Chapter 4 - Observation Skills

Question 1

observation

Answer 1

the act of watching carefully and intentionally w/ the purpose of understanding behavior. many say that 85% of communication is nonverbal. 55% body language, 38% vocal tone, 7% actual words spoken.

Question 2

here-and-now observations

Answer 2

carefully and selectively feed back some here-and-now observations to the client as topics for exploration

Question 3

incongruities

Answer 3

take note when emotions, gestures, or tone of voice don’t fit what client is saying

Question 4

ideal place to start practicing observation skills

Answer 4

note client’s style of attending and how you relate to that client. how are you affecting the client verbally and nonverbally?

Question 5

nonverbal behavior is often the first clue…

Answer 5

to what clients are feeling underneath the language they use

Question 6

“cognition response”

Answer 6

you will find that many clients look down as they realize what you just said is true and makes a difference

Question 7

pinocchio effect

Answer 7

when the client brings fingers to nose when they are unconfortable or “want to wipe something away.”

Question 8

vocal tone

Answer 8

perhaps more than anything else you do, conveys the emotional dimensions of your words and body. a “prosodic” vocal tone is an important key to the relationship.

Question 9

eye contact and forward trunk lean

Answer 9

found to highly correlate to ratings of empathy

Question 10

anger

Answer 10

from a neuroscience perspective, a secondary emotion to the more basic fear

Question 11

facial expressions

Answer 11

furrowed brows, lips tightening or loosening, flushing, smiling, color changes in face,

Question 12

body language

Answer 12

particularly important are discrepancies in nonverbal behavior.
smooth, flowing gestures, particularly those in harmony with the gestures of others, may suggest openness

Question 13

movement synchrony

Answer 13

mirroring client positioning and movements

Question 14

movement complementarity

Answer 14

paired movements that may not be identical, but are harmonious

Question 15

mirroring

Answer 15

matching body language, breathing rates, and key words of the client can heighten counselor understanding of how the client perceives and experiences the world.

Question 16

mirror neurons

Answer 16

enable us to empathize w/ others’ pain or pleasure. they appear to let us simulate not just other people’s actions, but the intentions and emotions behind those actions

Question 17

3 Useful Concepts for Session Analysis

Answer 17

1. key words
2. concreteness v. abstractions
3. “i” statements v. “other” statements

Question 18

key words

Answer 18

notice key words and help explore facts, feelings, and meanings underlying them. they usually indicate most central client concerns. join clients by using their key words.

Question 19

concreteness v. abstraction

Answer 19

concrete/situation style: skilled at providing specifics. may have difficulty reflection on their situations, seeing patterns, forming abstractions. often have trouble seeing others’ points of view. help these clients become more abstract and pattern oriented.

abstract (formal/operational) style: skilled at self-analysis and reflection, but struggle with specifics. help these clients be more specific

Question 20

interpersonal conflict

Answer 20

noting interpersonal conflict is a key task of the counselor

Question 21

discrepancies between a client and a situation

Answer 21

client’s ideal world is often incongruent with reality

Question 22

Goal setting

Answer 22

Important part of the empathic relationship – story and strengths – goals – restory –action model

Question 23

here-and-now interaction

Answer 23

self-aware counselor is constantly aware of the client and of the here-and-now interactions in the session