MODULE 2

SKILLS/ PROCEDURE IN COUNSELLING

MODULE 2: SKILLS/ PROCEDURE IN
COUNSELLING
► UNIT 0: INTRODUCTION
► UNIT 1: The initial procedures, The initial counseling interview.
► UNIT 2: Counseling skills, Advance empathy, Theme identification.
► UNIT 3: Non-verbal skills (SOLER); Listening techniques- Active
listening, forms of poor listening.
► UNIT 4: Self disclosure, Perception check, Interpretation,
Confrontation.
► UNIT 5: Immediacy, Probing, Leading techniques
UNIT 0: INTRODUCTION
► Counselling is a process involving an interaction between a counselor and a client in a
private setting, with the purpose of helping ―the client change his/ her behavior so that
he/she may obtain a satisfactory resolution of needs. Pepinsky & Pepinsky (1954)

► Patterson (1959) characterizes it as "the process involving interpersonal relationships

between a therapist and one or more clients by which the former employs psychological
methods based on systematic knowledge of the human personality in attempting to improve
the mental health of the latter."
Helping relationship is a unique and dynamic process through which
one individual assists another to use his or her inner resources to
grow in a positive direction, actualizing the individual's potential
for a meaningful life.
Affectiveness

honesty Intensity

Unique
characteristic
s of helping
relationship

Growth and
Support
change

Privacy
 Therapeutic values

The effectiveness of the helping relationship in the remediation of emotional and psychological problems and
in the growth, maturation, and self-actualization of individuals can be attributed to many factors.

Barriers of communication
1. Giving advice
Microcosm of
2. Offering solutions
the client's
world 3. Moralizing and preaching
Therapeut
ic values Trust 4. Analyzing and diagnosing
Establishment
of a therapeutic 5. Judging or criticizing
climate Acceptance
6. Praising and agreeing;
Giving positive evaluations
7. Reassuring
Barriers of
communication
 Genuineness
or
congruence

CHARACTERISTIC
Concreteness S OF AN Empathetic
or specificity EFFECTIVE understandin
of expression COUNSELLING g
RELATIONSHIP

Positive
regard or
respect
UNIT 1: THE INITIAL PROCEDURES,
THE INITIAL COUNSELING INTERVIEW.
1.1 THE INITIAL PROCEDURES

► The counselor' s primary goal is to establish rapport with the client

so that the therapeutic climate will develop.

The initial procedures of counselling consists of the following:

1.1.1 The counselling environment

Seating arrangement
1.1.2 Intake procedures
1.1.3 Confidentiality and the counselor dependability
1.1.1 The counselling environment

► Importance of the setting and the relationship of such factors as chair arrangements and room
size to the client's response to counseling. Different studies were conducted.

► Arranging an environment conducive to counseling the privacy and sound proofness of the room:
Counseling interviews can be anxiety-producing, and clients should be able to discuss their
concerns without fear that their personal self-disclosures will be heard by people walking by
during an interview.

► Counselors prefer a casual environment as conducive to relaxation. Comfortable chairs, indirect

lighting, and warm colors help develop a relaxed mood.

► Seating should be arranged so that the client is not threatened by the counselor's physical
proximity.

► Role of secretary (warm and friendly, hospitable, maintaining confidentiality, counselor is not
interrupted during the session)
Pressly and Heesacker eight common architectural characteristics of space and their potential impact on
counseling sessions.

Accessories

Thermal Color
conditions

PHYSICAL Furniture and

Texture ARRANGEMENT room design

Sound
Lighting
Smell
Seating arrangement

• While some counselors work

across a desk, we feel this sets up
communication barriers.

• Sitting face to face at close range is

too threatening for some clients.

• Client never be placed in a position

where he must face the light.

• Nature of the client's chair:

installation of large comfortable
chairs for both counselor and
client.
1.1.2 Intake Procedures

► Intake procedure includes clients filling out personal data sheets and often
also taking a battery of psychological tests.
► Intake interview: The purpose of the intake interview is to obtain a case
history on the client.
1.1.3 Confidentiality and Counselor
Dependability
► All that transpires in an interview is private, and counselors are obligated not
to discuss client relationships with outside parties unless the client has given
the counselor written permission to do so.

► The dependability of the counselor affects the client's

perception of trust in the relationship.
1.2 THE INITIAL COUNSELING INTERVIEW

1.2.1 How to open the session

1.2.2 Structuring the session
1.2.3 Goals of the first session
1.2.4 Termination of the initial interview
1.2.5 Referral procedures
 1.2.1 How to open the session

► After the client being introduced by name, the counselor

spend a few
minutes in social conversation to relieve the tension and
anxiety the client is probably experiencing.

► How the counselor opens the session depends on

whether the client is self-referred or has been referred to
counseling by another party.
A. With a self-referred client

► Structure the communication statements in terms of time limits.

► Each statement communicates that the responsibility for
the interview is the client's and that the client is to use
the time in the most meaningful way.
B. Referred to counseling by another party
► Clients referred under such circumstances are frequently more
anxious and resistant to the process. This situation requires careful
thought and planning on the counselor's part.
► Regardless of the reason for the referral, the counselor must come
across as warm and accepting.
► The counselor may want to discuss the reasons for the referral, but
the client should not feel judged and the client should be allowed to
choose the topic for the interview.
► Counselors must be careful not to allow their preconceived notions
of the problems to interfere with their response to the client's
immediate needs.
1.2.2 Structuring the session
The counselor must give attention both to structuring the initial session and
to establishing the long-term counseling relationship.
Structuring the interview is essential because it clarifies for the client what
can be expected of the counseling process. Clients frequently come to
counseling with misconceptions.

► The counselor could choose to begin by asking the client what brought
him or her to counseling and what is expected of the process. After
listening carefully to the client, the counselor reacts to the expectations
expressed. Time permitting, the interview can then proceed with a topic of
the client's choosing.
• In this initial interview, the counselor must also deal with time limits as
part of the structuring process.
► The length of the interview will vary, depending on the age of the
client and the setting.
► The counselor should state at the beginning of the session how long
the interview will be.
► The counselor tells the client toward the end of the session how
much time is left, giving the client an opportunity to raise any
unfinished business before time runs out.
► The duration of the counseling relationship can also be
discussed in the initial interview, although the counselor
will probably want one or two sessions with the client
before estimating the duration.
► Most counseling will continue for at least a month and
not longer than a year; the duration will depend on the
severity of the problem and the effectiveness of the
counseling.
1.2.3 Goals of the first session

► The client begins to build trust in the counselor during

initial counseling interview, and many of the counselor's
behaviors are being carefully scrutinized.
► The primary goal of the first session is establishing
rapport.
Eisenberg and Delaney have listed the following as appropriate process goals for the
first session:
1. Stimulate open, honest, and full communication about the concerns needing to be
discussed and the factors and background related to those concerns.
2. Work toward progressively deeper levels of understanding, respect, and trust
between self and client.
3. Provide the client with the view that something useful can be gained from the
counseling sessions.
4. Identify a problem or concern for subsequent attention and work.
5. Establish the "Gestalt" that counseling is a process in which both parties must work
hard at exploring and understanding the client and his or her concerns.
6. Acquire information about the client that relates to his or her concerns and
effective problem resolution
1.2.4 Termination of the initial
interview
► At the close of the initial counseling session, the client and
counselor must make a decision regarding the continuation of their
relationship. If the client and counselor both agree that another
session is in order, then the next appointment must be scheduled.
► It should be reiterated that the client should be notified that the
session is drawing to a close before the time period ends.
► At the end of the initial interview, the counselor must decide
whether or not to refer the client to another counselor or agency.
 1.2.5 Referral procedures
1.2.5 a. When to Refer
To make a good referral, the counselor must have information about the client and the nature
of the client's concern. The referral can be made at the close of the initial interview.
It is appropriate to refer a client when:
1. The client presents a concern that is beyond your level of competency.
2. When you feel that personality differences between you and the client cannot be resolved
and will interfere with the counseling process.
3. When the client is a personal friend or relative, and the concern is going to require an
ongoing relationship.
4. When the client is reluctant to discuss his problem with you for some reason.
5. When, after several sessions, you do not feel your relationship with the client is effective.
1.2.5 b. How to Refer
1. Rather than referring a client to an agency, whenever possible you should refer the client to
a specific person in the agency.
2. Provide the client with accurate and specific information, including the names, addresses,
and phone numbers of the persons or agencies to whom you are referring him or her. The
client may wish to place a call for an appointment from your office, but you should not make
the appointment for the client.
3. The client may ask you to share information about his concern with the person to whom he
has been referred. It is recommended that this information not be given in front of the client.
4. Do not expect to be informed regarding the confidence shared by the client with the next
counselor without the client's permission.
5. Whenever possible, follow up the referral by checking with the client to see if the new
relationship is satisfactorily meeting the client's needs. But avoid pressuring the client for
information and accept whatever the client wishes to share.
UNIT 2: COUNSELING SKILLS, ADVANCE
EMPATHY, THEME IDENTIFICATION.
2.1 COUNSELING SKILLS

2.1.1 NON-VERBAL BEHAVIOR

2.1.2 COUNSELOR NON-VERBAL BEHAVIOR
2.1.3 BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS
 2.1.1 Non-verbal behavior

► Individuals are continuously transmitting information about themselves through

their facial expressions, body movements, and proxemic behavior.
► We send many messages about how we feel, what we think, and how we react to
people and situations without uttering a word. Hence, nonverbal behavior plays a
significant role in the communication process, and nonverbal channels are
frequently less distorted by the individual
► In dyadic communication more than 65 percent of the social meaning is carried
by nonverbal messages.
► Counselors must be skillful at observing and responding to the nonverbal
messages of clients, and they must be aware of the impact of their nonverbal
behavior on the client during the counseling interview.
2.1.1.1 Modalities of Nonverbal Communication
Gazda, Asbury, Balzer, Childers, and Walters (1977) have categorized
nonverbal behaviors into four modalities.

a. Nonverbal communication behaviors using time

b. Nonverbal communication behaviors using the body
c. Nonverbal communication behaviors using vocal media
d. Nonverbal communication behaviors using the environment
 NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
BEHAVIORS USING TIME

Priorities Recognition
 Eye
contact
Touching Eye

Signals or
command NONVERBAL Skin
s COMMUNICAT
ION
Repetitiv BEHAVIORS
e USING THE
behavior BODY Posture
s

Self-inflicti Facial
ng expressio
behaviors Hand
and arm n
gestures
 Tone of
voice

NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION Rate of
Diction BEHAVIORS USING speech
VOCAL MEDIA

Loudness
of voice
 Distance

NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION Arrangement
Position in BEHAVIORS of the physical
the room USING THE setting
ENVIRONMENT

Clothing
2.1.1.2 Interpretation of Nonverbal Behavior
► Nonverbal behaviors must be viewed simply as clues to the individual's underlying
feelings and motives rather than as proof of them.
► The counselor must interpret nonverbal messages tentatively and must realize that a
given behavior may have opposite meanings for two individuals or even for the same
person on two different occasions.
► The meaning of nonverbal behaviors also varies among societies and cultures, and
counselors should be sensitive to these differences.
► The client's nonverbal behavior within the counseling interview is obviously important.
It provides the counselor with additional information about the client's thoughts and
feelings. Often an individual will communicate one message verbally and an entirely
different message through voice tone, facial expression, or body posture.Counselor must
be sensitive to nonverbal cues and skillful at responding to discrepancies between the
client's underlying feelings and verbal expressions of those feelings. The counselor's
ability to be empathic is directly related to his ability to observe and respond to
nonverbal communication.
► By bringing the nonverbal behavior to the client's awareness, the
counselor encouraged the client to share more important and personally
relevant unspoken feelings.
► The ability to observe nonverbal behavior and to respond on some level to
the message being sent, enables the counselor to project an unusual
warmth, sensitivity, and perceptiveness that enhances the intimacy of the
relationship.
► Responding to a client’s non-verbal cues before the concern has been
verbalized makes the client feel that the counselor is tuned in to her at a
level that perhaps she is not yet-aware of experiencing. This type of
interaction is possibly the source of the idea that counselors have a sixth
sense and an almost mystical perceptiveness.
2.1.2 Counselor non-verbal behavior

Attending Behaviors:
The physical presence of the counselor helps communicate
to the client that the counselor is involved in what the
client is sharing.
Among the physical attending behaviors, Egan (1975) lists
facing the person squarely, adopting an open posture,
leaning slightly forward, eye contact and assuming a
natural and relaxed position (SOLER).
2.3 BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS

2.3.1 Open-ended leads

2.3.2 Silence or passive listening
2.3.3 Listening
2.3.4 Restatement of content
2.3.5 Reflection of feeling
2.3.6 Summarization of content
2.3.7 Summarization of feeling
2.3.1 Open-ended leads

► An open-ended lead essentially says to the client, "tell me

about it." Unlike a closed question, the open-ended lead
requires more than a yes or no; typically, it opens the door to
a discussion of feelings rather than facts.
► Open-ended leads encourage clients to share their concerns with the
counselor. They place the responsibility for the interview on the client
and allow the client to explore attitudes; feelings, values, and behaviors
without being forced into the counselor's frame of reference. Closed
questions, by comparison, elicit factual information that rarely has
actual relevance to the client's concern and are asked out of the
counselor's curiosity.
Ivey (1971) has noted that open-ended Excessive reliance on open-ended
leads can be used in several different questions may lead to the following
counseling situations. problems:
1. They help begin an interview. (1) The interview digresses to a
question-and-answer interrogation in
2. They help get the interviewee to which the client waits for the counselor
elaborate on a point. to come up with the next topic;
3. They help elicit examples of specific (2) The responsibility for the interview
behavior so that the interviewer is better and the material to be discussed reverts
able to understand what the interviewee to the counselor;
is describing.
(3) The discussion moves from
4. They help focus the client's attention affectively oriented topics to cognitively
on his feelings. oriented topics; and
(4) The interview loses a sense of flow
and movement.
2.3.2 Silence or passive listening

Clients need opportunities to explore their feelings, attitudes, values, and behaviors;
initially they need someone to listen, even passively, to what they wish to share.
New counselors are typically uncomfortable with time lapses during the interview,
but if the counselor can become sensitive to the various meanings of silence and
skillful at handling these pauses, these silences can prove very useful.
► First, silence lets clients know that the responsibility for the interview lies on
their shoulders
► Second, silence allows clients to delve further into thoughts and feelings and
to ponder the implications of what has transpired during the session.
As Brammer and Shostrom (1977) have noted, silence during the
interview can have other meanings.
∙ It can mean that the client feels uncomfortable and is anxious or
embarrassed at having been sent to the counselor.
∙ It may also indicate client resistance to the process.
∙ Silence can mean that the counselor and client have reached an
impasse in the session and both are searching for direction.

Whether or not the counselor should interrupt the pause?

As a rule of thumb it is wise to let the client assume responsibility for breaking the silence when the
silence is client-initiated thought and feeling.
► In summary, the therapeutic value of silence cannot be
overstated. Silence communicates to the client a sincere
and deep acceptance. It demonstrates the counselor's
deep concern and willingness to let the client experience
the relationship without sensing pressure to be verbal.
2.3.3 Listening
The process of tuning in carefully to the client's messages and responding
accurately to the meaning behind-the message has been referred to simply as
listening
Listening at its simplist level calls on the counselor to feed back the content and
feelings that the client has expressed. On another level, listening requires that the
counselor decode the client's message. This decoding process is necessary because
human communication is often indirect. When we speak, we have a tendency to
encode our messages rather than communicating clearly and directly what we are
thinking and feeling. This process is illustrated below.
This kind of listening differs dramatically from the type of
social interaction that typifies most of our daily
experiences. Listening in on social conversations reveals
that people rarely take the time or energy to be genuinely
and sensitively involved in what someone else is sharing.
Rather, they pretend to listen long enough to gain the floor
so that they have the opportunity to share what is of
importance to them.
 2.3.4 Restatement of content
Restating the content of the client's message, the counselor feeds back to the client the content
of the statement using different words. Restatement of content serves three purposes:
(a) to convey to the client that you are with him, that you are trying to understand what he
is saying;
(b) to crystallize a client's comments by repeating what he has said in a more concise
manner;
(c) to check the interviewer's own perception to make sure she/he really does understand
what the client is describing.
In paraphrasing a client's statement, the counselor may respond to a feeling, but the focus of
the restatement is on content.
Paraphrasing is appropriate at the beginning of a counseling interview because it encourages
the client to open up and elaborate upon the concern.
However, paraphrasing does not lead to in-depth exploration and can result in circular
discussion
2.3.5 Reflection of feeling

► The basic difference between restatement of content and reflection

of feeling is one of emphasis: on the feeling the client expressed.
► By responding to the client's feelings, the counselor is telling the
client that he is trying to perceive and understand the client
accurately from the client's internal frame of reference.
► The counselor tries to identify the feeling accurately by listening
not only to what the client says but also to how the client says it.
 2.3.6 Summarization of content

Summarization enables the counselor to condense and crystallize the

essence of the client's statements.
Serve as a perception check for the counselor.
A paraphrase normally responds to the client's preceding statement; a
summary can cover an entire phase of the session or even a total interview
(Ivey, 1971).
Ivey has noted that a summarization of content is most frequently used in the following
situations:
1. When the interviewer wishes to structure the beginning of a session by recalling the high
points of a previous interview.
2. When the interviewee's presentation of a topic has been either very confusing or just plain
lengthy and rambling.
3. When an interviewee has seemingly expressed everything of importance to him on a
particular topic.
4. When plans for the next steps to be taken require mutual assessment and agreement on
what has been learned so far.
5. When, at the end of a session, the interviewer wishes to emphasize what has been learned
within it, perhaps in order to give an assignment for the interval until the next session
2.3.7 Summarization of feeling
Not only expressed feelings but also the general feeling tone of the phase of the interview
being summarized.
Summarizing a client's feelings forces the counselor to synthesize the emotional aspects of
the client's experience; that the counselor respond in a deep and perceptive way to the
emotional component of the client's experience.
Ivey has suggested that the counselor
1. Use reflections of feeling to indicate to the client that you are with him.
2. Note consistent patterns of emotion as he (she) progresses through the interview. Also
note his inconsistencies or polarities of feelings. Most clients have mixed feelings toward
important love objects or situations and showing the client how he has expressed his
mixed feelings may be especially valuable to him.
3. At two or three points during the session and at the close of the session restate in your
own words the feelings and perceptions that the client has been communicating.
2.2 ADVANCE EMPATHY

► An empathic response communicates an understanding of the client's frame of

reference and accurately identifies the client's feelings. In contrast, advanced
empathy takes the client a step further into self-exploration by adding deeper
feeling and meaning to the client's expression.
► Counselor following only empathetic counselling tries to understand the client
from the client's frame of reference. He deals with the client's feelings and the
experience underlying these feelings. Counselor following advanced empathy
skills, however, probes a bit further. From the context, from past interchanges,
from the client's manner and tone of voice, he picks up something that the client
does not express overtly.
► The advanced empathy of counselor takes the client to a new level of
self-understanding. Because the counselor sees the situation from the client's
perspective, but sees it more clearly and more fully, he can share the implications
of the client's perspective for effective or ineffective living.
 2.3 THEME IDENTIFICATION
Themes that might arise in a counseling situation could
include:

► The advanced empathic response also ∙ The client's self-concept-a poor self-image
∙ The client as a dependent person
helps the counselor identify themes in
∙ The client's need for approval
the counseling session. ∙ The client's need to be loved and accepted by
everyone
► The counselor who listens carefully ∙ The client's lack of assertiveness
and with a trained ear can begin to ∙ The client's need for control.
hear the relationship among various ∙ The client's rebellion against authority
incidents, situations, problems, and ∙ The client's insecurity with women (men)
feelings. ∙ The client's manipulative nature
∙ The client's need for security
∙ The client's inability to experience feelings in the
here and now.
► By identifying themes the counselor takes clients beyond their expressed
concerns and facilitates the self-exploration process by helping clients
confront their interpersonal style. A counselling session may consist of
several themes, but the central theme underlying the client's
interpersonal style will be repeated throughout the interview.
► Often a theme will be signaled by what might be called a “red flag” -a
word or phrase that stands out from the rest either through the voice tone
used or the significance the word or phrase, seems to have in the context
of the discussion. Themes that are repeated throughout the session
appear and reappear like a red thread woven into a cloth.
Concluding,

► The importance of theme identification in helping

clients come to new awareness regarding their
interpersonal style. In this sense the identification of a
central theme communicates an understanding of the
client's frame of reference beyond the present level of
self-awareness and thus is related to the advanced
accurate empathic response.
UNIT 3: Non-verbal skills (SOLER);
Listening techniques- Active listening,
forms of poor listening
Egan, G. (2007). The Skilled Helper: A Problem-Management and Opportunity-Development Approach
to Helping, Ninth Edition
 3.1 NON-VERBAL SKILLS (SOLER)

This was devised by Gerard Egan, and first published in his influential book, “The Skilled
Helper”, in 1975.

There are certain key nonverbal skills you can use to visibly tune in to clients. These skills can
be summarized in the acronym SOLER..

S: Face the client Squarely

O: Adopt an Open posture

L: Remember that it is possible at times to Lean toward the other

E: Maintain good Eye contact

R: Try to be relatively Relaxed or natural in these behaviors

S: Face the client Squarely

► Adopt a posture that indicates involvement.

► It usually says, “I’m here with you; I’m available to you.”
► Even when people are seated in a circle, they usually try in some way to turn
toward the individuals to whom they are speaking. The word squarely here should
not be taken too literally. “Squarely” is not a military term. The point is that your
bodily orientation should convey the message that you are involved with the client.
► If, for any reason, facing the person squarely is too threatening, then an angled
position may be more helpful. The point is not inches and angles but the quality of
your presence. Your body sends out messages whether you like it or not.
O: Adopt an Open posture

Crossed arms and crossed legs can be signs of lessened involvement with or
availability to others. An open posture can be a sign that you’re open to the
client and to what he or she has to say. An open posture is generally seen as a
non-defensive posture.
Again, the word open can be taken literally or metaphorically. If your legs are
crossed, this does not mean that you are not involved with the client. But it is
important to ask yourself, “To what degree does my present posture
communicate openness and availability to the client?” If you are empathic and
open-minded, let your posture mirror what is in your heart.
L: Remember that it is possible at times to Lean toward the
other

The main thing is to remember that the upper part of your body is on a hinge.
► It can move toward a person and back away. A slight inclination toward a person is often
seen as saying, “I’m with you, I’m interested in you and in what you have to say.”
► Leaning back (the severest form of which is a slouch) can be a way of saying, “I’m not
entirely with you” or “I’m bored.”
► Leaning too far forward, however, or doing so too soon, may frighten a client. It can be
seen as a way of placing a demand on the other for some kind of closeness or intimacy.
In a wider sense, the word lean can refer to a kind of bodily flexibility or responsiveness that
enhances your communication with a client. Bodily flexibility can mirror mental flexibility.
E: Maintain good Eye contact

Fairly steady eye contact is not unnatural for people deep in conversation. It is not
the same as staring.
Maintaining good eye contact with a client is another way of saying, “I’m with you;
I’m interested; I want to hear what you have to say.” Obviously, this principle is not
violated if you occasionally look away. Indeed, you have to if you don’t want to
stare.
But if you catch yourself looking away frequently, your behavior may give you a hint
about some kind of reluctance to be with this person or to get involved with him or
her, or it may say something about your own discomfort.
In other cultures, however, too much eye contact, especially with someone in a
position of authority, is out of order.
► Counselling who are blind or visually impaired, eye contact has little
or no relevance. However, attention on voice direction is extremely
important, and people with a visual impairment will tell you how
insulted they feel when sighted people are talking to them while
looking somewhere else.
► SOLER as part of listening and attending skills and can adapt each
letter of the acronym with the exception of the E to SOLAR, the A
being for “Aim,” that is, aim your head and body in the direction of
your client so that when they hear your voice, be it linguistically or
paralinguistically, they know that you are attending directly to what
they are saying.
R: Try to be relatively Relaxed or natural in these behaviors
Being relaxed means two things. First, it means not fidgeting nervously or
engaging in distracting facial expressions. The client may wonder what’s
making you nervous. Second, it means becoming comfortable with using your
body as a vehicle of personal contact and expression. Your being natural in the
use of these skills helps put the client at ease.
This underscores the fact that people are more sensitive to how you orient
yourself to them nonverbally than you might imagine. Anything that distracts
from your “being there” can harm the dialogue.
The point to be stressed is that a respectful, empathic, genuine, and caring
mindset might well lose its impact if the client does not see these internal
attitudes reflected in your external behaviors.
3.2 LISTENING TECHNIQUES- ACTIVE
LISTENING, FORMS OF POOR LISTENING

► 3.2.1 ACTIVE LISTENING

► 3.2.2 FORMS OF POOR LISTENING
3.2.1 ACTIVE LISTENING
• refer 2.3.3 Listening\

• Counsellors tune in both mentally and visibly in order to listen to

what clients have to say.
• Full listening means listening actively, listening accurately, and
listening for meaning.
• Listening is not merely a skill. It is a rich metaphor for the helping
relationship itself—indeed, for all relationships. Active listening
plays a key role in all human service endeavours. Effective listening
is not a state of mind, like being happy or relaxed. It’s not something
that just happens. It’s an activity. In other words, effective listening
requires work.
Examples of Active Listening
► • Head nods.
► • Smiles.
► • Appropriate eye contact.
► • Leaning forward toward the listener.
► Active listening intentionally focuses on who you are listening to, whether in a group or
one-on-one, in order to understand what he or she is saying. As the listener, you should then
be able to repeat back in your own words what they have said to their satisfaction. This does
not mean you agree with, but rather understand, what they are saying
3.2.2 FORMS OF POOR LISTENING
The four main causes of poor listening is not concentrating “spare brain time”, listening too hard
and missing the main details and points, jumping to conclusions, and focusing on delivery and
personal appearance.

In contrast to the empathic nature of good listening, poor listening includes: interrupting, and
finishing sentences. Waiting impatiently for your chance to speak. communicating with someone
else
Low concentration, or not paying close attention to speakers, is detrimental to effective listening.
It can result from various psychological or physical situations such as visual or auditory
distractions, physical discomfort, inadequate volume, lack of interest in the subject material,
stress, or personal bias. Poor listening leads to assumptions and misunderstandings.
These lead to errors, ineffective decisions, and/or costly mistakes. On a personal level, poor
listening leads to hurt feelings and a loss of team cohesion. This deteriorates trust and weakens
communication even further
UNIT 4: Self disclosure, Perception
check, Interpretation, Confrontation.
Modified
4.1 SELF DISCLOSURE
4.2 PERCEPTION CHECK
4.3 INTERPRETATION
4.3.1 CLARIFICATION
4.3.2. CONFRONTATION
4.3.3 IMMEDIACY
4.1 SELF DISCLOSURE
It may be succinctly defined as “a conscious, intentional technique in which clinicians share
information about their lives outside the counseling relationship”

Self-disclosure involves revealing your feelings and reactions to events and people as they occur.
Within the counseling relationship, the counselor may choose to reveal himself to the client to
facilitate the client's openness.

► Acdng to Sidney Jourard self-disclosure referred to making oneself known to another person by
revealing personal information. Jourard discovered that self-disclosure helped establish trust and
facilitated the counseling relationship. Clients are more likely to trust counselors who disclose
personal information (up to a point) and are prone to make reciprocal disclosures.
► According to Egan (2014), counselor self-disclosure serves two principal functions: modeling and
developing a new perspective. Clients learn to be more open by observing counselors who are
open. Counselor self-disclosure can help clients see that counselors are not free of problems or
devoid of feelings (Hackney & Cormier, 2013). Thus, while hearing about select aspects of
counselors’ personal lives, clients may examine aspects of their own lives, such as stubbornness or
fear, and realize that some difficulties or experiences are universal and manageable.
► Self-disclosure, when properly implemented, can promote a client's feeling of
being understood.
► It can also enable the counselor to identify client feelings at a deeper level
than might otherwise be achieved.
► In this respect, self-disclosure can facilitate an advanced empathic response.
► In this statement the counselor bridges the gap between herself and the client
first by letting the client know something about her personal life and second
by communicating an accepting and understanding attitude toward the client's
guilt. In essence, such a self-disclosure communicates to the client that the
counselor is a real person with problems and concerns too.
Timing is very important in the success of self-disclosure. It cannot be
overemphasized that the self-disclosure must be brief so as not to take the focus
off the client.
4.2 PERCEPTION CHECK
► Counselor statements made in response to a client's feelings should
be stated tentatively
► A perception check communicates to the client the counselor's
interest in understanding exactly what the client is experiencing,
especially when the client may not be expressing feelings directly.
► Perception Checking has 3 parts: Description, Interpretation & Clarification.
4.3 INTERPRETATION
Interpretive statements cover a broad range of counselor responses; their
purpose is to add meaning to client's attitudes, feelings, and behavior.
Interpretive responses draw causal relationships among these three areas.
Because interpretations are a process of imposing meaning on behaviors, the
interpretation will vary depending on one's theoretical orientation.
Timing is important in making interpretive responses. In the early stages of
the relationship, the counselor typically stays with the client and responds to
the client's concerns from the client's frame of reference. As the relationship
progresses, the counselor gains increasingly greater insight into the client's
dynamics and is more able to suggest or infer relationships, perceive patterns
of behavior and motives, and help the client integrate these understandings.
Three interpretive techniques: clarification, confrontation, and immediacy.
4.3.1 CLARIFICATION
In clarification, the counselor's response attempts to make
a client's verbalization clearer to both the counselor and
the client. A clarification can focus on cognitive
information, or it can seek to highlight client meanings
that are not initially clear. Clarification is related to both
skill of interpretation and the core condition of
concreteness.
4.3.2. CONFRONTATION
Confrontation holds the potential for promoting growth and change or
for devastating the client. Because it is so powerful, counselors must
implement a confrontive response with great skill.
Confronting another's behavior is a delicate procedure requiring both a
sense of timing and a sensitivity and awareness of the client's receptivity.
A confrontive response should only be made in the context of trust and
caring for the client and should not be used as a means of venting anger
and frustration."
 Uses of confrontation
i. It can be used to point to discrepancies "between what we think and feel,
and what we say and what we do, our views of ourselves and others' views
of us, what we are and what we wish to be, what we really are and what we
experience ourselves to be, our verbal and non-verbal expressions of
ourselves" (Egan, 1975)
ii. Confrontation can also be used to help clients see things as they are rather
than perceiving situations on the basis of their needs. In other words,
counselors can help clients attain an alternative frame of reference,
enabling them to clear up distortions in experience.
iii. Another use of confrontation is to help clients understand when they may
be evading issues or ignoring feedback from others.
 Cautions to be taken
Guidelines in practicing Confrontation
• Kaul, Kaul and Bedner (1973) examined the
Confront when relationship between client self-exploration and
counselor confrontation. They found that
1. You are willing to become more involved confrontive counselors did not elicit more client
with the client;
self-exploration than speculative counselors,
2. The relationship has been built and the whether judged by raters or clients.
client's level of trust in you is high;
• When Berenson and Mitchell (1974) investigated
3. The confrontation can be done out of a confrontation they found it to be useful and
genuine caring for the client's growth and concluded that confrontations help clients to see
change. Confrontation should not be used as a and experience problems rather than just
way to meet the counselor's needs. understanding them.
• The research on confrontation is rather
inconclusive, and it is recommended that
confrontation be used discreetly and with care
rather than as a modus operandi.
4.3.3 IMMEDIACY
The counselor-client relationship mirrors the client's behavior in the outside
world, which makes it an ideal situation exploring the client's interpersonal
skills. If counselors can be sensitive to the dynamics of their relationships
with clients, they can help their clients explore interpersonal issues ranging
from trust and dependency to manipulation.
The skill of immediacy involves counselors being sensitively tuned in to
their interactions with and reactions to clients as they occur. They can
respond to these feelings either about the client or the relationship in the
here and now.
Immediacy requires that counselors trust their gut-level reactions and that
they respect the client.
UNIT 5: Immediacy, Probing, Leading
techniques
5.0 NUDGING
Probing and summarizing are often used as nudges (“any aspect of the choice
architecture that alters behavior in a predictable way without forbidding any
options”).
Although it is essential that helpers respond with empathy when their clients do
reveal themselves, it is also necessary at times to nudge, encourage, or prompt
clients to explore their concerns when they fail to do so spontaneously.
Prompts and probes are verbal and sometimes nonverbal tactics for helping clients
talk more freely and concretely about any issue at any stage of the helping process.
For instance, counselors can use probes to help clients identify and explore
opportunities they have been overlooking, to clear up blind spots, to translate
dreams into realistic goals, to come up with plans for accomplishing goals, and to
work through obstacles to action. Probes, judiciously used, provide focus and
direction for the entire helping process.
5.1 PROBES
Used judiciously, probes help clients name, take notice of, explore, clarify,
or further define any issue at any stage of the helping process. They are
designed to provide clarity and to move things forward. Probes take different
forms.
5.1.1 DIFFERENT FORMS OF PROBES
Probes take different forms:
a) Statements
b) Requests
c) Questions
d) Single words or phrases that are in effect questions or requests
GUIDELINES FOR USING PROBES

► Use probes to help clients engage as fully as possible in the therapeutic dialogue
► Use probes to help clients achieve concreteness and clarity
► Use probes to explore and clarify clients’ points of view, intentions, proposals, and decisions
► Use probes to help clients fill in missing pieces of the picture
► Use probes to help clients get a balanced view of problem situations and opportunities
► Use probes to help clients move into more beneficial stages of the helping process
► Use probes to invite clients to challenge themselves
5.2 LEADING TECHNIQUES
The term "lead" is used with two meanings.
One usage refers to the extent to which the counselor is ahead or behind the
client's thinking, and the extent to which the counselor directs the client's
thinking or "pushes" the client into accepting the counselor's remark.
The term “lead” was coined by Francis Robinson (1950) and used in a
different, but related, sense. Robinson construes leading in counseling to
mean "a teamlike working together in which the counselor's remarks seem to
the client to state the next point he is ready to accept". In addition, Robinson
compares leading to the act of passing a football down the field so that the
receiver's path passes the flight path of the ball at the same time.
Using Leads
∙ One principle is to lead only as much as the client can tolerate at his present level of
ability and understanding. Enough old material must be mentioned to form a bridge of
understanding to the next new idea. Robinson uses a ladder analogy to indicate that the
counselor is not more than one rung ahead of the client, hence, close to his needs and
interests. A lead too far ahead of the client generally pushes the outer-defense system
severely and arouses resistance to counseling. Similarly, too little lead may annoy
clients who feel that the counselor should carry more of the responsibility for the
interview talk.
∙ The second general principle of leading is to vary the lead. The amount of lead changes
from topic to topic or within a discussion unit so as to match the pace and lead of the
client.
∙ A third principle is to start the counseling process with little lead. For example, begin
the counseling process with relationship techniques which have little lead weighting
until the relationship is well established. Then increase the lead as needed with
information and interpretation, which are useful in developing awareness.
► Minimal leads (sometimes referred to as minimal encouragers) such as “hmmm,” “yes,” or “I
hear you” are best used in the building phase of a relationship because they are low risk.
► Maximum leads, such as confrontation, are more challenging and should be employed only after
a solid relationship has been established.
► The indirect lead may be used to help the client elaborate upon a topic of his choice.
► The direct lead indicates the area of discussion desired from the client and is akin to the
probing techniques.

If they misjudge and the lead is either too far ahead (i.e., too persuasive or direct) ornot far
enough (too uninvolved and nondirect), the counseling relationship suffers.