Attending Skills in Counseling

Active listening techniques used to engage with a client, including eye contact, body language, and vocal qualities.

A model for attending behaviors emphasizing body positioning (Squarely facing, Open posture, Lean, Eye Contact, Relaxed).

Maintaining appropriate eye contact to show active listening and empathy.

Questions that encourage detailed responses, allowing for more information and exploration.

Using non-verbal cues (posture, gestures) to show engagement with the client.

Concentrating on the client to minimize distractions both internal and external.

Questions that elicit short, specific answers (yes/no, or a single word).

A framework for attending behaviors: Visual/eye contact, Vocal qualities (tone, rate), Verbal tracking (staying on topic), and Attentive Body Language.

The ability to ask effective questions and use active listening to gain insight and understanding.

A real-life example of a client presenting with personality changes following an acquired brain injury.

Attending to the client's topic and staying focused on the conversation.

Practicing attending skills by simulating real-life interactions with social work principles and objectives.

A brain injury that occurs after birth, not present at birth, potentially causing various impairments.

Questions like "What are you feeling today?" or "Could you tell me more about that?"

Questions like "Are you feeling better today?" or "Did you have breakfast this morning?"

Verbal and nonverbal cues that support continued client talking.

Facilitate client talk and elaboration on topics.

Restating the client's message in your own words, highlighting key points.

Demonstrate understanding and emphasize cognitive/objective content.

Repeating the client's exact words.

Clients' feelings of worth and adequacy.

Can lead to feelings of inadequacy.

Repeating key client words to steer the conversation.

Sudden episodes of intense fear and anxiety, often accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heart rate and shortness of breath.

Issues relating to emotional well-being and psychological stability, such as panic attacks.

The effect of workplace pressures on personal well-being, including mental health.

A husband who provides emotional support to his wife during challenging times.

A client's reluctance to take medication, often due to fear of possible negative consequences or social perception.

A communication technique focused on understanding the speaker's perspective, avoiding judgment in favour of listening to fully comprehend their views.

Not revealing the full extent of one's problems to avoid worrying others, often due to existing stress.

Bodily reactions caused by stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, such as troubled breathing or a rapid heartbeat.

To shorten and clarify client comments, reducing repetition.

Includes client's name/intro, key words, essence of their situation, and an accuracy check.

Clarifying and condensing client statements over a period of time, can begin, end, or transition topics, and include verbal and nonverbal cues.

Helps the interviewer and client organize and understand interview points, by thinking back to and capturing key issues.

SSW uses open-ended questions to delve into client concerns, mixing open & closed questions focusing on paraphrasing and encouragement; ending with a summary and accuracy check.

Observers and SSW review the statements made, assessing them as encouragers, paraphrases, summaries or other. Goal is clear communication classification.

Questions that encourage detailed and more elaborated responses in the client.

Questions that elicit specific answers or limited ranges of answers.