Teaching counselling skills to non-psychologists

This paper is concerned with the training of medical and paramedical personnel in the use of counselling skills. It begins by considering the definition of counselling both in terms of the skills involved and the process. Particular attention is given to the framework elaborated by Gerard Egan. A number of questions are then examined which include the selection of trainees, the methods of teaching to be used, the timing and venue of courses and their effectiveness. It is concluded that in Britain this is a very new area, in which there remain many more questions than answers, but that the prospects for exciting research are good.