You typically don't have to go too far into any relationship counselling courses online before you come across conflict resolution, and that's because it's at the heart of most things you'll ever talk about with your clients. Conflicts can come from anywhere, be they major or minor and can occur over what others may perceive to be the merest of differences.
What Is Conflict Resolution In Counselling?
The official definition is "the process via which two or more people reach a mutually agreeable resolution to a dispute”. What that means to you and me is sitting people down and working past their differences - something that they’re not able to do without professional help. Not all relationship counselling sessions deal with disputes, but many do.
Why Is Counselling Conflict Resolution So Important?
As online counselling courses teach, the differences that exist between two or more people can be allowed to fester. This can lead to deep resentment setting in and explosive behaviours appearing within the relationship - something that's only going to get worse with the passing of time.
Clearly, this is no good for either party, so your job as a counsellor involves using your skill to diffuse the tension and facilitate finding common ground.
Opposing, But Valid Counselling Standpoints
As online counselling courses will tell you, it's not your job to judge whether one side is right and the other is wrong, instead you're there to help build bridges between two or more people. Often you'll find that there IS no right or wrong opinion, with both sides having valid viewpoints that just happen to oppose each other.
Let's take a look at some other interesting facts about conflict resolution...
- Conflicts are not mere disagreements, as they represent situations where one or more person believes that a threat exists to their interests, safety or wellbeing.
- Conflicts actually represent an opportunity for those involved to grow, as when a successful resolution is found, trust is built.
- Emotions can run pretty high during conflicts - something that might have built up over time.
- Many joining you for counselling will have preconceived ideas about the 'facts’, which are often wide of the mark.
When left unchecked, small problems that aren't dealt with can turn into big ones, leading to people actually forgetting what the original disagreement was about. Counselling courses online teach you many useful things, but facilitating conflict resolution is one of the most important skills to master.
The wonderful aspect of this kind of work is that it brings people together - people who may otherwise have stayed at odds with each other for many years. What does success look like? Two or more people leave your office happier and more connected. Job satisfaction indeed.
Suppose you or anyone you know needs support relating to family conflicts and the emotional and mental health-related problems that often come with them.
In that case, there are a number of resources available to Australian citizens, and they include:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- QLife on 1800 184 527
Learn At a Pace That Suits You With OCA Short Courses
Relationship counselling certainly is an exciting field, and conflict management is just one small part of it. If you're looking to join the industry as a professional, it's easier and more convenient to gain the required skills and knowledge thanks to CPD Endorsed, video-based counselling courses online that can be taken at a pace that suits you and your needs.
What we offer is immersive, mentally stimulating online training that goes far beyond traditional text-based study. By watching our Student Study Demo, you'll see exactly what we mean. Plus, with your own 1-to-1 mentor and 24/7 tutorial support, you'll never have a problem finding help if you get stuck.
To find out more about this or to see our full course library that covers more than 20 different sectors, visit us today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au or to get in touch with us about anything before enrolment. Call our education support worker on 1300 611 404 or email us at [email protected].
