If this unit on Counselling Theory and Practice has been the first unit that you have studied in the counselling field, at its successful completion you have an understanding of some basic theoretical perspectives, and some skills for practice. If you have already been working in the field or have some prior knowledge, then much of the unit content may have been familiar to you. You may be a student in a different discipline, and wish to apply some counselling principles to work more effectively with your client group. Regardless of your needs as a student, perhaps the most important knowledge that you have gained from this unit is knowledge of yourself. We cannot be effective counsellors unless we know ourselves – we must have a very good idea of our values and beliefs, our biases, prejudices, strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully you have engaged in a process of reflection through some of the exercises and the depth of information contained in the readings, to find where you can place yourself amongst these theories and practices. When we studied the therapeutic relationship, we found that it is the vehicle for change. The use of our self in this relationship is an integral counselling tool. As you move forward from this unit, no doubt you will continue your process of reflexivity.

We have understood that the practice of counselling has its roots in ancient practices and we have seen how the philosophical concerns of hundreds of years of human life impact on our endeavours. We can perhaps see ourselves on an ever-evolving continuum, with the knowledge and experience of the past behind us, and the promise of the future when we will incorporate new knowledge from neuropsychotherapy and the body/mind/spirit connection to wholistic practice. The past, present and future influence us in a circular way, similar to the actual process of counselling. The current struggle for professional identity is not only driven by practitioners, but by the recognition of the field of counselling as holding a worthy place within the healing modalities. Research has identified that the community believes that counselling is an effective pathway to healing and self-actualisation.

So with the recognition that use of the self is an important aspect of the therapeutic relationship, another main point to take away from this unit, is that all that we do – is for the client. Every aspect of the counselling process is geared towards the needs of the client – if we lose sight of this then we are meeting some other need. The working alliance allows the client to explore thoughts, feelings and behaviours which have a negative impact on optimal functioning. The therapeutic relationship provides the atmosphere of safety and trust where the client is able to fully explore these issues and find better ways of living. Throughout the unit we have understood that humans have a self-actualising potential, many strengths and resources even in times of distress, and have the ability to marshall these strengths to overcome adversity. Counsellors can assist by being there, in body, mind and spirit, as our partner in the working alliance undertakes his/her unique journey.

We have seen that counselling occurs within a process, and within this process specific microskills are applied. At the end of this unit, we can demonstrate the counselling microskills of attending, questioning and responding and we know what we do well and where more learning and/or practice is required. We may have come to a realisation of which theoretical perspective fits well with our own values and personal characteristics, and in assessing this, we know that we cannot depend on just one perspective to work wholistically with our clients.

Underpinning all our practice is our knowledge of ethics. In this unit we have had an opportunity to think deeply about this fundamental issue, and have had the experience of applying some ethical decision-making models to counselling scenarios. We learned that ethical practice, although absolutely vital, can be a particular professional and personal challenge.

At the beginning of the unit we were asked to appreciate the differences in theory as we appreciate the differences in each other, and we have had many opportunities through our reading to increase our cultural awareness. This is one of the main challenges to the counselling profession – despite our understanding of cultural differences on a cognitive level; this understanding may still not be sufficiently reflected in our practice.