ch 5: question skills Flashcards
What is the value of questions in counseling?
Questions are essential in many helping theories. They:
- Initiate sessions, open new discussion areas, clarify issues, and help clients with self-exploration.
- Help identify deep interests and can lead to extensive talks if the topic is meaningful to the client.
What is the importance in using questions? (4)
1) Framework for interviews
2) Clarify issues
3) Open new areas
4) Support self-exploration
What are open questions? Why are they important?
Questions that can’t be answered in a few words.
It encourages detailed responses and deeper exploration on thoughts & feelings.
How do open questions typically start? Give me an example.
what, how, why, could, etc
ex: “Could you give a specific example of …?”
What are closed questions? Why are they important?
Can be answered in a few words.
Useful for focusing on specifics, but the interviewer takes the lead.
How do closed questions typically start? Give me an example.
Is, are, or do.
Ex: “Where do you live?”
What is the client response to open vs closed questions?
Open = More detailed and expansive answers.
Closed = Specific, often brief answers.
What are the key question types?
WHAT? -> Facts/info
Ex: “What happened?”
WHY? -> Reasons
Ex: “Why is that meaningful to you?”
HOW? -> Exploration of process or feeling emotion
Ex: “How could that be explained?”
COULD, CAN, WOULD? -> Framing/Summary
Ex: “Could you tell me more about your situation?”
How can open questions benefit a counseling session?
Open questions
- help clients elaborate on issues
- provide more information
- facilitate deeper exploration of emotions or situations.
This allows the counselor to gain a better understanding of the client’s world.
Why is it important to use closed questions? Limitation?
Closed questions help focus the session, gather specific facts, and clarify details.
However, they limit the client’s ability to express themselves freely.
What are the views of theorists on questions? (3)
Best learned after mastering reflective listening.
Some practitioners caution overuse of questions as it may overshadow listening.
Excessive questioning shifts focus from the client to the interviewer.
What is the concern regarding excessive questioning in therapy?
Overuse of questions can overshadow reflective listening and may place too much power with the interviewer, making the client feel less in control and more defensive.
How can questions help uncover important information from clients?
Sometimes clients don’t voluntarily share significant information.
Open-ended questions (e.g., “What important things are happening in your life right now?”) may reveal issues like personal loss, job changes, or relationship difficulties that impact their emotional states
What impact can “why” questions have on clients?
“Why” questions can make clients feel judged or defensive, especially when asking about sensitive topics
Ex: “Why are you staying with them?”).
How can you keep a session moving when it feels stagnant?
Revisit earlier topics with open questions like:
- “Could you tell me more about that?”
- “How did you feel when that happened?”
- “What might we have missed so far?”
Why are “What else?” questions valuable?
These open-ended questions encourage clients to share additional details, allowing them to fill in missing information they may have held back.
What should counselors keep in mind when asking questions? (4)
Questions place power in the interviewer’s hands, so use them thoughtfully.
Cultural differences may impact how questions are perceived.
Avoid rapid-fire questions that may feel like an interrogation.
Be aware that insensitive questioning can damage trust.
What are some potential difficulties with questions? (4)
Bombardment/grilling
- Too many questions overwhelm and may alienate clients.
Multiple questions
- Clients may get confused
Questions as statements
- Avoid framing opinions as questions.
- Ex: “Don’t you think studying more would help?” vs. “What do you think about improving your grades?”
Why questions
- “why” qs may make ppl feel defensive, so avoid phrasing that feels attacking
How do you work effectively with children in counseling? (2)
Children may need engaging activities (e.g., drawing, playing with toys) to feel comfortable sharing.
Use simple, concrete language rather than abstract open-ended questions.
What is the role of empathy in counseling?
Empathy means understanding the client’s thoughts and feelings by seeking specifics rather than vague responses.
- This is crucial for positive rapport and growth.
What part of the brain stores memories, and how does it affect therapy?
The hippocampus stores both short- and long-term memories.
It is crucial for a counselor to understand that a client’s emotional responses may be influenced by past memories stored in the hippocampus, affecting how they process their current emotions and thoughts.
What is the hippocampus?
The part of the brain responsible for your memory, learning and emotion
What is the primary function of the hippocampus?
Memory: It is involved in the creation of new long-term memories.
Learning: Helps with processing and storing information for later recall.
Emotion: It also plays a part in emotional regulation and responses, linking memories with emotions.
Why is understanding the hippocampus important in counseling? (3)
The hippocampus is involved in storing emotional and cognitive memories.
When clients discuss past events or traumas, the hippocampus helps process these memories and tie them to their current emotional states.
Understanding its role helps in addressing how memories influence clients’ present behaviors and feelings.
How can you encourage client elaboration?
Open questions prompt clients to expand on their experiences and provide richer details, helping counselors understand the client’s perspective better.
What’s the potential risk of focusing too much on negative aspects in therapy?
Overemphasizing negative issues can deepen depression and discourage the client.
A balanced approach is necessary to highlight strengths and positive aspects.
What is the positive approach in counseling?
Focus on client strengths, resilience, and past accomplishments. Ask questions like:
- What’s new and good?”
- “Can you share a time when something went well for you?”
How do you build trust through questioning?
Establish rapport slowly and allow clients to open up at their own pace. Trust building is key before asking deeper, more personal questions.
What is the ABC model, and how can it help in counseling?
The ABC model (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence) helps clients clarify key details about events, especially when they are difficult to understand.
- Ex: if your client is talking in very general terms and is hard to understand, it often helps to ask questions from the (ABC) pattern.
By moving to ABC-TF, we bring in thoughts and feelings about the event or personal experience.
How can multicultural differences affect questioning in counseling?
Rapid questioning may be perceived as rude in some cultures.
Be aware of cultural sensitivities and ensure that clients understand the intent of questions, which is to support their goals.
