Discuss The Biological, Cognitive Changes And Challenges Of Counsellors

TMA 01

1)

In the counselling profession, counsellors will need to face a myriad of challenges which the client brings forth upon them which test their skills and knowledge. Having different skillsets and wide breath of knowledge and understanding about the client’s life stage enable the counsellors to help adolescent clients more effectively.

Adolescent experience a great change in their biological and cognitive development which affects them psychologically and behaviourally. Counsellor can have a much easier time relating to adolescent when they are more aware of what development challenges adolescent face.

Biological Changes and Challenges

Some adolescent may be embarrassed or overly self-conscious when they notice an earlier or delayed

& Foo R., 2016). Some adolescent may repeat or do certain behaviours including unhelpful one in order to get more attention from the counsellor.

For adolescents who have an idea of omnipotence and invulnerability, they might have the belief that no one understands them due to their uniqueness which provides some challenges for counsellors during the sessions (Geldard,K. et al., 2016).

Psychological Changes and Challenges

Forming personal identity is one of the important psychological task which both unique and personal for each adolescent (Counselling Connection. 2010). Individualisation occurs when the adolescent moves away into a separate place, seeking independence and autonomy.

Some adolescent may have too much connectedness with their peers as they separate from their families while high degree of individualisation may lead to be marginalized by their peers. Counsellor need to be mindful as they may adopt the same behaviour, distancing or seeking to enmesh the relationship during the

et al., 2016). For Kumar, it seems that the attachment is unsatisfactory as there may be some form of rejection coming from his father which may explains Kumar’s inability and tolerance with stressful situations (Smith, C., & Carlson, B. E. ,1997).

c)
Facing social pressure is usually a challenge for many people and is especially so for adolescent who are trying to integrate into the society (Geldard,K. et al., 2016). Kumar may feel rejected by his peers due to their teasing and in the process of finding a place that fits him, he started to hang out with the older boys while playing basketball.

In his search of personal identity, Kumar can be easily influenced by the older boys to smoke as they were willing to accept him into their group, making him feel independent and part of the society.

Kumar may feel confused about how to let out his stress apart from his aggressive behaviour which is not permitted in school. The school and society would have certain expectation on how a person should behave and for Kumar who is searching for his own identity and way to fit into the school setting, this may prove to be conflicting (Geldard,K. et al.,