2.  The role of the Guidance Counsellor is to
engage in personal, educational, and
vocational counselling with clients
throughout the lifespan, in the particular
circumstances of their life.

3.  The seven areas of professional practice
of the Guidance Counsellor are as
follows:

4. Ethical Principles &
Professional Practice
Counselling Skills
Information
& Resource
Management
Managing of Guidance
Service & Programme
Delivery
Equality & Diversity
Labour Market
Education & Training
The practice of Personal
Education & Vocational
Guidance throughout the
lifespan
Guidance
Counsellor

5. The Guidance Counsellor has the
competency:
 To facilitate career/life choices through
the lifespan
 To facilitate educational choices
through the lifespan
 To facilitate personal choices through
the lifespan
 To assess through the lifespan

6. Facilitation of career/life choices through the
Lifespan
 The Guidance Counsellor will have knowledge of the
major vocational guidance theories, understand the
theoretical origins of career development work, and
use a theoretical framework, through which to
understand individual career development.
The Guidance Counsellor will demonstrate the ability to:
 Describe change and transition in the context of
lifespan career development
 Help individuals adapt to and manage change and
transition
 Help individuals understand and accept that change
and transition are normal parts of life

7. The Guidance Counsellor will demonstrate the ability to describe
work/life balance in the context of lifespan career development
 Understand the need to balance the multiple roles assumed by
individuals throughout their career development
 Understand and integrate into practice that making a living is
only one component of one’s identity
 Understand that individuals, their values and the environment
are interdependent
 Can foster career management strategies by helping individuals
develop the skills to effectively manage their careers
 Helping individuals understand that career management is a
lifelong process
 Helping individuals understand how societal trends play a major
role in career management
 Promoting individuals’ independence and self-confidence
 Increasing individuals’ awareness of opportunities and options
 Understanding and agreeing on possible outcomes
 Working out steps needed to make and implement a decision so
individuals achieve goals

8. Can refer individuals to the appropriate sources by;
 Assisting clients in selecting services and resources to meet their
needs
 Helping individuals to develop skills for research
 Assisting individuals in obtaining services outside the boundaries
of the Counsellor’s expertise
 Facilitating case management
Can conduct a needs assessment by;
 Assisting individuals identify their career development needs
holistically in the context of their lives
 Determining whether individuals’ needs are within the scope of
practice of the Counsellor and, if not, determine appropriate
referral
 Providing a context for the career development service
 Assisting the Counsellor and individual to negotiate and contract
the service to be provided
 Assisting individuals to identify their work-related interests, skills,
knowledge and values
 Helping individuals to become self confident, self reliant, resilient,
enterprising, and prepared to match the demands of
knowledge based economies and fluid societal change.

9. Facilitation of Educational choices through the lifespan
This requires the ability to:
 Foster an appreciation of the value of, and a commitment
to engage in, Life Long Learning (that is) supportive of
life/work goals.
 Guide individuals and groups of individuals to develop
educational plans.
 Create and maintain a developmentally appropriate
‘Personal Profile’ and ‘Education Portfolio’.
 Assist individuals in their decision making process.
 Assist individuals to build and maintain a positive self-
image.
 Assist individuals to improve their self-awareness and self-
knowledge.
 Guide individuals in their educational course selection.
 Assist individuals to overcome learning difficulties.
 Motivate and help individuals to see the benefit of taking
part in international exchange programs.

10. When working with young people, have the
ability to:
 Consult and collaborate with parents in
relation to their children’s educational
progress and development.
 Where appropriate to assist teachers/tutors
to enhance their formal and non-formal
methodologies in the use of guidance
resources in a school/adult setting.
 Facilitate teaching colleagues in
implementing appropriate aspects of
guidance programme within the
curriculum.

11. When working with adult clients:
 Facilitate their successful engagement,
with appropriate education/training.
 Support the individual in long term
planning and the guidance of a
personal portfolio.
 Provide continuity of support across
modules and tutors / trainers.
 Facilitate Adult Education Colleagues to
implement appropriate aspects of
guidance within the adult education
programme.

12. Facilitation of Personal Choices through the lifespan
The guidance Counsellor is involved in Personal/Social Guidance.
This requires the capacity to:
 Assist clients to develop self-awareness of their personal values,
attitudes, beliefs and those of others.
 Help clients identify strategies for building self-esteem and that of
others.
 Facilitate clients in identifying and expanding existing coping
strategies.
 Assist clients to understand the importance of emotional
expression and develop appropriate ways to express feelings in
different contexts.
 Assist clients develop their communications skills
 Help clients in understanding the importance of positive thinking
and help clients develop the ability to use this life skill effectively.
 Assist clients in understanding the impact of stress on emotional
and social health and assist them in developing personal skills for
managing stress.

13. Assessment
 Assessment involves the integration and evaluation of data
inventories, tests, interviews, scales, and other techniques, which
measure an individual’s abilities, aptitudes, barriers, life roles,
interests, personality, values, attitudes, educational
achievements, skills, and other relevant information.
 The Guidance Counsellor identifies when the use of an
assessment is appropriate, which test instrument to use, test
interpretation, which is, interpreting, and explaining to a client
the results of an assessment and the implications thereof.
 The one to one personal interview is a necessary first step in
attempting to establish an understanding of the client’s present
circumstances, as well as an appreciation of his/her personality,
values, attitudes, interests, ambitions, motivations and barriers or
perceived. The interview will also afford an opportunity to
establish information as to client’s educational achievements to
date.
 The guidance counsellor is responsible for the maintenance of
professional standards in the administration, interpretation, and
dissemination of tests and results.

14. The guidance and counselling process
aims to help clients to grow in self
knowledge and self-esteem by assisting
them to:
 Understand personal emotions, abilities,
interests and special aptitudes
 Acquire information about education
and career opportunities within a
changing society
 Make and carry out appropriate life
choices and plans and achieve
satisfactory adjustments in life