ABSTRACT
The counseling process includes general skills and phases of the counseling relationship. Microskills are a key part of the process as they are how a counselor conducts an interview to gather information from and impart it to a client. There are six stages to the counseling interview that are discussed with focuses on empathy, attending skills, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling, and confrontation/challenging. Another component to the counseling process is understanding the stages of change introduced by Prochaska and Redding. This includes six stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. One specific model that is used in the counseling process is motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing is a client-centered counseling style used to encourage the client to explore and resolve their ambivalence in order to make change in their life. The key elements and goals of motivational interviewing are also discussed. In addition to the above the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and diagnosis are discussed. How to use the DSM-5, the categories of the DSM-5, and cultural considerations are presented.
