EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLING PRACTICE: CONCEPTS, STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Emotional status of the professional counsellors and clients are veritable tool for counselling outcomes. Emotions of the counsellor and clients are deeply involved in counselling session hence, they are vital components of counselling interaction and intervention. The display of the right type of emotions plays a significant and multifaceted role in the attainment of counselling objectives. Emotions drive counsellors and client’s actions and inactions. High emotional intelligence of the counsellor has the tendency and capacity to facilitate positive counselling outcomes. Lack of competency in counselling practice has been associated with unacceptably low emotional intelligence. Therefore, understanding the interconnectivity between emotional intelligence and counselling practice is highly imperative in counselling relationship between counsellor and clients. Literature on emotional intelligence and counselling profession in this part of the world is very limited in number. Adequate information on issues associated with emotional intelligence and counselling will be needed in order to improve counselling service delivery in Africa. This paper, therefore, sheds light on the interconnectivity between emotional intelligence (EI) and counselling practice with particular reference to meaning of counselling and counsellor, personality traits of counsellors and discusses the concept of emotional intelligence, historical development of EI, components and levels of EI. The paper further examines importance of EI in counselling practice, counselling skills for EI and concludes with challenges and remedies associated with the employment of EI in counselling practice.