Study Guide Applied Social Sciences
Characteristics and Needs of Clientele and
Audiences for Counseling
Objectives:
• Describe the clientele and audience of counseling
• Describe the different clients in counseling.
• Discuss why these clients undergo counseling.
• Explain how counselors help their clients.
Characteristics and Needs of Clientele and
Audiences
The clientele in counseling based
on size
• individuals, groups, organizations, communities
• variations in the specificity of the clientele's concerns
Individuals (individual counseling
• one-on-one sessions between a client and a counselor
• “near-future”, “immediate concerns”
(California State University Channel Islands, n.d.)
Groups (group counseling)
• usually five to fifteen clients
• may involve more than one counselor
• shared concerns among the members of the group
Page 1 of 5
, (Bradley University, n.d.)
Community (community counseling)
“a system of interdependent persons, groups, and organizations that (1) meets the
individual’s primary needs, (2) affects the individual’s life, and (3) mediates
between the individual and society as a whole” (Lewis and Lewis 1989, 7)
• assisting both communities and individuals (Lewis and Lewis 1989, 2)
• can encompass a wide range of settings, e.g., families, daycare centers, and
the government (Gladding and Ryan 2001, 344-346)
Organizations (organizational counseling)
• working with companies to help employees perform better
• listening to employees’ concerns
(Helkowski 2018)
The clientele in counseling based
on characteristics
People with substance abuse problems
substance abuse – the excessive consumption of substances which can have a
negative effect on one’s behavior and on other people (HealthyPeople.gov)
• They need to recover from the issues caused by
What they need
dealing with substance abuse
• aiding in recovery
What can
• helping clients voice out their feelings
counselors do
• counseling the client's loved ones
Women
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Characteristics and Needs of Clientele and
Audiences for Counseling
Objectives:
• Describe the clientele and audience of counseling
• Describe the different clients in counseling.
• Discuss why these clients undergo counseling.
• Explain how counselors help their clients.
Characteristics and Needs of Clientele and
Audiences
The clientele in counseling based
on size
• individuals, groups, organizations, communities
• variations in the specificity of the clientele's concerns
Individuals (individual counseling
• one-on-one sessions between a client and a counselor
• “near-future”, “immediate concerns”
(California State University Channel Islands, n.d.)
Groups (group counseling)
• usually five to fifteen clients
• may involve more than one counselor
• shared concerns among the members of the group
Page 1 of 5
, (Bradley University, n.d.)
Community (community counseling)
“a system of interdependent persons, groups, and organizations that (1) meets the
individual’s primary needs, (2) affects the individual’s life, and (3) mediates
between the individual and society as a whole” (Lewis and Lewis 1989, 7)
• assisting both communities and individuals (Lewis and Lewis 1989, 2)
• can encompass a wide range of settings, e.g., families, daycare centers, and
the government (Gladding and Ryan 2001, 344-346)
Organizations (organizational counseling)
• working with companies to help employees perform better
• listening to employees’ concerns
(Helkowski 2018)
The clientele in counseling based
on characteristics
People with substance abuse problems
substance abuse – the excessive consumption of substances which can have a
negative effect on one’s behavior and on other people (HealthyPeople.gov)
• They need to recover from the issues caused by
What they need
dealing with substance abuse
• aiding in recovery
What can
• helping clients voice out their feelings
counselors do
• counseling the client's loved ones
Women
Page 2 of 5
