1. IntroductionThe purpose of this essay is to examine, discuss and analyze the characteristics and attributes of an effective and professional consultant. This essay will examine the definition of counseling, determine the skills needed to be effective, explore the counseling process, and consider the ethics and values ​​defined within the framework of professional therapy. There has been an increased focus on training consultants in South Africa, encouraging them to be professionally accredited with the HPCSA. This accreditation requires the consultant to be professional and effective in what they do and ensures that they can be monitored.2.1 Consulting2.1.1 Definition of ConsultingConsulting can be defined as the process by which the client and consultant interact within the confines of an environment safely and comfortably identify, discuss and resolve customer problems. According to Cormier and Hackney (2014), the client is usually someone who seeks help, as he is going through some kind of difficulty in his life; while the counselor is a professional who is willing to provide help because he can be seen as ethical, moral and capable of helping the client. The environment in which the interaction between the counselor and the client takes place should be a warm environment as it should encourage the client to feel safe and open up to the counselor. (Cormier & Hackney; 2)2.1.2 The counseling settingThe physical space in which the counseling process takes place is crucial for the development of the relationship. The room itself must be aesthetically pleasing and must be set up in such a way that the client feels comfortable enough to be able to express himself... ... middle of paper ... being resilient and he or she does this by taking take care of himself. It is vital that the counselor possesses the skill of objectivity, as this is the ability to look at the client from an objective point of view. The client should not feel judged by the consultant. The consultant should possess the characteristic of flexibility as the consultancy process is bound to be accompanied by surprises. Finally, it is essential that the consultant is reliable. If the client does not feel he can trust the counselor, he will not open up to the counselor to discuss sensitive issues (Grobler & Schenck; 43). The above mentioned characteristics of an effective counselor have to do with the counselor's virtue in that he or she is committed to the well-being of the client because he or she must behave ethically and morally (Cormier & Hackney;9).