Short-Term Counseling Techniques

Abstract

The increasing demand for counseling makes the development of short-term approaches imperative. While the material presented here was prepared primarily for career counseling, it is applicable to a variety of settings. Four “definitions” are fundamental for each counseling situation: counselor, counselee, setting, purpose of counseling. Short-term counseling calls for a highly qualified and trained general practitioner of counseling. The following techniques may be helpful: secure an adequate psychological history; establish specific goals; maintain a problem-centered orientation; proper utilization of psychological tests; be specific as to the number of sessions possible; utilize every possible resource; interpretation as a technique for insight; confrontation as a technique for growth; experiment with Christian thought and perspectives; creativity and originality as individual styles for helping others.