Basic Counseling Skills
  • Home
  • A. TECHNIQUES
  • Pattern of Sessions
  • Active Listening
  • Body Language
  • Asking Questions
  • Paraphrasing/Tone
  • Summary
  • Note Taking
  • Homework
  • Goodie Bag/Fun Stuff
  • Technique References
  • B. THEORIES
  • Client Centered
  • Holistic/Biopsychosocial
  • Strengths Based
  • Cognitive/Behavioral
  • Solution Focused
  • Existential Therapy
  • Letting Go
  • Theory References
  • C. SAMPLE SESSIONS
  • 1. Client Centered Counseling
  • 2.&3. No Show/Cancellation
  • 4. Strengths Based
  • 5. Cognitive Beh. Counseling
  • 6. Holistic Health Counseling
  • 7. Solution Focused
  • 8. Existential Counseling
  • 9. Becoming Unnecessary
  • D. SELF HELP
  • Journaling
  • Mood Mapping
  • Whole Health Check In
  • Community Resources
  • Ten Things I Like About Me
  • Common Lies We Tell
  • Goal-Setting
  • A Why to Bear a How
  • Happy People
  • Self-Help References
  • E. CONTINUING EDUCATION
  • F. SITE MAP
  • G. CONTACT ME!
  • H. Readers Contributions
    • Articles >
      • Addiction and Sleep - Jessica S >
        • Alcohol Counseling - Carol G.
        • Depression and Addiction Rehab - Katherine C
        • Quit Smoking and Alcohol Rehab
        • Reducing Stigma - Patricia S.
        • Suicidal Thoughts and Alcohol Abuse - Julia W
        • Recovery Village - William B.
        • Bereavement Counseling - Sally W
        • Personality Traits - Sally W
        • 3 Solutions to Worst Fears - Paige M
        • 30 Min Reduce Anxiety - Paige M
        • Restorative Power of Arts & Crafts - Sally W
        • 3 Ways - Rid of Sunday Scaries
        • Conquer Fear of Flying - Sally W.
        • Document Anxiety through Journaling - Sally W
        • Career Options - Sally W
        • School Counselor ToolKit - Serena K.
        • Psychology Degrees - Lindsay F
        • Depression and Addiction Rehab - Katherine C
        • Diagnosing Depression - Melissa M
        • PostPartum Depression - Tracey F
        • Assisted Living Options for People with Disabilities
        • Wheelchair Home Safety - Michael M
        • Cerebral Palsy Resources
        • Counseling and Persistent Pain - Sally W
        • Mesothelioma Guide - Corine F.
        • Mesothelioma Resources
        • Finding Start Up Success - Eva B
        • Cleaning House for Better Health - Cheryl C.
        • Destress/Clean Home - Cheryl C
        • Financial Stress - Sally W.
        • Financial Debt - Sally W
        • Be Happy - Hazel G.
        • Gut Health & Mental Health - Sally W
        • How Having a Skincare Routine
        • Counseling the Impoverished - Sally W
        • Conquering Interviews - Eva B
        • Daily Journal Routine - Paige M
        • 4 Journaling Tips for Beginners - Shristi Patni
        • Drug Dangers - Rebecca P.
        • Recall Report - Laura P.
        • Living Mindfully - Mollie Wilson
        • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Sally W.
        • Couns. Resources - Tim C.
        • Practical Financial SKills - Johanne H
        • Nutrition to Help Anxiety - Sally W
        • Retirement Career Change - Sally W
        • Managing Phobias - Sally W
        • Healing Power of Pets - Sally W
        • Geriatric Counseling - Sally W
        • Counseling Seniors with Anxiety - Sally W
        • Senior Resources - Claire S.
        • Addiction and Sleep - Jessica S
        • Better Sleep - Better Health - Cheryl C
        • Treating Insomnia - Sally W
        • Tuck Sleep - Kellen S
        • De-Fogging Brain - Sally W
        • Recovery from Sports Injury
        • Improving Mental Clarity - Sally W
        • Indoor Air Quality Can Affect Mental Health - Sally W
        • Stress on Health - Sally W.
        • Stress Management - Sally W
        • Suicidal Thoughts and Alcohol Abuse - Julia W
        • Summer Side Gigs for Teachers - Joyce W
        • Tobacco in 2017 - Mary G.
        • Take Control of Your Life - Dorothy Watson
        • No More Winter Blues - Rufus Carter
        • How I Put Anxiety Attacks on Pause
        • 8 Effective Tips for Improving Mental Health - Camille Johnson
        • Manage And Reduce Stress For Your Employees With These Tips - Rufus Carters
        • Moving Forward When Grief Intrudes in Your Life - Camille J
        • Working Remotely - Emma Grace Brown
        • Unlock Greater Confidence - Rufus Carter
        • Coping With a Mid-Life Crisis - Rufus Carter
        • 6 Self-Care Tips - Laurie Abner
        • Help a Loved One After the Loss of a Spouse - Rufus CarterNew Page
        • Relocating After a Tragic Loss - Lucille Rosetti
        • Guidelines for Teens Who Want to Thrive as Entrepreneurs - Lucille Rosetti
        • 5 Common Lifestyle Habits That Can Cause Skin Damage - Andrew Mark
        • What to Do if a Loved One Is Battling Addiction
        • From Addiction Recovery to Financial Independence
        • Major Life Transition - Ryan Randolph
        • Find Your True Path - Ryan Randolk
        • Officers Coping With PTSD - Ryan Randolph
        • Self-Care Secrets for the Rookie Caregiver - Ryan Randolf
        • Self-Care Building Blocks for Improving Your Mental Health - Cheryl Conklin
        • Avoiding Burnout in the Counseling Profession
  • Reset Your Day Without Burning Out
  • The Big 6 Personality Traits
  • When Everything Breaks, Something Begins - Holli Richardson
  • Simple, Sustainable Gifting

Paraphrasing - What You Think the Speaker Said

Paraphrasing (link to Integrative Counselling Skills in action by Sue Culley, Tim Bond) is when you, the listener, restate succinctly and tentatively what the speaker said - conveying empathy, acceptance and genuineness.

Since we cannot read our client’s mind and we’ve been given a lot of extraneous material, it’s good to learn how to rephrase briefly and acknowledge that this is what we think the client has said. For example, let’s say the client has gone into a lot of detail about a traffic jam and the effect on his blood pressure and his resulting visit with the doctor and the rude nurse and and and… To paraphrase would be to say in a tentative voice,“So after the traffic jam you felt your blood pressure was up, and the doctor confirmed this…?”
By doing this you are letting your client know that you understand and, if you don’t, are willing to be corrected. AND you are helping her or him to “cut to the chase.” What would not be helpful to say right now is, “So you have an anger management problem!?” It may be what you are thinking, but you want the client to keep talking and for the client to come to that conclusion on her or his own.

By the way, this is a good time to take interest in the tone of your voice. Be watchful of whether it is…


• High / low

• Loud / soft

Picture
• Fast / slow

• Accommodating / demanding

• Light-hearted / gloomy

Moderation in all things including voice. And remember, the person may not remember what was said, but they will remember how you made them feel!


In Class Homework - Trying Out Paraphrasing:

10 minutes of listening and restating in a compact sympathetic way, and 5 minutes of feedback

Listener - Get ready to actively listen and get into your encouraging body language.

Ask an OEQ like, “What brings you here today?” You want the speaker to go on at some length.

Speaker - Talk away!

A few minutes later...

Listener - Take what the speaker is saying and condense it – watching tone. You want to sound tentative.

Speaker - Let the listener know if she/he is on the right track.

*****


Speaker


1. Did you feel you were being sympathetically heard?

2. What percentage correct was the speaker? Ten percent? 90%? How come?

Listener

1. How was it to listen with the understanding you would be paraphrasing back to the speaker?

2. Did you feel you were “on the same page”? If not, why not?

Don’t worry if you are not completely accurate. That is why the listener “plays it back” to the speaker using a tentative tone.

Remember! The person may forget what you said, but will never forget how you made them feel!

Time to do the switcheroo!


*****

Out of Class Homework


Look for opportunities to practice paraphrasing.


Don't look at me in that tone of voice! - David Farber
Lounge Cats II
Buy at AllPosters.com
take me to the top of the page!
Proudly powered by Weebly