Counsellors are ‘Born’ not ‘Made’

Introduction:

The title of this essay is Counsellors are ‘Born’ not ‘Made’. The purpose of this assignment is to discuss, and attempt to inform the reader of what makes a good Counsellor, or Therapist’s as they are often referred to. Both sides of the debate will be analyzed, ultimately leading to some conclusion. Are they born? Or are they made? Or is it the possibility that both heredity factors, in addition to their education and life experiences, are required for the skills which counsellors acquire?

Recently there has been a great expansion in delivery and diversity that prevails among counsellors in the present era. Examples such as marriage, bereavement, financial, sport, life coaches, addiction & career counsellors are but a small example of the services offered. Also in addition to this is the many ‘telephone help lines’ that are available for suicide prevention, child abuse, rape victoms, domestic abuse, and other mental health issues. These help lines provide a vital function in today’s complex society. Also new in today’s society is the celebrity counsellor. For example Dr. Phil, or Jereromy Kyle, who hosts their own television, shows, and have a loyal following.

This essay will only be possible to provide a general description about counsellors, the main areas of applications, and brief descriptions of each discipline. This essay shall look back to the history of counselling, and the people who have developed the process into the valuable tool in the treatment of mental disorders today.

A good starting point would be to explore the history of Counselling, and the methods used and results obtained. In an article published in PhychCentral called ‘History of Physiotherapy’ by Jim Haggerty, M.D. He describes that ...

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...tion “Counselling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals”(Hoppin 2011).

For many people this definition which refers only to ‘professionals’ is not sufficient. There are many non professionals who volunteer to be at the other end of a telephone line when needed, who receive minimal training. There are also social workers, people involved with community based projects, self help groups, who in addition to helping themselves, visit schools, hospitals, prisons etc. to try to provide help and hope to fellow sufferers.

But as stated above, this discussion relates only to the very best of councillors. A list of the most influential councillors outlined in an article by By Kendra Cherry titled ‘A Look at Eminent Thinkers in Psychology’ includes the following: