Social Sciences, Applied Social Sciences, and Counseling Notes

Social Sciences vs. Applied Social Sciences

  • Social sciences study society and human relationships with the environment.
  • Branches include Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Demography.
  • Applied social sciences apply social science theories to the physical environment or society.
  • Includes Counseling, Social Work, and Communication.
  • Applied relies on basic; both are required for human development.

Social Science Disciplines

  • Anthropology: Study of humans, their life, and culture.
  • Economics: Study of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of goods and services.
  • Geography: Study of the distribution and arrangement of Earth's surface elements.
  • History: Study of the past, relating to humans.
  • Linguistics: Scientific study of language and its structure.
  • Political Science: Study of systems of government and political activity.
  • Psychology: Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
  • Sociology: Scientific study of human social relations or group life.
  • Demography: Study of human population size, growth, and distribution.

Counseling

  • From Latin "Consilium" (plan, council, wisdom, advice).
  • A helping relationship facilitating individual, group, and family development.
  • Helps clients clarify and address problems.

Professionals Who Use Counseling

  • Counseling / Clinical Psychologists
  • Welfare Workers
  • Teachers
  • Nurses, Health visitors, and midwives
  • Occupational and speech therapists
  • Social workers
  • Physiotherapists
  • Ministers of Religion
  • Voluntary and Youth workers

Goals of Counseling

  • Facilitate change of behavior.
  • Promote decision making.
  • Enhance coping skills and adjustment.
  • Improve relationship skills.
  • Facilitate counselee or client potential.

Scope of Counseling

  • Individual Counseling: Identity problems, relationships, anxiety, depression, family problems, behavior management, gender (identity and sexuality), grief/bereavement relationships, sexual abuse recovery, workplace stress and relationships, drug abuse, eating disorders, HIV, spirituality, status and middle age syndrome.
  • Marital and Pre-marital Counseling: Marital and relationship dynamics, Relationship and fertility issues
  • Family Counseling: Children and adult behaviors, divorce/annulment and separation problems and adjustments, family problems, life stages, transitions, parenting and remarriage relationship counseling.

Principles of Counseling

  • Listening skills: Attentive listening to show interest and respect.
  • Resistance: Understanding that resistance to change is natural.
  • Respect: Neutrality and objectivity towards the client.
  • Empathy or Unconditional Positive Regard: Understanding client's feelings and perspective.
  • Clarification, confrontation, and interpretation: Techniques for therapeutic intervention.
  • Transference and Counter-transference: Understanding emotional reactions in the counseling process.