Ncfe Level 2 Counselling - Importance of Developing Personal Qualities

NCFE Level 2 Award in Helping Skills.

Importance of developing Personal Qualities

Now that you have had time to consider the personal qualities outlines in the BACP Ethical Framework, which are, Empathy, Sincerity, Integrity, Resilience, Respect, Humility, Competence, Fairness, Wisdom and Courage. What do I think is the importance of developing a range of personal qualities?

It is fundamental in counselling, that the counsellor makes sure that the client feels safe and supported, at all times. Developing personal qualities is something I can do towards achieving this. I think that empathy is understanding the clients’ experience, or seeing things from the client’s perspective, from their frame of reference. Being empathetic ensures that I am listening and dealing with the clients concerns, as they present them; I am not judging them. Sincerity is my personal commitment that what is done, is what I’ve professed. To be sincere is to be genuine. I would convey this by means of eye-contact and facial expression. It’s important for me to develop these non-verbal communication skills, so that my client knows that what they have to say is of the greatest importance, and that I am truly interested in it. I mean genuineness or sincerity here, as opposed to being mechanical – to be real. In other words, I want who I am as a counsellor, in terms of my overall style and the way I come across, to be the way I am in any relationship or situation. Both empathy and sincerity are important qualities to develop, because they would encourage a client to relax and trust me, and would assist in self-disclosure, by the client, too.

Integrity is about maintaining honest and coherent provision of counselling services. Integrity is about one’s inner sense of ‘wholeness’ deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. Integrity is how I behave, according to the values, beliefs and principles I claim to hold. In counselling, I would always keep the clients best...