Effective Communication and Counselling Microskills

Study Notes

Verbal Communication: face-to-face interactions, tone of voice, pitch, volume, and language
Nonverbal Communication: body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and physical touch
Active Listening: maintaining eye contact, nodding, and summarizing to ensure understanding

Attending: giving full attention to the client, maintaining eye contact, and avoiding distractions
Open-Ended Questions: encouraging clients to share information and explore their thoughts and feelings
Reflective Listening: paraphrasing and reflecting back what the client has said to ensure understanding and show empathy
Empathy: understanding and acknowledging the client's perspective and emotions
Probing: asking specific questions to gather more information or clarify client's concerns

Person-Centred Approach: focusing on the client's self-actualization and promoting a non-judgmental and empathetic environment
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviours
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: goal-oriented and focusing on finding solutions to client's problems

Establishing Trust: building a rapport with the client, being empathetic, and maintaining confidentiality
Boundaries: setting clear limits and expectations with the client to maintain a professional relationship
Cultural Sensitivity: being aware of cultural differences and adapting counselling approaches to meet client's needs

Power Imbalance: recognizing and addressing power differences between the counsellor and client
Resistance: identifying and addressing client resistance to change or the counselling process
Self-Disclosure: being aware of personal biases and emotions, and maintaining a professional distance from the client

Verbal communication involves face-to-face interactions, tone of voice, pitch, volume, and language used.
Nonverbal communication includes body language, facial expressions, eye contact, and physical touch that convey meaning.
Active listening requires maintaining eye contact, nodding, and summarizing to ensure understanding.

Attending involves giving full attention to the client, maintaining eye contact, and avoiding distractions to create a conducive environment.
Open-ended questions encourage clients to share information and explore their thoughts and feelings, promoting in-depth discussion.
Reflective listening involves paraphrasing and reflecting back what the client has said to ensure understanding and show empathy, building trust and rapport.
Empathy is understanding and acknowledging the client's perspective and emotions, creating a safe space for expression.
Probing involves asking specific questions to gather more information or clarify client's concerns, ensuring a comprehensive understanding.

Person-centred approach focuses on the client's self-actualization, promoting a non-judgmental and empathetic environment that empowers clients.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) identifies and challenges negative thought patterns and behaviours, promoting positive change.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is goal-oriented, focusing on finding solutions to client's problems in a time-efficient manner.

Establishing trust involves building a rapport with the client, being empathetic, and maintaining confidentiality to create a safe and secure environment.
Boundaries involve setting clear limits and expectations with the client to maintain a professional relationship and avoid confusion.
Cultural sensitivity involves being aware of cultural differences and adapting counselling approaches to meet client's needs, ensuring inclusivity.

Power imbalance occurs when there is a difference in power between the counsellor and client, affecting the counselling process and requiring careful management.
Resistance involves identifying and addressing client resistance to change or the counselling process, ensuring a collaborative approach.
Self-disclosure involves being aware of personal biases and emotions, and maintaining a professional distance from the client to avoid contamination of the therapeutic relationship.