This article examines a frequently used term: counselling. It explains its origins, reflects its diversity and offers two definitions to help us identify its main features.

Who has never sought counsel? Who has never given or received counsel? In short, counselling is everywhere and is something of an umbrella term. The related words ‘counsel’ and ‘council’ cover many aspects:

·         An interchange: keeping someone’s counsel, often involving confidential matters.

·         An assembly or team: a meeting, in a given place, of people who deliver their opinion, their “Counsel”, with a certain authority.

·         An act or action: providing counsel.

·         A product or a result: to take counsel or receive advice about something from someone.

·         A person or a team: a body of legal advisors.

·         A methodology and a process: providing counselling according to a planned and resourced schedule.

·         A relationship: counselling always refers to contact between a minimum of two people, groups, bodies or organisations.

Counselling is undoubtedly “one of the oldest activities in the world” and has existed in every corner of the world and in many different forms: religious and spiritual advisors and counsellors to princes. In the 19th century, counselling became more professional until it was recognised as a specific social enterprise, with all its diversity and disparity (Villette, 2003). Counselling exists at all levels of society and in all areas of work. Counselling can be political, strategic and decisional, institutional, organisational, methodological or technical and operational. Counselling as an activity takes many forms and is known by many different names.

The exponential growth of counselling services

Alexandre Lhotellier (2000) compiled an impressive and lengthy list of the field of counselling today (pp. 34-35), showing how it is always present in every aspect of personal, social, professional, economic or political life. Lhotellier talks about “the escalation of practices known as counselling”, “profusion”, “acceleration” and “fragmentation”, which creates “confusion” and “suspicion” (pp. 15-24). And he questions the use of counselling in a provocative way: “Are we in the age of “counsellingism” as a panacea for the social ills of our liberal age? Or are we stricken by a “counsellingitis” epidemic with counselling becoming a disease?” (p. 46).

Let’s look at two definitions...

“Let’s begin with a general description: a competent person, or a team, is consulted and requested by another person, group or organisation to provide an opinion on a problem and indicate the best thing to do about it.” (Bercovitz, 1987, p.67)

“Keeping counsel, is keeping together the entire process undertaken in every single concrete situation, a process which is built in and through the person’s (or groups of people’s) praxis.” (Lhotellier, 2000, p. 69)

...and now let’s identify the common elements in counselling

·         A relationship involving an exchange (which could be economic, cognitive, technical, emotional or informative) between a client and a service provider.

·         Initially, there is a problem or a problematic situation which needs to be addressed; it is presented by the client as something which falls within the area of expertise of the “consultant”, or which requires their objective stance, and which results from the “non-competence, powerlessness or inability” (be it real, perceived, estimated, unexpressed or temporary) of the client. This aspect can be particularly difficult to recognise and/or accept.

·         A request, formulated to some degree, which is a call for help and support (guidance, guidelines to follow, information, input, or technical or methodological assistance).

·         Knowledge, tools, methods, experience (or even reputation) in which the facilitator can draw on.

·         A counselling relationship forms part of a contractual process which involves an objective and working conditions (duration, methods, expectations or deliverables).

·         An element of confidentiality.

·         The work with the facilitator leads to recommendations and/or a course of action. It is then the client’s responsibility to carry them out.

And now

The term “counselling” is indeed a generic term. The counselling situation requires a clear definition of the environment in which it will be delivered and what is involved, the conditions in which it will be provided and the stakeholders concerned. So the different situations will need to be identified and the appropriate type of intervention defined. Whether it is individual, collective, requested or imposed, the counselling intervention must be defined and contractual, and should be delivered by professionals.

Ardouin Thierry

Professor of Educational Sciences - University of Rouen - France

His work focuses on the issues of professional development, skills, identities, and educational engineering and guidance. He has published a large number of books and articles and has coordinated issues of adult education and intervention journals. He works with organisations, businesses and institutions on research, audit and engineering projects in France and other countries.

Bibliography

Ardouin T., Lacaille S. (2009), L'audit de formation, Paris: Dunod.

Bercovitz Alain (1987), "Esquisse d'une analyse de la fonction conseil", in L’intervention, Connexions n°49, érès, p.67.

Lhotellier A. (2000), Tenir conseil. Délibérer pour agir, Paris: Seil Arslan.

Mougel P. (2003), « Les consultants aux savoirs incertains » in J.P. Astolfi, Education et formation: nouvelles questions, nouveaux savoirs, Paris: ESF.

Villette Michel (2003), Sociologie du conseil en management, Paris, Repères La découverte.