Part 2 - Engaging Flashcards
Why is it important to keep your client “engaged”? (MI)
What could happen if they aren’t?
Only the client can change. You cannot force them to. And they have a much better shot at sticking with the program if they are actively involved in the decisions.
Also if they feel like they are not being engaged and valued, they may stop coming altogether.
What are 3 aspects of positive engagement?
- Shared trust and respect
- Shared goals
- Shared responsibility to reach those goals
What questions might a client be asking themselves during the engaging step?
“Do I feel respected by this counselor?”
“Does he/she listen to and understand me?”
“Do I trust this person?”
“Do I have a say in what happens in this consultation?”
“Am I being offered options rather than a one-size-fits-all approach?”
“Am I being lectured to?”
What 5 things should you try to focus on during the ‘Engage’ phase?
1) Their goals/desires/hoped for outcomes
2) Their sense of Importance/urgency
3) Creating a safe, welcoming environment
4) Understanding their expectations and concerns
5) Offering hope/examples of success
What is the assessment trap?
Allowing the conversation to slip into one where you are asking all the questions and they are giving you answers.
Communicates “I’m in charge here” rather than Partnership
What dynamic may cause the “premature focus trap”?
You want to talk about a particular problem and the client is concerned about something else.
What is the basic problem of the “premature focus trap”?
The basic problem here is: focusing before engaging
trying to solve the problem before you have established a working collaboration and negotiated common goals.
What is the basic purpose of a reflection? (MI)
The reflective listener forms a reasonable guess as to what the original meaning was, and gives voice to this guess in the form of a statement. That closes the communication circle
When you’re looking to confirm your understanding of what a client said, Why respond with a statement instead of a question?
The reason for responding with a statement rather than asking a question is a practical one: a well-formed reflective statement is less likely than a question to evoke defensiveness and more likely to encourage continued exploration.
Consider:
- You don’t think this is a problem? Versus
- You don’t think this is a problem.
When might you use a reflection vs a question?
Reflections are used to confirm what the client said or share what you think they ultimately meant.
Questions are used to gather information or prompt for specific change talk
What is the danger in using simple reflections?
Simple reflections can be useful, but they tend to yield slower progress.
If it seems like you’re not getting anywhere or just going around in circles, chances are you’re relying too much on simple reflections—sticking too close to exactly what the person said.
What is a complex reflection?
Give an example
A complex reflection adds some meaning or emphasis to what the person has said, making a guess about the unspoken content or what might come next (continuing the paragraph).
Ex. “The test results scared me a bit”
Complex- “It reminded you of your heart attack”
Client didn’t say that but may have meant it
What is a good idea for a quick complex reflection?
Reflect what you think they are FEELING
How can you get better at complex reflections?
Only with Practice. Every reflection is a practice swing.
If you guess wrong, often they will simply correct you and give you feedback.
If you want the client to continue to explore a topic, should you overstate or understate their position in your reflection?
Why?
Understate.
People tend to back off from what you overstate, but continue to discuss that which you understate
