Counselling is a professional helping process in which a trained counsellor assists an individual to understand personal concerns, develop self-awareness, make appropriate decisions and cope effectively with problems. Different counselling models provide different ways of understanding the client’s difficulties and planning suitable interventions. The major models include the medical, psychological, developmental, client-centred, cognitive-behavioural and eclectic models. The medical model views the client’s problem mainly in terms of symptoms, causes and treatment. The counsellor identifies the nature of the difficulty and attempts to remove or control the symptoms through appropriate intervention. This model is particularly useful when psychological problems are associated with serious mental or physical health conditions. For example, a person experiencing severe anxiety and disturbed sleep may be assessed for underlying psychological or medical causes and referred to a psychiatrist when necessary. The psychological model focuses on understanding the emotional, cognitive and behavioural factors responsible for a person’s difficulties. It assumes that counselling can help individuals gain insight into their thoughts, feelings and behaviour. For example, a student who constantly believes that he or she is incapable of succeeding may develop low self-confidence. Through counselling, the student can explore the