Table of Contents

Sl. Contents Page

No. No.
1. What is Counseling? 2
2. Characteristics of people with Good Mental Health 4
3. Need for Counseling/ Importance for Counseling 5

4. Functions of Counseling 6

5. Types of Counseling 9

6. Major Differences between Directive and Non-Directive 11

Counseling

7. Iceberg Model of Counseling 12

8. Perceived Control & Reorientation 13

9. Social Support 14
10. Conclusion 16
11. References 16

Employee Counseling
What is Counseling?

Counseling is the discussion with an employee of a problem that usually has emotional content
in order to help the employee cope with it better. Counseling seeks to improve employee mental
health and well-being.

The definition of counseling implies a number of characteristics. It is an exchange of ideas and

feelings between two people, nominally a counselor and a counselee, so it is an act of
communication. Since it helps employees cope with problems, it should improve organizational
performance, because the employee becomes more cooperative, worries less about personal
problems, or improves in other ways.

Counseling may be performed by both professionals and non-professionals. For example, both a
human resource specialist in counseling and a supervisor who is not trained in counseling may
counsel employees. Therapists and personal physicians also counsel employees, and even an
employee’s friends may provide counseling.

Employee counseling is the process of assisting employees with help and support during tough
times. These tough times may be because of personal or workplace related.

The need can be based on:

1) Decreased work performance

2) Health Issues

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3) Terminal Disease

4) Loss of a loved one

5) Life Event

6) Stress.

The counseling sessions are conducted for employees who might need them. The sessions can be
helpful for employee to open up and solve the issues.

This can help in making employees happy and can increase the productivity.

Characteristics of people with Good Mental Health

The characteristics of people with Good Mental Health are discussed as follows:

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1. Feel comfortable about themselves:

1) Are not bowled over their own emotions –by their fears, anger, love, jealousy, guilt, or
worries.

2) Can take life’s disappointments in their stride

3) Have a tolerant, easygoing attitude toward themselves as well as others; can laugh at
themselves.

4) Neither underestimate nor overestimate their abilities.

5) Can accept their own shortcomings (limitations).

6) Have self-respect (self-esteem).

7) Feel able to deal with most situations that come their way.

8) Get satisfaction from simple, everyday pleasures.

2. Feel right about other people:

1) Are able to give love and to consider other’s interests.

2) Have personal relationships that are satisfying and lasting.

3) Expect to like and trust others, and take it for granted that others will like and trust them.

4) Respect the many differences they find in people.

5) Do not push people around, and do not allow themselves to be pushed around.

6) Can feel they are part of a group.

7) Feel a sense of responsibility to their neighbors and others.

3. Are able to meet the Demands of Life:

1) Do something about their problems as they arise.

2) Accept their responsibilities (duties).

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3) Shape their environment whenever possible; adjust to it whenever necessary.

4) Plan ahead but do not fear the future.

5) Welcome new experiences and ideas.

6) Make use of their natural capacities.

7) Set realistic goals for themselves.

8) Are able to think for themselves and make their own decisions.

9) Put their best effort into what they do and get satisfaction out of it.

Need for Counseling/ Importance for Counseling

The need for Counseling arises from a variety of employee problems, including stress. When
these problems exist, the employees benefit from the understanding and guidance that counseling
can provide. For example, one employee feels insecure about retirement. Another employee is
hesitant to take the risk required by a promotion and thus ceases growing on the job. A third
employee may become unstable in the job. In all cases, counseling is a necessity.

Most problems that need counseling have some emotional content. “Emotions are a normal part
of life.” Nature gave people their emotions, and these feelings make people human. On the other
hand, emotions can get out of control and cause workers to do things that are harmful to their
own best interests and those of the firm. Managers want their employees to maintain good mental
health, and to channel their emotions along the constructive lines, so that they will work together
effectively and efficiently.

Functions of Counseling

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Counseling objective is achieved through one or more of the following six counseling functions.
These six functions are discussed as follows:

1. Advice – Many people view counseling as primarily an advice-giving activity, but in reality
this is only one of several functions that counseling can perform. To give useful advice requires a
counselor to make judgments about a counselee’s problems and to lay out a course of action. In
spite of all its ills, advice occurs in routine counseling because workers expect it and managers
like to provide it.

2. Reassurance- Counseling can provide employees with reassurance, which is a way of giving
them courage to face a problem or a feeling of confidence that they are pursuing a suitable
course of action. Reassurance is represented by such counselor remarks as “You are making
good progress, Faheem” and “Don’t worry; this will come out all right.”

One trouble with reassurance is that the counselees do not always accept it. They are smart
enough to know that the counselor cannot know that the problem will come out all right. Though
reassurance has its weakness, it is useful in some situations and is impossible to prohibit.
Reassurance cannot be prohibited just because it is dangerous, any more than automobiles can be
prohibited because they cause accidents; but, like automobiles, reassurance should be handled
carefully.

3. Communication- Counseling can improve both upward and downward communications. In

an upward direction, it is a key way for employees to express their feelings to management. Act
of Counseling initiates an upward signal, and if the channels are open, some of these signals will
travel higher. Also, counseling achieves downward communication because counselors help
interpret company activities to employees as they discuss problems related to them.

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4. Release of Emotional Tension- An important function of nearly all counseling is the release
of emotional tension; this release is sometimes called emotional catharsis. People tend to get an
emotional release from their frustrations and other problems whenever they have an opportunity
to tell someone about them. Counseling history consistently shows that as people begin to
explain their problems to a sympathetic listener, their tensions begin to subside. They are more
relaxed, and their speech is more coherent and rational. This release of tension does not
necessarily solve people’s problems, but it does remove mental blocks in the way of solution,
enabling them to face their problems again and think constructively about them.

5. Clarified Thinking- Case of Bill Irwin also illustrates the function of counseling, that of
clarified thinking. Irwin began to realize that his emotional comments did not match the facts of
the situation. He found that he was magnifying minor incidents and jumping into drastic
conclusions.

Clarified Thinking tends to be a normal result of emotional release, but a skilled counselor can
aid this process. In order to clarify the counselee’s thinking, the counselor serves as an aid only
and refrains from telling the counselee what is right.

6. Reorientation- This is more than mere emotional release or clear thinking about a problem.
Reorientation involves a change in the employee’s psychic self through a change in basic goals
and values. For example, it can help people recognize and accept their own limitations. For
example, it can help people recognize and accept their own limitations. It is a kind of function
needed to help alcoholics return to normalcy or to treat a person with the potential for physical
violence. It is largely a job for professional counselors who know its uses and limitations and
who have the necessary training.

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Functions of Descriptions

Counseling
Advice Telling a person what you think what should be done; coaching.
Reassurance Giving people courage and confidence that they are capable of facing a

problem.
Communication Providing information and understanding.
Release of Helping a person feel more free of frustrations and stress.

Emotional Tension
Clarified Thinking Encouraging more coherent, rational, and mature thought.
Reorientation Encouraging an internal change in goals, values, and mental models.

Types of Counseling

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In terms of the amount of direction that a counselor gives a counselee, counseling can be viewed
as a continuum from full direction (directive counseling) to no direction (nondirective
counseling) These three major types of organizational counseling which are being discussed in
order to show how counselors may vary their control in a counseling situation. These are being
discussed as follows:

1. Directive Counseling- Directive counseling is the process of listening to an employee’s

problems, deciding with the employee what should be done, and then telling and motivating the
employee to do it.

Directive counseling accomplishes mostly the counseling function of advice, but it also may
reassure, communicate, give emotional release, and- to a minor extent- clarify thinking.
Reorientation is seldom achieved in directive counseling. An example of Directive Counseling is
a rational emotive behavior therapy.

Though advice is of questionable value, some of the other functions are worthwhile. If the
director counselor is a good listener, then the employee should feel some emotional release. As
the result of emotional release coupled with ideas that the counselor imparts, the employee also

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may clarify thinking. Furthermore, useful communication probably takes place. Both advice and
reassurance can be worthwhile if they give the employee more courage to take a helpful course
of action that the employee supports.

2. Nondirective Counseling- Nondirective, or client-centered, counseling is at the opposite end

of the continuum. It is the process for skillfully listening to and encouraging a counselee to
explain troublesome problems, understand them, and determine appropriate solutions. It focuses
on the counselee rather than on the counselor as judge and advisor; thus it is client-centered. An
example of Directive Counseling is a client-centered therapy.

Throughout the counseling relationship, it is important for the counselor to accept feelings-
rather than to judge them, offering blame or praise because judgment and evaluation may
discourage an employee from stating true feelings. The basic idea is to get the employee to
discuss feelings openly, to explore solutions, and to make wise decisions.

3. Participative Counseling- The type of counseling typically used in organizations is between

the two extremes of directive and nondirective counseling. This middle ground is called
participative counseling.

Participative counseling (also called cooperative counseling) is a mutual counselor-counselee

relationship that establishes a cooperative exchange of ideas to help solve a counselee’s
problems (shortcomings). It is neither wholly counselor-centered nor wholly counselee-centered.
Participative counseling integrates the ideas of both counselor and counselee participants in a
counseling relationship. It is, therefore, a balance compromise that combines many advantages of
both directive and nondirective counseling while avoiding most of their disadvantages.

Major Differences between Directive and Non-Directive Counseling

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 Particulars Nondirective Counseling Directive Counseling
1. Counseling Method Employee primarily controls the Counselor primarily controls

direction of conversation and does direction of conversation and does

most of the talking. most of the talking.

2. Responsibility for Solution Employee. Counselor.
3. Status of Participants Employee and Counselor are on an Counselor is at least implicitly

equal level. superior to employee.

4. Role of Participants Employee is psychologically Employee is psychologically

independent as a person, choosing dependent on the counselor,

a solution and growing in ability to whose role as a problem-solver

make choices in future. tends to limit employee’s personal

growth.
5. Emphasis Placed Psychological adjustment is Solution of current problems is

paramount, with deep feelings and emphasized with feelings and

emotional problems accented. emotions, often ignored.

Iceberg Model of Counseling

Iceberg model of counseling is the viewpoint that recognizes that more feelings are hidden under
the surface of a counselee’s communication than are revealed. As shown in the following
diagram, nondirective counselors follow an iceberg model of counseling, in which they

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recognize that sometimes more feelings are hidden under the surface of a counselee’s
communication than are revealed. For this reason, they constantly encourage the counselee to
open up and reveal deeper feelings that may help to solve the employee’s problem.

Perceived Control

Perceived Control is the amount of control which they have over their work and working
conditions. Employees who have a substantial degree of independence, autonomy, and freedom
to make decisions seem to handle work pressures better. Since two employees may have the
same actual control and flexibility, it is clearly their relative perception of that freedom that
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counts. Managers can respond to this need for control through a variety of measures, such as
allowing flexible work schedules, enriching jobs, placing individuals on self-managing teams, or
empowering employees by using participative leadership styles.

Reorientation

This is more than mere emotional release or clear thinking about a problem. Reorientation
involves a change in the employee’s psychic self through a change in basic goals and values. For
example, it can help people recognize and accept their own limitations. For example, it can help
people recognize and accept their own limitations. It is a kind of function needed to help
alcoholics return to normalcy or to treat a person with the potential for physical violence. It is
largely a job for professional counselors who know its uses and limitations and who have the
necessary training.

Social Support

Some people experience stress because they are detached from the world around them; they lack
warm interpersonal relationships. Individuals with a driving ambition and a strong need for
independence may fail to develop close attachments to friends and colleagues. To achieve their

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success, they often sacrifice fulfillment of their social needs. Their lack of social attachments
may result in anger, anxiety, and loneliness- all producing stress in their lives.

A powerful antidote to this problem lies in the presence of social support at work. Social
Support is the network of helpful activities, interactions, and relationships that provides an
employee with the satisfaction of important needs. There are basically four types of social
support in a total network:

i. Instrumental/ Appraisal (task assistance),

ii. Informational,
iii. Evaluative, and
iv. Emotional.

Types of Social Support

Construct Definition Application
Emotional Expressions of Close friends and family members provide hope and a

empathy, love, trust listening ear.

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 and caring.
Instrumental Tangible aid and Her husband decides to work from home 2 days per

service. week to baby-sit the children while she attends her

chemotherapy.
Informationa Advice, suggestions, Doctors provide facts about breast cancer and guidance

l and information. during the treatment process Her mother offers advice

about her own chemotherapy treatment 3 years prior.

Appraisal Information that is A close friend of 15 years reminds her of all of the

useful for self- qualities that equip her to "beat" breast cancer (to

evaluation. encourage an accurate assessment of her current

situation).

Conclusion
Counseling is the process that affects on the job performance of an employee.
It occurs between a counselor and a counselee.
It can have either positive or negative outcomes for any organization.

References
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1. https://www.managementstudyguide.com/competency-iceberg-model.htm

2. http://bankofinfo.com/types-of-organizational-counseling/

3. https://quizlet.com/175164834/chapter-15-organizational-behavior-stress-and-
counseling-flash-cards/

4. https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/human-resources-hr-
terms/15342-employee-counseling.html

5. https://www.wisdomjobs.com/e-university/industrial-relations-management-
tutorial-357/functions-of-counselling-11710.html

6. https://counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/the-importance-of-counseling/

7. https://www.med.upenn.edu/hbhe4/part3-ch9-key-constructs-social-
support.shtml

8. From the book, “Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work (12th

Edition)” by John W. Newstrom & Keith Davis.

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