depression and sadness. Other benefits to be gained include developing creativity, self-expression and finding pathways to self-discovery. By exploring past and present circumstances you can open up to new possibilities, and take control of your lifestyle. Find yourself and be yourself.

Counseling psychologists work collaboratively with people, to treat a wide range of issues, including helping people manage difficult life events (such as bereavement), past and present relationships and helping people with mental health issues and disorders.

Counseling psychologists examine a person's experience and explore underlying issues. They use an active, collaborative relationship with patients to empower people to change a certain behaviour, and use a holistic stance, which involves examining the issues a person is facing, within the wider context of what has given rise to them.

Counseling psychologists have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

Assisting individuals to:

· Manage stress and conflict at home and work

· Deal with grief, loss and trauma

· Overcome feelings of depression, anxiety and fear

· Increase self-esteem and confidence

· Enhance personal relationships

· Deal with problems related to alcohol and drug use

· Manage chronic pain related to somatization

· Manage depression

· Recover from eating disorders

· Manage obsessions and compulsions

· Deal with sexual concerns

· Manage anger or violence

Assisting couples to:

· Build satisfying relationships

· Improve their communication

· Manage conflict or disagreement

· Enhance sexual adjustment

· Resolve thoughts on separation or divorce

· Improve parenting skills

Assisting families to:

· Improve difficult relationships

· Handle problematic situations

· Work together on issues or problems

· Cope with separation, divorce or re-marriage

· Deal with problems often experienced in blended families

Assisting organisations to:

· Evaluate current programs

· Facilitate staff relationships

· Resolve interpersonal work conflicts

· Find an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) consultant

· Manage staff with behavioural problems

· Provide expert advice and supervision in complex casework

Counseling psychologists work in general and psychiatric hospitals and surgeries. They may also work within private hospitals, independent practices, industry, education in schools and universities, public and private corporate institutions. Within these settings counseling psychologists may work directly with individuals, couples, families, groups or act as consultants.

Counseling psychologists work with diverse client groups, including children, adults, students and young people, families and couples, and older people. They work in many different settings, such as health and care services, hospitals, prisons, probation services, consultancy, and in private or public organisations.

Typical tasks include:

· undertaking assessments, including assessment of mental health need, risk assessment and psychometric testing;

· formulating a psychological explanation of the client’s issues;

· planning and implementing therapy;

· evaluating the outcome of therapy;

· establishing a collaborative working relationship with the client based on trust and respect;

· writing reports and record-keeping;

· training and supervision of other psychologists;

· management, audit and development of services and organisation;

· multidisciplinary teamworking;

· continuing personal and professional development (CPD);

· undertaking research, either individually or as part of a team.

3. Answer the following questions:

1. What is Counseling Psychology? What are its aims?

2. What does Counseling Psychology encompass?

3. When do people find Counseling helpful?

4. What is the main feature of a counselor?

5. Name the areas in which counselors have to dispose skills and knowledge (4 areas)

6. In what way do the counselors assist families?

7. 1Where do counseling psychologists work? Who do they work with?

8. Name some major tasks and activities of a counselor.

4. Mark these statements TRUE (T) or FALSE (F). Correct the false sentences:

1. Counseling Psychology pays very little attention to the issues of mental problems and abnormal psyche.

2. Counselors deal only with people who have problems with their relations or behaviour.

3. Sometimes a person needs only somebody to talk to for getting relief.

4. Counselors help people to overcome problems which root in the past.

5. Counseling psychologists have knowledge and skills in assisting individuals to repress depression.

6. Counselors work in hospitals, but they don’t work in prisons.

Check your vocabulary

1) Find the word for the definition given below: