Techniques Flashcards
Attending Behavior
comprise nonverbal and minimal verbal behaviors that assure your clients you’re listening.
Dynamic Sizing
determining whether a particular cultural characteristic fits for an individual member of that culture.
Paralinguistics
voice loudness, pitch, rate, rhythm, inflection, and fluency
Verbal Tracking
restating some portion of the content of your client’s speech. Minimize your own internal and external personal reactions; focus remains on client.
Therapeutic Silence
well-timed silence that facilitates client talk, respects the client’s emotional space, or provides clients with an opportunity to find their own voice regarding their insights, emotions, or direction.
Reflection
restating or rewording another’s verbal communication
Clarification
ending or beginning with am I getting it right?
Reflection of feeling
encourage further emotional expression
“It sounds like it really frustrated you….”
feeling validation
normalizing what client is feeling. Iincludes therapist opinion, approval, or validation of client emotions. An emotion-focused technique that acknowledges and validates your client’s stated feelings. Communicates “what you’re feeling is a natural or normal emotional response.” used to support and reassure clients.
Example: “I can sure see why you feel ……….”
Interpretive Reflection of Feeling (advanced empathy)
reflecting back at a deeper level, going beneath what is explicitly stated and going towards the primary emotion.
Interpretation (Dr. Rita Sommers-Flannagan)
used to produce client insight and help clients perceive reality more accurately. Links past emotional relationship patterns to current ones.
Example: Im just going to float a hypothesis and I wonder if there is a connection bw this difficult relationship with your brother and some difficulties with the other men in your life.
Cognitive Reframing
non-psychoanalytic practitioners use interpretation to shift how clients view their probs. Used when clinicians believe that their clients are viewing the world in a manner that is inaccurate or maladaptive. Promotes perceptual flexibility
Confrontation (Dr. Rita Sommers-Flannagan)
simply a reflection/statement that notices a discrepancy. No evidence that harshness increases the efficiency.
Immediacy (Dr. Rita Sommers-Flannagan)
involves an integration of here-and-now self-disclosure, feedback, and confrontation.
Example: We have done some deep work together, and I’m feeling a little protective
Open Question
used to facilitate talk; pull more than a single word response. Usually begin with “how” or “what.” however, these questions don’t always facilitate depth and breadth of talk.
Why Questions
exacerbate defensiveness and intellectualization and diminish rapport. In contract, if rapport is good, and you want your client to speculate or intellectualize about something, then a why question may be appropriate and useful in helping your client take a closer, deeper look at an issue.
Closed Questions
questions that can be answered with a yes/no response. Restrict verbalization and lead clients toward specific responses. Can reduce or control how much clients talk. Restricting verbal output is useful when working w/ clients who talk excessively.
Swing Questions
can function as either closed or open questions; but also invite more elaborate discussion of feelings, thoughts, or issues. Usually begin with could, would, can or will. Avoid using swing questions unless rapport has already been established, and avoid using with children/adolescents, esp. early in the relationship.
Example: Can you tell me more about that?
Indirect or Implied Question
usually begin with “I wonder” or “you must” or “It must.” can be useful when approaching delicate topics early in interviews. When overused, they can come off as sneaky and manipulative.
empty chair or 2 chair dialogue (Dr. Rita Sommers-Flannagan)
brings an aspect of the self into the room or someone that couldn’t be there to start a dialogue. Doesn’t have to be a conflict, can be exploratory.
2 chair dialogue, client moves in and out of empty chairs. Therapist is prompting, helping, and supporting. Don’t speak for other chair. More like a coach. Works well for clients who are looser, imaginative, verbal. If someone is worried and uptight, maybe don’t use this.
unique outcomes or redescription
help clients develop more positive/ strength based narratives. Select for attention any experience that stands apart from the problem story
miracle question
aids clients in initiating and maintaining a positive vision for the future. Facilitates analysis of what factors might contribute to that positive future.
Example: suppose you went home tonight and while you were asleep a miracle happened and the problem was solved. how will you know the miracle happened? what will be different?
exception questions
ID and amplify the exceptions to client’s probs. Refer to positive exceptions as sparkling moments or unique accounts.
sum of its parts (Dr. Katherine Helm)
when a client comes in with a big issue, instead of taking it on as a whole it makes its more manageable and less overwhelming to attack it in parts.
obtaining agreement and commitment (Dr. Katherine Helm)
used to make the change easier
example: what would it be like for u if we did —-?
