is a confidential dialogue between a person and a care provider aimed at enabling the person cope with stress and make informed personal decisions relating to HIV and AIDS (World Health Organisation-WHO 1994)
Elements of ethical and effective Counselling
What to cover during Post-test Counselling (negative result)
Types of HIV Counselling
- HIV prevention Counselling
- Remind the client about the window period
- Strengthen the need for re-testing
- Provide the schedule for re-test
- Discuss risk reduction strategies
- Return demonstration of condom use
- Encourage partner for testing
- Post-HIV test Counselling
- Sociocultural considerations
- Ongoing Counselling for people affected
by HIV
- Treatment Adherence Counselling
What to cover during Pre-test counselling
- Clinical Risk Assessment
- Explain the Window Period
- Psychological and emotional assessment of the readiness for the result
- Disclosure possibilities
- Explore the possible support system
- Suicide risk assessment
- Safer sex or injection information
Interpersonal Skills in Counselling
What to cover during Post-test Counselling (positive result)
- Ensuring privacy and confidentiality
- Psychological and emotional preparation of the client
- Access for suicidal ideation
- Explore the possible support system
- Disclosure to sexual partner or family members
- Positive prevention strategies
- Encourage the partner for testing
- Referral to treatment hub
- Referral to support group
Goals of HIV Counselling
are:
- Acknowledging difficult feelings
- to prevent HIV transmission
- to assist people in developing skills
- to provide psychological support to people who are infected with and affected by HIV
- to support clients in treatment adherence
Counselling Communication Skills
- Developing your attending and listening skills
- Using an appropriate language level
- Using impersonal statements
THANK YOU! :)