Encouragers – Encouragers are a variety of verbal and non-verbal ways of prompting clients to continue talking.

A. The skill implemented effectively encourages or discourages a client’s communication with the counselor or therapist. Minimal simply means “few” interruptions or influence. It is knowing exactly “where” to place your comments, so that the client’s thoughts are continuously expressed. It is believed that too few may give the impression of being aloof or disengaged, and too many may create an impatient feel in the session. Common examples are um-hm, hmm, I see, certainly, I get that or I understand, or please clarify.

Types of encouragers include:

1. Non-verbal minimal responses such as a nod of the head or positive facial expressions

2. Verbal minimal responses such as “Uh-huh” and “I hear what you’re saying”

3. Brief invitations to continue such as “Tell me more”

Encouragers simply encourage the client to keep talking.  For a counselor to have more influence on the direction of client progress they would need to make use of other techniques.

http://www.counselingconnection.com/index.php/2009/07/21/encouragers-paraphrasing-and-summarising/

Open-ended questions

' Open-Ended Questions

Questions that clients cannot easily answer with “Yes,”, “No,” or one- or two-word responses

· “What is important to you?”

· How did you feel when that happened?”

· “What did you do when she said that?”

· “What are your reasons for saying that?”

Purposes of Open-Ended Questions:

      To begin an interview

      To encourage client elaboration

      To elicit specific examples

      To motivate clients to communicate

Closed-Ended Questions

      Questions that the other can easily answer with a “Yes,” “No,” or one- or two-word responses

      “Are you going to have the test done?”

      “Did you drink before you got into the car?”

       “Do you drink often?”

      “Do you exercise?”

       “Do you like your job?”

Purposes of Closed-Ended Questions:

      To obtain specific information

      To identify parameters of a problem or issue

      To narrow the topic of discussion

      To interrupt an over-talkative client

Closed vs. Open-Ended Question

  Examples

C: Are you scared?

O: How do you feel?

C: Are you concerned about what you will do if the test results are positive?

O: What do you think you might do if the test results are positive?

C: Is your relationship with your husband a good one?

O: Tell me about your relationship with your husband.

Minimal Interrogation

· In short, avoid grilling a client with too many questions

· Use reflections, ask open ended question when appropriate, be cautious of your frequency of questions, use indirect leads

Alternatives to Questions

· Accurate paraphrases of content/message/feeling amongst many other counseling skills. See the attached document to this power point

· Furthering response statement

· Further Response Breadth: Direct leads: general

· “Tell me more about your mother” “Tell me about what lead you to being a counselor?”

· Further Response Depth: Direct lead: More specific request

· “Tell me more about that fight with your mother” “Give me an example of the last time you had a fight of your mother” “ Tell me more about that defining moment that lead you to becoming a counselor”

Restatement of Content

Description

· Mirroring back what you heard a client say in your own words

· This skills is the beginning step toward your client feeling like you understand their statements/situation/problem.

· Careful not to state it as a question (by the inflection in your voice) as requiring a yes/no answer.

· Try not to make it a perception check. Careful not to do too early before you have a large enough chunk of information to paraphrase.

· Uses denotative language- noting specifics rather than using vague descriptors such as “stuff” “things”

· Give the paraphrase while looking at the person, try not to list off bullet items, be genuine, try not to add in or distort anything.

· Reflecting does not involve you asking questions, introducing a new topic or leading the conversation in another direction.  Speakers are helped through reflecting as it not only allows them to feel understood, but it also gives them the opportunity to focus their ideas.  This in turn helps them to direct their thoughts and further encourages them to continue speaking.

Purposes of Paraphrasing/Restating Content

· To show the speaker that you are trying to perceive the world as they see it and that you are doing your best to understand their messages.

· Help the client by simplifying, focusing and crystallizing what they said

· May encourage the client to elaborate

· Provide a check on the accuracy of your perceptions

· To allow the speaker to 'hear' their own thoughts and to focus on what they say and feel.

Steps

· Identify the content part of the message

· Use a Stem to begin the restatement: Some lead-in to your paraphrase

· “What your saying is” , “What I am hearing is” , “What your telling me is”  

· Translate the key content into your own words

· Tip: When done properly, paraphrasing acts as a cue to the client that you understand what they said, and most often, the client will proceed to elaborate further or even correct you if they feel you didn’t get it completely right. In the occasion which you are corrected, follow up with a brief paraphrase of their corrective statement. “I see, your not necessarily concerned about _______, but more so with__________”

Example

· CL: “I finally figured out that after 10 years, I can’t stay in this relationship with my husband anymore. I have been try know this for some time now, but every time I am ready to tell him I freeze. He is just going to be so upset and so angry.

· CO: “It sounds like you haven’t found the right way to tell your husband you want to end the relationship because of his possible reaction.

Stems

I’m noticing

It seems like

It appears as though

Sounds like you feel

From my perspective

As I see it

I hear you saying

I hear

Something tells you

You’re telling me that

You feel

From my standpoint

I sense that

I'm sensing

I have the feeling that

I sense that you’re feeling

I see what you mean

It looks like

Sounds like

As I hear it

Looks like you’re

Client Name, you appear

Restatement of Feeling

Description

A skilled listener will be able to reflect a speaker's feelings from body cues (non-verbal) as well as verbal messages.  It is sometimes not appropriate to ask such direct questions as “How does that make you feel?”  Strong emotions such as love and hate are easy to identify, whereas feelings such as affection, guilt and confusion are much subtle.  The listener must have the ability to identify such feelings both from the words and the non-verbal cues, for example body language, tone of voice, etc.

As well as considering which emotions the speaker is feeling, the listener needs to reflect the degree of intensity of these emotions.  For example:

Next, see the attached document for a feelings chart. I found this chart online about when I was a graduate student in my theories class and it helped me as I learned to develop my feelings words vocabulary. It is not perfect, but it is a great starting point. I would encourage you to also add to the chart and keep it for your records.

The feelings chart provides a language for counselors to identify feelings by the type of feelings as well as the intensity of a feelings. For example, if a client has recently lost a loved one and they decide to give you a glimpse into their inner world as they describe their feelings, it is important for the counselor to create a safe space within the session. Part of creating that space can be done by accurately identifying the appropriate type of feelings and intensity of the feeling. For example, there is a difference between saying "you're feeling heartbroken and alone" vs. "I'm sensing you're feeling pretty bad right now". Neither statement is better than the other in and of itself (standing alone). However, within the context of the session, one of these statements may be more appropriate than the other. When thinking about how to put concepts like empathy into practice, part of demonstrating empathy is accurately identifying the type of emotion, intensity of emotion, and utilizing both your verbal (what you're saying and how you are saying it…vocal tone) and non-verbal (your facial expression and body gestures) cues.

Purposes of Paraphrasing/Restating Content

· To show the speaker that you are trying to perceive the world as they see it and that you are doing your best to understand their feelings.

· RF is a beginning step toward demonstrating empathy

· Help the client by simplifying, focusing and crystallizing what they said

· May encourage the client to elaborate

· To allow the speaker to 'hear' their own thoughts and to focus on what they say and feel.

Steps

· Identify the content and feelings part of the message

· Use a Stem to begin the restatement: Some lead-in to your paraphrase

· “What your feeling is” , “What your telling me is your feeling…” “ your feeling”  

· Identify the feelings type and feeling intensity of feeling

· Tip: When done properly, paraphrasing acts as a cue to the client that you understand what they said, and most often, the client will proceed to elaborate further or even correct you if they feel you didn’t get it completely right. In the occasion which you are corrected, follow up with a brief paraphrase of their corrective statement. “I see, your not necessarily concerned about _______, but more so with__________”

Example

Reflecting needs to combine content and feeling to truly reflect the meaning of what the speaker has said.  For example:

· CL: “I just don't understand my boss.  One minute he says one thing and the next minute he says the opposite.”

· CO: “You feel very confused by him?”

· CL: I am still in disbelief that I didn’t get into Harvard, that was my dream, my entire family went to school there, I was supposed to go there too like them.

· CO: You’re feeling heartbroken that you won’t be following in the footsteps of your family

Reflecting meaning allows the listener to reflect the speaker's experiences and emotional response to those experiences.  It links the content and feeling components of what the speaker has said.

Summarization

· A collection of two or more paraphrases or reflections that condenses the client’s messages or the session

· Covers more material

· Covers a longer period of client’s discussion

Purposes of a Summary

       To tie together multiple elements of client messages

      To identify a common theme or pattern

      To interrupt excessive rambling

      To start a session

      To end a session

      To pace a session

      To review progress

      To serve as a transition when changing topics

Steps in a Summary

Example- Client, a young girl

At the beginning of the session:

· “I don’t understand why my parents can’t live together anymore. I’m not blaming anybody, but it just feels very confusing to me.” [Said in a low, soft voice with lowered, moist eyes]

 Near the middle of the same session:

· “I wish they could keep it together. I guess I feel like they can’t because they fight about me so much. Maybe I’m the reason they don’t want to live together anymore.”

1)  Recall key content and affect messages

Key content

· wants parents to stay together

Key affect:

· feels sad, upset, responsible

Identify patterns or themes

· She is the one who feels responsible for her parents’ break-up

2) Use an appropriate sentence stem and verbalize the summarization response

e.g., “I sense,” or “You are feeling”

3) Summarize

e.g., “Earlier today you indicated you didn’t feel like blaming anyone for what’s happening to your parents. Now I’m sensing that you are feeling like you are responsible for their break-up

4) Assess the effectiveness of your summarization

Practice: A 30-year-old man who has been blaming himself for his wife’s unhappiness: I really feel guilty about marrying her in the first place. It wasn’t really for love. It was just a convenient thing to do. I feel like I’ve messed up her life really badly. I also feel obliged to her. [Said in low, soft voice tone with lowered eyes]

Practice: A 27-year-old woman who has continually focused on her relationships with men and her needs for excitement and stability: First session: I’ve been dating lots and lots of men for the last few years. Most of them have been married. That’s great because there are no demands on me. [Bright eyes, facial animation, high-pitched voice]. Ø  Fourth session: It doesn’t feel so good anymore. It’s not so much fun. Now I guess I miss having some commitment and stability in my life. [Soft voice, lowered eyes].

Additional Skills

Site Skills
	Skill	Description	Example
IL	Indirect lead	Open ended questions used to initiate the beginning process of a session or the beginning of the counseling experience (depends on your variation of the statement. Utilized to control the process of therapy and move quickly into working interactions where the client has control over content, style, and sequence. Careful not to engage in small talk	“Tell me more” “give me a specific example” “tell me some things about you” “give me some background on you” “what brings you to counseling” “ where are you at now” “what’s happening for you today” “Pleases expand on that a little” “I want to make sure I fully understand, could you elaborate “ IF a client asks you to specify your questions, make a statement allowing for the client to still responded openly. “you decide” “whatever is happening with you” OR consider even using a multiple-choice lead “maybe something like your family background, what your doing now, relationships your in…” Not: “ soooo…. Tell me about you”, “ what brings you here ”, “ can you tell me what’s going on with you”
PC	Paraphrase content	Mirroring back what you heard a client say. A statement in your own words of what the client just said. No need to repeat them work for word; the same content said more briefly and precise. (This is the beginning step toward your client feeling like you understand their statements/situation/problem) Careful not to state it as a question (by the inflection in your voice) as requiring a yes/no answer. Try not to make it a perception check. Careful not to do too early before you have a large enough chunk of information to paraphrase. Uses denotative language- noting specifics Give the paraphrase while looking at the person, try not to list off bullet items, be genuine, try not to add in or distort anything.	Some lead-in to your paraphrase “What yoursaying is” “What I am hearing is” “What your telling me is” “To make sure I understand…” “followed with the paraphrase” . See Gerber for Full Examples. Tip: When done properly, paraphrasing acts as a cue to the client that you understand what they said, and most often, the client will proceed to elaborate further or even correct you if they feel you didn’t get it completely right. In the occasion which you are corrected, follow up with a brief paraphrase of their corrective statement. “I see, your not necessarily concerned about _______, but more so with__________” Careful not to add inflection at the end that makes it a question Avoid: “you’ve got a lotta stuff going on” too connotative
St	Structure of Content	Is essential a paraphrase of content in which you give it back to the client in an organized manor. SC is the process of separating sometimes scattered client productions in the various focuses of time, degree of generality, others, and self. 3 types: Topic- Starting with the major idea in the clients descriptions. Chronological- Arranged a clients scattered content chronologically Parallel- When there are two sides of a coin, polarities. You arrange the content based upon these polarities.	Counselor: you job is to organize this content in a way conducive to it being processed with the client Example Topic: “You have many stressors in your life right now: A,B and C.” Example Chronological: “Alright, you woke up this morning, and this happened then this, and then that.” Example Parallel: “Part of you misses your old job, but the other part likes the pay of the new job.”
TS	Traffic Signs	Utilizing vague key words and phrases to go to a deeper level in the funnel. The counselor can simply pick out the phrase and repeat it back. Client-“ I might tell john that I want to break up tonight” Counselor- “Might”	Examples: Qualifiers- but, sort of, used to, a little, maybe, pretty much, sometimes, might, not really. Generalizes– it, they, people, that stuff Hiders- (in others- we, you, people do, everybody);(in time- I was, Isused to, someday, I will);(in blaming- because of him, if it hadn’t of been, it wasn’t my fault, I would be ok if) </p Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline. Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax. Do you need an answer to this or any other questions? Order Plagiarism Free Answer Here About Wridemy We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers. How It Works To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline. Are there Discounts? All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure. Hire a tutor today CLICK HERE to make your first order Related Tags Academic APA Writing College Course Discussion Management English Finance General Graduate History Information Justify Literature MLA