There are generally 3 types of guidance and counseling in schools— educational, vocational, and personal-social. In this post, we will be zooming into personal/social guidance and counseling — its nature, objectives, and importance.

Nature of Personal Guidance

Personal-social guidance is a type of guidance that aims to assist people in acquiring the abilities, information, and attitudes required to successfully navigate their personal and social life.

Professionals such as school counselors, therapists, and social workers work with people to develop their emotional and social well-being, form healthy relationships, and accomplish their own goals frequently provide this type of counseling.

Personal and social difficulties that people may be struggling with, such as anxiety, depression, social isolation, low self-esteem, and relationship challenges, are frequently identified and addressed as part of the personal-social guidance process.

These problems may result from several things, including trauma, strained academic relationships, peer pressure, and other life events.

Definition of Personal Guidance from Different Authors

According to Hopkins, personal guidance is “concerned with the problems of health, emotional adjustments and social adjustment of an individual. It also includes his recreation and leisure-time problems.”

According to Ruth Strang, personal guidance is “the assistance given to an individual to solve his personal problems, such as emotional and social adjustment, economic and social relationship and problems connected with his physical as well as mental health.”

According to Wilson, personal guidance seeks “to help the individual in his physical, emotional, social, moral and spiritual developments and adjustment.”

Crow and Crow also define personal guidance as “the help given to an individual toward a better adjustment in the development of attitudes and behavior in all areas of life.”

Taking all these definitions into consideration, personal guidance may be said to cover all the other problems and aspects of the development and adjustment of a person that is not directly educational or vocational.

Objectives of Personal Guidance

The following are some of the important objectives of personal guidance.

To assist the individual in understanding himself.
To make individuals aware of the personal problems of life.
To assist individuals in their physical, social, moral, spiritual, and emotional development
To assist the individuals in taking independent decisions and judgments.
To assist the students to realize that it is natural to experience periods of turmoil.
To assist students to enter into mental activity with renewed interest and vigor as they attain maturity.
To help students to overcome the awkward years of physical development.
To encourage students to continue the health, safety, and physical education activities.
To help students to move gradually from dependence on others to independence of judgment and action.
To help students to work to the limit of their capacity with full knowledge that they may not be as capable as other pupils.
To help students to develop control over their emotions.
To assist individuals in solving the problems related to their health.
To assist the individual in developing suitable habits, attitudes, interests, etc.
To assist the students in developing positive attitudes and real self-concepts.
To make students aware of their individual qualities and values.
To assist the individual in developing the qualities of loyalty, cooperation, love, sympathy, tolerance, etc
To help the individual to become a man of sound moral character in future life.
To assist the individual to plan his leisure time activities properly.
To assist the individual to view the world and the social environment from the right track.
To assist the individual in becoming a responsible member of his community.

Other aims and objectives of personal and social guidance include:

To assist the individual in developing the qualities of leadership.
To assist the individual in making sound adjustments to different problems faced in life.
Personal guidance assists or helps every individual immensely with how to develop an integrated personality.

Importance of Personal and Social Guidance

The development of self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-esteem in individuals is one of the main importance of personal-social counseling.

Through this process, people can discover their personal values and beliefs, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, and create a positive self-image . This self-awareness empowers people to make wiser choices and take constructive action to realize their objectives.

Another crucial component of personal-social counseling is assisting people to form positive interpersonal relationships.

This includes instructing people on how to effectively communicate, resolve conflicts, and create and maintain healthy relationships with friends, family, and coworkers. Individuals can strengthen their social networks and improve their general quality of life by developing stronger social skills.

Another importance of personal-social counseling is to aid people in acquiring emotional intelligence, which is the capacity to detect, comprehend, and effectively control one’s emotions.

This emotional intelligence helps in managing stress, making wise judgments, and creating strong bonds with others thereby causing personal and professional success.

Personal-social guidance counselors can assist people in being more emotionally intelligent by teaching them methods for regulating their emotions and assisting them in growing empathy and compassion for others.

Last but not least, personal-social guidance frequently entails assisting people in setting and achieving their own personal objectives.

This can involve achieving one’s academic, professional, and personal objectives, such as raising one’s GPA, landing a satisfying job, or improving one’s general well-being.

Personal-social advice specialists can assist people in acquiring the abilities and methods required to accomplish their goals and improve their achievement in all spheres of life by offering assistance and direction.

Personal Guidance at Different Stages of Education

Personal guidance is a crucial component of education that tries to assist students in gaining the abilities, understanding, and attitudes required to succeed in life, form positive relationships, and manage their personal and social concerns.

Depending on the developmental requirements and difficulties that students are facing, the type of personal supervision may change at various educational levels. Here is the kind of personal and social guidance that students at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels of school should receive.

Elementary Level

Personal counseling for young children should concentrate on laying the groundwork for their intellectual and social growth. To thrive academically, students at this level might benefit from instruction on how to improve their time management, organizing, and study abilities.

Additionally, students at this level might require assistance with the development of social skills like cooperation, empathy, and communication, which are essential for forming good relationships with peers and adults.

Individual or group counseling sessions, classroom support, and workshops emphasizing the development of healthy conduct, character, and conflict-resolution skills may all be used as personal assistance at this level.

Additionally, in addition to working closely with parents and guardians to address any personal-social issues that might be affecting students’ academic progress, teachers, school counselors, and other guidance personnel may offer guidance to students.

Secondary Level

The emphasis on academic achievement and social development should still be present in personal guidance at the secondary level, but it should also take into account the difficulties and demands that students are facing during this developmental period.

This category of students may require assistance in making course selections that support their professional objectives, getting ready for college or vocational school, and handling the pressure of meeting social and academic expectations.

Individualized counseling sessions, job exploration exercises, workshops on college and career preparation, and mental health support services can all be part of personal help at this level.

Programs that emphasize developing resiliency, coping mechanisms, and healthy habits like stress reduction, mindfulness, and self-care may also be helpful to students.

Tertiary Level

Personal guidance at the tertiary level should support students in reaching their academic and career objectives while also preparing them for the opportunities and challenges of adulthood.

Students at this level can want assistance with selecting a major or vocation, learning job search techniques, and resolving any personal or social difficulties that may come up as they prepare to enter college or the workforce.

At this level, students may receive personal advice in the form of career counseling, mentorship programs, internships, and networking opportunities that assist them in developing the knowledge and contacts required to succeed in their chosen professions.

Students may also gain from financial planning tools, mental health services, and other support services that target the particular difficulties and demands that young adults confront.

Conclusion

Personal-social guidance is a crucial form of guidance that aims to help individuals develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to navigate their personal and social lives successfully.

By addressing personal and social issues, building healthy relationships, developing emotional intelligence, and helping individuals achieve their goals, personal-social guidance professionals can make a significant impact on individuals’ lives and improve their overall well-being.