P
ractical Techniques
in Counselling Children
(Character Building Approach)
Unit Overview
Welcome to Practical Techniques in Counselling Children (Character Building Approach). This
unit is designed to cater to counselling students, social workers, teachers, counsellors and
volunteers who would like to equip themselves with specific skills to work with children. It is
also applicable to anyone who wishes to work with children or understand children from a
perspective of character building in children. This unit will provide an introduction and basic
training in the nature and processes of counselling children. Counselling children skills including
micro skills on which counselling activities are based on such as observation, active listening,
getting the children to tell his / her story, and dealing with resistance and transference etc
will be introduced.
This unit will also introduce a character building approach in counseling children which is
basically not a new concept as counselling children is basically about helping the child develop
good character for more constant and stable therapeutic behavioral change. Therefore, this
unit will highlight the importance and put emphasis on how character education and development
can be incorporated into counselling children.
Learning objectives:
Upon completion of the course, participants will be
able to:
v Develop an enhance understanding of
the learning and practise of counselling
children skills in a possible systematic and
sequential way.
v Develop skills in planning strategically
for an effective children counselling session
and applying it.
v Develop a prompting in participants to
consider their own counselling skills, process
and tools and understanding how these may
affect the success of counselling a child.
v Develop awareness in character education
and development and how it can help in the
counselling children process.
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Learning / Teaching Methodologies and
relationship to objectives.
v Lectures and small group discussion / tasks
focusing on development of insights and
understanding of children counselling needs,
skills and processes.
v Encouraged peer review and feedback on
skills to promote and highlight the importance
of counselling children micro skills and
process refinement.
v Videos / practical demonstrations will be
shown to indicate the counselling skills and
processes used.
v Key text and additional notes will be given
to minimise reliance on library materials.
Practical Techniques in Counselling Children
(character Building Approach)
1) INTRODUCTION
Taking a look into a child’s world
A) What causes problems in our children?
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Change in family structure
Shifting of values
Societal crises
Lack of character building
Summary – Family / Friends / Choices
B) A child’s cognitive and personal world
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4 stages of cognitive development in children
Children’s social development
Maslow Hierarchy of needs in children
Children play and learn
C) A child’s world of resilience
The world of counselling children
A) What is counselling and how does it differs from psychotherapy?
B) Attributes of a children counsellor
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Sincere and congruent
Time to play and time to be serious – understands what triggers a child.
Non-judgemental and accepting
Emotionally detached with empathy
C) The counsellor – child relationship
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Child’s world is understood and appreciated
is exclusive and able to bond with each others.
is safe and warm
is authentic and fun
is respectful of confidentiality
(subject to limits)
v is non-intrusive and
non-threatening
v is intentional and purposeful
v Non-physical
Goals for counselling children
A) Basic goal
B) Parents’ / caregivers’ / guardians’
goal
C) Counsellor’s goal
D) The child’s goal
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Practical Techniques in Counselling Children
(character Building Approach)
2) PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK
Which approaches to counselling children are effective? - Historical
background of counselling children.
The counselling process
A) Initial expectation from / with parents and guardians.
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Initial assessment phrase
Receiving information referral / direct
Expectations both ways
B) Children’s resistance to counselling session
/ Overcoming it as counsellor
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Why do children resist counselling session?
Techniques in overcoming resistance
C) Discussion of child therapy flow chart
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Systematic approach
D) CCM (Counsellor / Coach / Mentor) approach in
counselling children
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Focusing on the goals
Counsellor and child gender issues
Influencing the child
Showing the child the signboard of character traits
Gaining respect from child
E) Therapeutic changes in a child during the counselling therapy process
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Emotionally disturbed
Joins with counsellor
Revealing information
Intensification of emotions
Deflection from pain to withdrawer
Resistance – “Is it safe to talk more?”
Continuation of information
Making internal choices to feel positive
Guided rehearsal of positive new changes
Emotion resolution and adapting new changes with character development
Sequential therapeutic changes is not realistic
F) Counselling children through family therapy
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What is a family?
Child’s functioning within a family
Individual counselling with family therapy
G) Keeping counselling records
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Orderliness is vital
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Practical Techniques in Counselling Children
(character Building Approach)
PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK
Skills in counselling children
A) Introduction to skills in counselling children in
local context
B) Counselling environment and misc
v The counselling place
v Counsellor’s appearance
v Visual attraction / disturbance
v
How self destructive beliefs affects
a child
v Challenging self-concept and self
destructive beliefs as a counsellor
C) Connection
v How to create the sparks between
counsellor and child?
v Tricks up the sleeves
I) Addressing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours
v Actively facilitating change techniques
v Addressing unhelpful thoughts and
behaviours
v Comic strips exercise
v Monsters in me exercise
v Stop-Think-Go traffic light exercise
v Mirror me exercise
D) Subtle and keen observation
v General observation
v Behaviour / Motor skills / Play skills
v Intellectual / thinking / Speech and
language processes
v Child’s relationship with counsellor
J) Termination of counselling process
v Is termination final?
v Forewarning
v Observation of termination signs
v Long term / short term review
v Aftermath feelings of counsellor
E) Active listening
v Body language
v Creative use of minimal responses
v Reflection of content / feelings /
content and feelings
v Summarizing
v Is the child telling the truth?
Counselling children in a group
F) Leading and guiding the child in revealing
inner feelings
v Heighten use of observation and
active listening
v Asking questions – open and closed
questions / to raise awareness
v Use of statements to raise awareness
of important issues
v Use of media
G) Dealing with Resistance
v Why resistance occurs?
v Types of defence behaviours
H) Dealing with Self concept and Self-destructive
beliefs
v How self concept affects a child
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Plan / unplanned sessions
Numbers of facilitators
Facilitation objectives
Closure of matters / dealing with
unresolved feelings after.
Counselling children with special
concerns
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Physical abuse and neglect
Sexual abuse
Chemically dependent families
Death and bereavement
Depression and suicide
Dysfunctional family structure
Counselling children with special
needs
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Behavioural-emotional disorder
Learning disability
ADHD / ADD
Mental retardation
Physical disability
Counselling these children’s parents.
Practical Techniques in Counselling Children
(character Building Approach)
3) THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
OF PLAY THERAPHY
Therapeutic powers of play and the beneficial outcome of play therapy
The ideal play therapy room
Selection of appropriate approach to play therapy
Cross-cultural applications
Types of plays:
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Miniature animals
Sand-tray work
Working with clay
Drawing, painting, construction and collage
The imaginary journey
Books and stories
Puppet and soft toys
Imaginative pretend play
Impromptu initiatives
4) COUNSELLOR’S LEGAL AND
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Legal and ethical
considerations
decision-making models
Counselling minor
Confidentiality issues /
governing laws
Competence
Child abuse reporting
Informed consent
Duty to protect
5) PRACTICUM
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Practical Techniques in Counselling Children
(character Building Approach)
TRAINER PROFILE
Raymond Cheong, (Dr) D.MIN, CMACA (Clinical), IAMFC
Founder / Chief Executive
Certified Clinical Counselling Psychology Practitioner
Professional Children and Family Counsellor
Master Counselling and Character Education Trainer
Dr Raymond Cheong is the Founder and Chief Executive of Professional Counselling & Character
Development Resources (International) with the aim of creating resources and trainings for parents,
children & youth educators in Singapore and also around Asia. He has travelled extensively to
countries like China, Indonesia, Vietnam, to promote counselling and character development and
education in children and youths. Together with Dr Klein Tan, they have both pioneered the concept
of character therapy, a philosophical approach to counselling.
He also founded the now voluntarily dissolved We-sharecare Society For Children & Youths
(Singapore) which operated for almost 10 years. During those times, Raymond was involved in
children & youth clinical counselling works and has done clinical counselling for many children
over the years.
In Singapore, he has conducted talks and training seminars to schools and to teachers and parents
on the subject of Social and Emotional Learning with character development. He has written a
“CHOICES” Character Guidebook that is used in some schools in Singapore. The book is also
translated to Chinese and Bahasa Indonesian to be sold in China and Indonesia.
He is also the Character Education and School Counselling Consultant to China-Singapore SIP
International Education Services Co. Ltd (CSIES) and helped started the first character Kindergarten
in China, Suzhou where he revolutionized and helped to write pre-school curriculum teaching
materials by infusing character education and development elements in it. He has trained teachers,
parents and lay counsellors on the subject of Counselling and Character Development in many
parts of China and Indonesia.
He is a Professional member of the American Counselling Association in International Association
of Marriage and Family counsellors and a certified clinical counselling practitioner with the Australian
Counselling Association. He is also an Associate member of the Singapore Association for
Counselling.
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Practical Techniques in Counselling Children
(character Building Approach)