Advice

I have heard of a quote that says: "Be chary of giving advice. Wise men don't need it, and fools won't heed it."

When I was in counseling school, we were instructed never to give our clients advice. Advice was characterized as using words like "should" and "must" when talking to a client. Such as "You should leave your husband", etc. This kind of language leaves a counselor open to lawsuits, not to mention headaches!

However, one of the functions of a counselor is to help a client look at all options available to him or her. Many clients tend to have a history of feeling helpless in situations and difficulty saying "no." One of my jobs was to remind them that they could, indeed, say no in present situations. This is not "should" language. Rather, it is language that reminds them of their options. You "could" take this path. You don't have to do things you don't feel comfortable with. What are some other ways you can handle this? None of this constitutes "advice" from a legal and ethical counseling standpoint.

Maybe there is a school that helps counselors un-learn counseling techniques.

It could work.