Counselor-Centered Approach and Existential Counseling (Guidance and Counseling)

1. Theoritical Approches
to Counseling
The Counselor-Centered Approach
and
Existential Counseling

2. The Counselor-Centered Approach
• Directive or Clinical Counseling
• Developed by E.G Williamson (1996)
• This approach often sees the counselor as a
teacher who directs the learning process.
• Directive counselors stress assessment and
diagnosis as a fundamental counselor
function.

3. • Certain techniques or responses are generally
regarded as off limits to all counselors,
irrespective orientation such as:
Moral judgment
Undue probing
Threatening, badgering, and extracting promises
Promoting one’s one biases
Extolling the virtues of any POVs, or soliciting
interest has no place in counseling.

4. Existentialism
• People form their lives by the choices they make (Kemp, 1971).
• Existentialist focus on this freedom of choice and the action that
goes with it.
• They view people as the author of their lives.
“The meaning of life never changes but it never ceases to be.”
-Frank

5. According to them, the meaning of life can be
discovered in three ways:
A. By doing a deal
B. By experiencing a value
C.By suffering

6. • The relationship with the client is the most
powerful and effective techniques existential
counselors have.
• The emphasis in the
relationship is on
authenticity, honesty
and spontaneity.