The role of counselling in patients with stroke and their family

Counselling is consolidated theoretically as scientific sector and is applied practically as a special activity, in a lot of different professions. It’s broad distribution lays between psychotherapy and friendship, and has become a recognized extension of work of almost anyone that deals with the person’s personal, social, professional, educational, intellectual and health needs. The successful handling of patients with stroke is not the result of the therapeutic intervention of a single sector from the health care professionals but requires an interdisciplinary approach. However, nurses with special knowledge for the confrontation of stroke who implement counselling and the various techniques that it offers in the confrontation of daily clinical problems are considered as primary healers for the total management of stroke patients. Consequently, nurses could and should incorporate elements of counselling in their clinical practice and more specifically advice for change concerning their life after the stroke (reduction of risk factors) and psycholo­gical support (reduction of stress, sadness), but also the confrontation of infirmity.