Difference Between Guidance and Counselling in Education

Guidance and Counselling

Guidance and counseling are often viewed as one and the same. They are twin concepts that have become an integral part of education. However, they are not synonymous.

According to E.F. Lindquist,

“Guidance is a continuous process of helping the individual development to the maximum of his capacity in the direction most beneficial to himself and to society.”

Ruth Strang, on the other hand, states,

“Counselling is a face to face relationship in which growth takes place in the counsellor as well as the counsellee.”

Difference Between Guidance and Counselling

The major differences between guidance and counseling in nursing education are as follows:

  1. Counselling is a part of guidance. It is a specialised guidance service which involves a professional counsellor and counselee. Guidance is not necessarily given by a professional.
  2. Guidance is comparatively broader and more comprehensive than counselling which is narrow and in-depth.
  3. Guidance is an external process while counselling involves more inward analysis which enables learners to understand their educational problems and get alternative solutions.
  4. Guidance is mostly developmental and preventive whereas counselling is mostly remedial and can be developmental and preventive as well.
  5. The raw materials of guidance are intellectual attitudes whereas the raw materials of counselling are emotional as well as intellectual attitudes.
  6. The decision making in guidance takes place at an intellectual level whereas the decision making in counselling takes place at an emotional level.
  7. Guidance is mostly a distributive phase whereas counselling is mostly an adjustive phase.
  8. Guidance in education is the goal whereas counselling, in terms of education, are techniques.
  9. Guidance can be given in groups while counselling can be given in groups as well as individually.
  10. In guidance, face to face interaction is not necessary but in counselling, face to face interaction is essential.

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