Psychologist-consultant skills, synton approach

The synton approach is a personal-active approach, where a person is considered as the author of his life, personally responsible for his inner life, feelings and states, and for his external behavior, for his life as a whole. The main features of the synton approach in counseling are:

1. Transferring the client from the position of the Victim to the position of the Author, after which he can not be treated, but advised as a sane person, referring primarily to his mind.
2. A combination of features of coaching (encourages the client to make their own decisions) and mentoring (the consultant acts as an expert where he is an expert).
3. Work mainly through positive and constructive: in a person we see his capabilities and strength, we expect energetic and reasonable actions from him.
4. A combination of moments of warm support and tough demands. The stronger the person, the greater the demands on him.

The quality of training of a consultant working in the synton approach is assessed according to the following observable criteria.

Personal qualities of a consultant

• Image: conformity of appearance to the client’s expectations.
• manners and status.
• Speech: reasonable simplicity, logic, style, good voice.

Status of the consultant

• Consultant collection.
• Calm relaxation of the consultant.
• The ability to push and power.
• Flexibility: Ease of switching between states.
• Contagiousness: the ability to influence the state of the client with one’s condition.
• Autonomy: the ability not to get involved unnecessarily in the client’s state.

Consultation Plan

• Clarification of the client’s request, its problems and opportunities.
• Translation of the problem into goals, the formation of the goals of the consultation.
• The speed of the formation of the plan.
• Plan adequacy.
• Strength and flexibility of the plan: following the consultation plan and being able to adjust the plan if necessary.

Main tasks and competencies of a consultant

• Able to establish contact and inspire trust.
• Able to understand. The ability to ask, ask closed and open questions, formulate and test hypotheses, translate general words into specific facts.
• Knows how to feel the client. Calibration of states, empathy, empathy.
• Speed, accuracy and depth of understanding of the client’s situation.
• Able to create coziness, comfort, relaxation. Using techniques to help the client relax.
• Knows how to push. Ability to confront, adequate use of provocative techniques.
• Knows how to cheer up. The use of techniques that help the client to get together, to acquire a positive attitude.
• Helps to believe in yourself. Removing the client from the state of the Victim, the formation of the position of the Author.
• Creates a construct. Reorientation of the client from the search for causes to the search for solutions, translation of the language of states into the language of actions, translation of problems into tasks.
• Life experience. Adequacy of practical recommendations for solving interpersonal or business problems of the client.
• Simplicity, accessibility, feasibility of recommendations for the client.
• He knows how to sell his recommendations expensively.

Psychological toolkit of a consultant

• Organization of the physical space of counseling.
• Beautiful and free voice, richness of intonation, adjustment to the voice and breath of the client.
• Adjustment of the consultant to the pose of the client (compatibility of poses).
• Leading is the ability to change the position of the client, change the place and environment of the consultation.
• Managing the attention of the client: the ability to distract from an unwanted topic, the ability to attract and fix attention to the right one.
• The intelligence of self-disclosure: open when needed as needed. We are not afraid of self-disclosure, we are not fond of self-disclosure.
• The use of operational suggestions: positive, energy and environmental friendliness of suggestions.
• Understanding management: seeking constructive insights, reframing the client’s visions.

Organization of the consultation process

• Business organization consulting, the ability to resolve issues with money, conclude a business contract.
• Understanding the reasonable limitations of their capabilities, the ability to refuse «not their» clients.
• Conclusion of a contract for a consultation or psychological support: alignment of expectations and roles.
• The ability to «harness» the client to work: raising the client’s motivation and formulating a contract for his work.
• The ability to «sell» the final recommendations, causing a willingness to implement them.
• The ability to end the consultation on a positive note.
• Organization of post-accompaniment of the consultation: homework for the client, support and control system.

Competence in key problem areas

• Ability to work with fears.
• Situations of personal and life losses.
• Solving the problems of relationships between men and women.
• Solving family problems.
• Questions of education of children.
• Finding life goals and landmarks.
• Psychological issues related to work and business.

​​​​​​​These requirements for training consultants have been reviewed by the European Association of Consultants (EAC) and found to be in line with European standards. The University of Practical Psychology, which implements these requirements in the training of counseling psychologists, has received from the EAC the right to issue a European-style Specialist Certificate to its students.