Basics of Counselling - Foundation Skills Flashcards
While there are various models of counselling such as CBT, Gestalt, Person-centred etc, they all rely on good…
foundational skills or micro-skills.
What is a microskill?
a small element of conversational behaviour which can improve the therapeutic alliance.
Active listening can enhance the
relationship
What are the cons of learning microskills?
Counselling competence diminishes after each micro-skill training because trainees tend to focus on the skill rather than the relationship.
Describe Joining?
tuning in or being on the same wavelength as the client
Describe how a counsellor listens with interest?
- Minimal responses
- brief invitations to continue
- non-verbal behaviour
- Voice
- Silence
Describe minimal responses.
Reaffirming that you listening - can include mm-hmm, ah-ah, I see, yes, ok, really…or can be a disagreement or agreement accompanied by facial expressions, tone, eye movements though this should be done sparingly as clients generally want to be heard rather than agreed or disagreed with.
Difference between being emphatic and agreeing?
Emphatic involves hearing, understanding, and valuing the person. While agreeing, may be useful at times, it may be counterproductive in that valuable tools are not learned. More useful to listen and understand without judgment.
Describe invitations to continue…
Then … And … Tell me more … Can you tell me more? … Would you like to tell me more? … Would you like to continue?
Counselling
What is non verbal behaviour?
- matching non -verbal behaviour
- physical closeness
- the use of movement
- facial expression
- eye contact
Describe matching non-verbal behaviour
posture mirroring -if a counsellor causally mirrors the posture, this may change a persons emotional state. Could lead to the client then following the counsellors example.
Appropriate matching of non-verbal behaviour can help the…
joining process.
There are major differences in comfort levels related to physical closeness from
different cultures
It is a matter of judgement in knowing how comfortable the other person is so as to not
invade their personal space.
The use of movement such as leaning forward can be useful to show that a counsellor
that a counsellor is joining in an emphatic way.
Facial expressions should show interest, care, and concern and avoid
giving the impression of negative judgements.
Eye contact gives a clear message that you are attending to what they are saying preferably in a
socially and culturally acceptable way.
In using our voice to convey a message, we need to be aware of the effects of
clarity and volume
speed of speaking
tone of voice
The use of silence can be useful to
allow the client to think in silence and process what has been said.
Rapid movements by a counsellor can be
distracting
Minimal responses can be both
verbal and non verbal
A counsellors primary function is to deliberately and intentionally
listen
Joining is enhaced by matching
nonverbal behaviour such as posture, tone, speed and eye contact
Deliberate listening with interest involves the use of
minimal responses, brief invitations to continue, non-verbal behaviour, use of voice and silence.
The counsellor also needs to draw out the information actively by
reflection of content or paraphrasing.
Paraphrasing is expressed in the counsellors own
words
Why is it important to give the person time to think?
some people seeking help will make fairly short statements before pausing and others may talk with energy for several minutes before pausing. It is best to give each person time without rushing them.
Reflection encourages the person to continue exploring their own
thoughts and ideas
Parroting is not the same as reflection where you repeat the client word for word, and is likely to fracture the
relationship
What is reflection of feelings vs paraphrasing?
reflecting back emotional feelings while paraphrasing involves reflecting back information or content.
What is the difference between feelings and thoughts?
Feelings are emotional and felt in the body while while thoughts are at head level.
What happens when we avoid our feelings?
we rarely feel better or reach a resolution
sExpressing emotional feelings can be
cathartic.
Describe catharsi
the release of emotions can heal you feel better and heal.
When is catharsis not effefctive?
people who are in touch and overwhelmed by their emotions is unlikely to find catharsis release. CBT may be more useful
Describe how feelings and thoughts can be explained in words?
Feelings are most often expressed by one word. For example, a person can feel ‘angry’, ‘sad’, ‘depressed’, ‘frustrated’, ‘miserable’, ‘tense’, ‘relaxed’, ‘happy’ or ‘frantic’. Each of these feelings is expressed by one word, whereas thoughts can only be expressed by using a string of words.
Give some examples on how to reflect back feelings
You feel angry or You’re angry. You’re feeling happy or You feel happy or You’re happy.
If I were you I think I might feel … If that had happened to me I think
Describe when we might give permission to cry!
Sometimes people need permission to cry, because in many cultures crying, particularly by men, is considered to be unacceptable.
Counsellors Response to reflection of feelings?
Sometimes a new counsellor will experience high levels of anxiety or heightened emotional feelings themselves, as a consequence of a person’s response to reflection of feelings. In this case, you will need to deal with your own emotional feelings that will be generated by being in the presence of someone who is crying.
Describe being ready to burst.
At crisis times in our lives, the emotional pressure builds up until we are ready to burst. In this state our thought processes are often blocked or distorted, and we are unable to cope. With cathartic release, the pressure returns t normal and rational thinking resumes
When reflecting content it can be useful to use a statement such as
I’ve heard you say
What I’ve heard you say is
I get the impression that
I’m getting the idea that..
Reflection of content and feelings can be combined into
one statement
