HIV AIDS Counseling

Counseling incorporates a
process of empowerment for
persons with HIV.

Living with HIV does not mean

living despite HIV
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 Importance
 Infection is life long
 Diagnosis of HIV has enormous
psychological pressure and anxiety that
can delay constructive change or worsen
illness
 Behavioral change can prevent acquiring
HIV or transmitting it to others

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 Introduction
 Counseling is an interpersonal
interaction & dialogue between a
client and someone who is trained and
skilled in counseling.
 It is a helping process where one
explicitly and purposefully gives one’s
time ,attention and skills to assist a
client explore their situation,identify
and act upon solutions within the
limitations of their given environment.
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 OBJECTIVES

 1.Provide psychosocial support to

those already affected-may be
HIV+ve or AIDS,

 2.Prevent HIV infection.

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Counseling as a process
– can

 Ensure passing on correct information

 Provide support at time of crisis

 Encourage change when required

 Help the client identify immediate & long term

needs
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 Counseling Can
 Propose realistic actions in different
situations for different people
 Assist clients to accept and act on
information on health&well being,and
 Help client to be well informed and
appreciate technical,social,ethical and
legal implications of HIV testing

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 WHERE?

ANYWHERE

 Ward,clinic,blood
bank,school,mandir/guruduara.

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  WHO?

Anyone
 You,me,doctor,nurse,psychologist,LT
,social worker,pharmacist

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 Who is a Good counselor?
 Own values must not
influence(open,non judgmental)
 Must respect culture and traditions of
client(positive regard for client)
 Must take into account prevailing
beliefs about ailments in general and
HIV in particular(knowledgeable)

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 GOOD COUNSELOR
 Must help clients and families to discover
culturally acceptable ways of expressing
emotions,anger,guilt,fear,sadness(cultura-
lly sensitive)
 Patient and good listener
 Able to maintain confidentiality
 Objective with clarity.
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 Techniques of Counseling
 Active listening/attending
 Reflection of feeling
 Questioning-open ended,not multiple
choice or Y/N type
 Paraphrasing-repeat client’s statement
in your own words.Essence/summary
of client’s words.
 Interpretations

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 Contents of Counseling

 Primarily to prevent reinfection

 Basic information about HIV
infection,opportunistic infections and means
of transmission
 Specific information on risk reduction by
changing risk behaviors(safe sex,safe
syringes and safe motherhood)
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Contents of Counseling
 How to tell others that one is HIV
positive
 Handling hostility-fear & feeling about
having HIV
 Supporting the process of anticipatory
grief
 Planning continued involvement of
client in self care
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 Contents of Counseling
 Establishing a supportive network to
provide physical and emotional care
during the course of the disease
 Exploring the ways of taking care of
survivors
 Accepting fear of death and continue
to provide emotional support

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 STAGES
 Forming rapport and gaining trust
 Defining and understanding roles ,boundaries
and needs
 Process of ongoing,supportive counseling
 Closure or ending counseling relationship.it
can be tapered off like we taper steroids

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 Supportive Behavior of
Counselor
VERBAL
 Client’s  Encourages:”I
language see”,”Yeah,go on.”
 Addresses by proper
 Repeat client’s
adjective,behanji,prah
statement ji etc.
 Explain clearly  Gives needed
 Summarises information.
 Respond to  Uses humor.
primary message  No criticism.

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Supportive Behavior of Counselor
Non Verbal
 Client’s tone
 Use facial expressions
 Look into
client’s eyes
 Use occasional
 Nod gestures
occassionally

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 Non supportive Behavior of
Counselor
Verbal
 Advising  Excess reassuring
 Preaching  Straying on the topic
 Blaming &  Encouraging
judging dependence
 Cajoling  Patronising attitude
 Interrogating  Directing,demanding

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 Non Supportive Behavior of
counselor
Non Verbal
 Looking away  Using unpleasant tone
 Keeping a of speech
distance  Speaking too fast or
 Yawning too slow
 Frowning  Moving around
 Blank face  Fidgeting.

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 CONCLUSIONS
Counseling is an art and science
 Requires self knowledge,discipline
and restraint besides knowledge of
HIV
 Counselor should have a balance
between warmth and acceptability on
one hand and objectivity on the other.

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 CONCLUSIONS
 Approaches may be different but a
counselor should have qualities of
caring,empathy,self-awareness,cultural
sensitivity and patience
 Counseling techniques include active
attending,reflection of
feeling,questioning,interpretation,con-
frontation and summarizing

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 CONCLUSIONS
 Counseling relationship has stages of
rapport forming,demystifying
counseling process and beginning the
process of history taking and needs
definition,actual work of supporting
clients decisions,feelings and help
him/her change and finally ending of
relationship.

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 thanks

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