Physical and Emotional Factors that Affect Communication Flashcards
What does the American Counseling Association say about avoiding burnout?
Avoid burnout by knowing our strengths and weaknesses and playing to them
Bring variety into our work
What are some other things we can do to avoid burnout?
Know what time of day you are freshest
Take breaks to go outside—even two minutes
Exercise—even walking is good
Colleagues to let off steam with (your family gets tired of hearing it!)
Small journal—let off steam
Take time for fun, recreation
Remember: We don’t always have to fix things or provide a solution
Sleep
Alone Time
Make your physical environment as nice as possible
If you need professional help yourself, get some—especially for short-term emergencies
In terms of religion, what may you encounter in your clinical practice?
Some groups may not believe in intervention or rehab
Some clients may seek/prefer alternative forms of healing
In terms of gender, what may you encounter in your clinical practice?
women apologize more than men; this can make women look weak
Women take up less space than men; women appear restricted, powerless, and not confident
Men take up more space than women, increases their image of power and confidence
Women smile and nod more than men
Too much smiling and nodding make women appear weak and like we are trying too hard to please—look like we need approval
What do women tend to use too much of when they speak?
use more boosters than men
Many women soften their speech with hedgers—appear uncertain—avoiding sounding too sure of ourselves
“Perhaps, somewhat, possibly, sort of, kind of
this makes us seem indecisive and depend on others’ approval
What’s wrong with using disclaimers?
Be careful of disclaimers… “I could be wrong here, but…” “This may sound silly, but…” “ I hate to be a bother, but” “I don’t know much about this, but….”
The bummer: Men who use disclaimers appear more sensitive and caring and other-oriented! Women appear weak
What does Dr. Deborah Tannen say about gender roles?
Women feel they need to give the gift of listening
Men: give the gift of information
Women see themselves as facilitators of conversation; men see themselves as information providers
Men are often willing to give information but may be reluctant to seek and accept it
Many men enjoy confrontation where there is a winner and a loser
Women tend to end utterances with upward inflections and tag questions—appear uncertain and less intelligent
Women tend to use many feeling words “I feel, I think, I believe that….”
It is more powerful to leave these out
women tend to face their conversational partners and give verbal and nonverbal feedback
Men often look around the room, don’t face their partners, and make fleeting eye contact
What does Owens (2016) say about gender differences in a conversation?
People are more likely to interrupt a woman than a man
Women relinquish conversational turns more frequently
In male-female conversations, 36% of woman-initiated topics become focus of attention
In contrast, 96% of male-introduced topics are sustained
“The communication behaviors of men and women reflect the traditional status of women within our society. As in other cultures, words associated with masculinity are judged to be better or more positive than those associated with femininity…Traditionally, the behaviors to which they are expected to conform deny women interactional control and send a devaluing message.”
When working with older clients, what are some things we may encounter?
Clients from some cultures may resist the advice of a young SLP
Use titles
Remember; many not been trained to spill their guts—hard to talk about feelings
We may need to corroborate information with a family to ensure accuracy
watch for fatigue
possible vision and hearing problems
What does Haynes & Pindzola (2012) about older clients?
older clients may have more difficulty focusing on a task
possible short term memory problems
We may need to patiently explain things in detail several times
When making appointments, keep traffic hours in mind
Older clients may feel useless and discarded by society
If they have neurological impairments, family will want to talk about what they were like before
“Since many older clients tend to feel useless and discarded in our youth-oriented culture and resentful that their bodies are betraying them, we may find it important to spend some time listening to their memories of past achievements.
Older clients should be treated with respect….the number of people over age 60 comprises a significant proportion of the population.”
don’t know how to word this…
Older women especially have not been socialized to be assertive, they often relied on husbands for things like finances, driving; men have made decisions
…
T/F
Older clients are less religious than older ones
FALSE
they are more religious
Describe the Dark et.al. study in australia (about older people)
Interviewed 20 Australian older adults with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs (e.g., AAC users)
In old age, multiple, gradual, and cumulative losses occur so frequently that there may be insufficient time to grieve each one
Many older people have: •Limited support systems •Poor health •Decreased mobility •Isolation
Dark et. al., study: What do older people with lifelong disabilities experience?
changing caregivers
loss of physical functioning
loss of role fulfillment (e.g., being a spouse, parent, valued member of society)
Dark et.al. study: What helped with older people who have lifelong disabilities?
Communicating with an empathetic listener
Time and opportunity to discuss loss and to be involved in socially acceptable rituals of grieving
Having access to an appropriate means of communication (e.g., AAC)
What should we keep in mind in terms of time?
Remember that time is culturally relative
If you are late, it is upsetting. Apologize, briefly give a reason, and move on.
How can we keep in mind social justice issues for CLD clients?
if we are counseling CLD students and their families in school, we must be sure that all programs (e.g., GATE) are accessible
Be aware of older CLD clients’ issues like not speaking English or lacking money or transportation
What are some things to keep in mind about about working with CLD clients and them showing their emotions..?
Many CLD clients do not expect to show emotion in front of you
They want SPECIFIC STRATEGIES not hand-held and encouraged to show emotion
Some CLD adults will have experienced racism and/or social injustice; a cultural mediator can be helpful
What did Haynes & Pindzola say about working with CLD clients and interviewing?
When interviewing–much info clients are being asked for is highly personal
Many cultures find it difficult to reveal this info
We may need to conduct multiple interviews and establish a strong relationship with clients
How can we project a professional image?
personal appearance and habits
firm handshake
look nice! Good-looking people are credited with traits like intelligence and talent
Clothes are important
What are some things to be aware of in terms of our personal appearance and habits?
fidgeting—makes you look nervous and not credible
When thinking, try to LOOK UP
What does some research show about attractiveness with men vs. women
Attractive men thought of as more capable than unattractive men
However, attractive women seen as less capable than unattractive women
In one study, attractive women thought to be less likely to be loyal wives and mothers
What kind of clothes are most appropriate for projecting a professional image?
Suits, jackets, dark colors like black and navy are more authoritative
Long sleeves—most formal
Briefcases make a good impression
Women: watch dangly earrings, bracelets, high heels
What are some ways to influence clients?
Give people a reason for things. Studies show that use of “because” is a real influence on people
Use evidence and past successes
“Research shows that…” (be prepared to back this up!)
Call for evolution, not revolution
Use the foot in the door technique. If you get the person to agree to a small commitment, it is much easier to get them to agree to carry out a larger request later.
Begin with a point of agreement →“We are all here because we want what is best for Maurice”
Get the other person saying ‘yes’ right away
Avoid having the other person say “no” or disagree with you.
After people commit to a position, even in some trivial way, they are more likely to behave in ways that are consistent with that position.
Find out what other people want
Show them how to get it
Let other people feel that ideas are theirs
Make other people feel important
What are some things we can say if someone is about to say no or disagree?
“Take your time to think about this, and let’s come back to it later. Don’t feel like you have to decide right now.”
Remember: even if people change their minds and agree with what you want, they may be too proud to admit it
What are some ways we can use social validation?
People often decide what to do based on what others think/are doing
“many of the parents I have worked with in the past have found the Hanen program to be successful”
People don’t want to miss out on something good that other people already have
How can we use social validation?
People often decide what to do based on what others think/are doing
“many of the parents I have worked with in the past have found the Hanen program to be successful”
People don’t want to miss out on something good that other people already have
How can we emphasize our similarities to the client?
People like those who are like them in personality, background, lifestyle
Do your best to relate to your clients
Describe the principle of scarcity and how we could use it to our advantage
Opportunities seem more valuable when supply is limited
“My caseload is full, but if you are interested, I will do my best to find a slot for Jason.”
“It looks like Friday afternoon is pretty booked, but I could meet with you from 3:30-3:50.”
Hint: Scheduling at odd times make your time seem more valuable.
What should the appearance of our work setting look like?
New paint best
Green paint: People don’t think they have been there as long as they have (good for classrooms and churches)
Yellow and orange paint: make people want to hurry up
It’s really nice:
To have a few personal/family pictures—people feel like they can relate to you better
They see you as a human being with a life
Plants are good too
Avoid clutter and messiness
Looks disorganized; people may not trust you
Greater distance=more formality and less intimacy; reverse is true too.
When someone responds, what kind of “basis” do they respond with first?
Remember that when people respond to things, they respond first on an emotional basis
After this, they then respond to content
What are some reasons why people get angry?
Fear
They perceive that they are being treated unfairly—there is a sense of injustice
People’s sense of fairness and justice is often violated by the impact of a profound loss
“I am a good person and do all the right things. Why has this happened to me? Why me, God?”
People have a sense of entitlement: If they work hard and are good people, all will be well. All their needs will be met.
Often times what does a communication disorder in a family member result in?
a loss of personal freedom for another family member
usually mother or wife–sometimes older sister
With older patients: Spouse often has to severely curtail activities if other has a neurological impairment
Also, anger can result from seeing a loved one hurting and having no power to change things
They are angry that they cannot make the situation better
What 3 reactions does David Burns say we can react when our clients are angry?
we can get mad, sad, or glad
if we get mad, we get defensive and argue with people, this is very human, we try to justify ourselves
if we get sad, we conclude that the person is right–we must have done something wrong, we may get depressed and withdraw and try to avoid the situation
If we are glad, acknowledge there might be a grain of truth, become investigative, ask questions
ESSAY QUESTION ON EXAM:
What is the 4 pronged technique for disarming an angry person
CDEF
- compliment person on something they did right
- Disarm them by finding something to agree with
- Encourage people to talk to openly about why they are angry
- Feedback and Negotiation
How may parents manifest their guilt over their children having a communication disorder?
I’ve done something I shouldn’t have
People may feel that things are their fault
“If you had had more information, you would have done things differently.”
I’ve failed to do something I should have (personalization—people inappropriately assume responsibility for something they did not cause)
“I should have….”
Therefore, I am a bad person
Why may parents/loved ones feel anxiety?
From uncertainty
People feel confused, vulnerable
we need to Present things to read**
we need to Repeat information
Describe “disillusionment”–and how this impacts our clients
we expect the best–that life will go well
there is a problem when people channel their dreams into their child and their child has a disability
also–older people with life plans–things don’t go as expected
What is especially prevalent upon the initial diagnosis of communication disorders
shock and disbelief
family/client might think: “no that’s not possible”
often will seek out multiple opinions
What are the different types of defense mechanisms?
- rationalization
- displacement
- projections
- reaction formation
- suppression
- repression
What are the different types of emotions people may feel after a diagnosis of a s/l disorder?
anger
guilt
anxiety
disillusionment
shock and disbelief
Describe rationalization
Logical but untrue explanation of an attitude or behavior that allows an individual to explain why an expectation has not occurred
Describe displacement
Person transfers hostile feelings from the person or problem that caused the hostile feelings onto a “safe” person or object
Describe projection
Person shifts responsibility to someone else; feelings or motives that belong to them are attributed to another person
Describe reaction formation
People experience emotions that are so shocking or contrary to their previous thoughts that the new feelings are considered unacceptable. Individuals develop positive attitudes that are opposed to their new, shocking feelings about a subject
Describe suppression
People consciously keep thoughts and feelings under control and out of view of others
Describe repression
Like suppression, but person is not conscious of emotions or feelings
