The aim of this course is to enable prospective counselors to acquire, both theoretically and practically, the helping skills that form the foundation of an effective counseling process. Throughout the course, students are expected to develop fundamental counseling skills such as establishing a therapeutic relationship, active listening, asking open-ended questions, reflecting content and feelings, minimal encouragement, summarizing, confrontation, focusing, self-disclosure, and providing feedback. The course aims not only to help students understand the theoretical foundations of counseling skills but also to apply these skills in accordance with ethical principles. In this regard, students are expected to establish effective communication with clients, accurately understand and reflect clients’ feelings, thoughts, and experiences, structure the counseling process, and utilize fundamental helping skills in an integrated manner. Furthermore, the course seeks to enhance students’ self-awareness, enable them to evaluate their professional strengths and areas for improvement, and contribute to the development of professional competence in counseling practice. Thus, the course aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes that will serve as a foundation for advanced practicum and supervision courses.

Theoretical foundations of counseling skills; fundamental characteristics of the helping process; therapeutic relationship and working alliance in counseling; effective communication skills; active listening; verbal and nonverbal communication; asking open-ended and closed-ended questions; minimal encouragers; reflection of content and feelings; summarizing; focusing; concreteness; confrontation; self-disclosure; and feedback skills. The course also covers the use of fundamental counseling skills during the beginning, working, and termination stages of the counseling process; the application of helping skills in accordance with ethical principles and professional standards; and the development of basic counseling skills through skill practice, role-play activities, case analyses, and structured experiential exercises.