COUNSELLING IS MORE THAN TALKING

As a Social Worker, the minute I tell someone what I do I am often told, I'm like a social worker because I like to talk to people and give advice! Hum! Counselling is much more than that! It is a trained set of skills. Years of practice of how to question and facilitate a person's process in the direction he/she needs to go. Different questioning than a job interview, a police interrogation or a lawyer that tries "to trip you up" so you will contradict yourself. It is different than teaching!  Listening to the client's words or using therapeutic modalities such as art, music, photos gives insight into a person's issues. I love to be around other therapists and social workers because we speak the same language. Taking some psychology courses are good but they do not make everyone a trained clinician. So do you understand why I do not always tell people what I do?