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
    • 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

Summary - Focusing on the Main Points

Summary (link to Integrative Counselling Skills in Action by Sue Culley, Tim Bondin counseling) is when you focus on the main points of a presentation or session in order to highlight them. At the same time you are giving the “gist”, you are checking to see if you are accurate.

Sum-ups happen at the beginning and at the end of a session.

In a beginning summary you are recalling what happened at the last meeting.

In an ending one, you are attempting to condense what has happened over 40 minutes into a few minutes worth of material.

In both cases your tone needs to imply that you are open to some changes in perspective. It’s important the both the client and you are “reading from the same page.

1. You came in today because you are feeling depressed.

2. Your school work is not going well.

3. You worry your boyfriend doesn’t love you.

4. You are also unhappy with the amount of stress your parents are putting on you to get A’s.

Would you say this is accurate?

Note: I don’t use numbers in a session – I just put them here for clarification. And the client will likely be commenting along the way.
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In Class Homework - Trying Out Summarizing:

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 and tone.

Ask an Open-Ended question like, “What brings you here today?” You want them to go on at some length.

Speaker - Talk away!

A few minutes later...

Listener - Take what the speaker said and condense it – watching tone.

Speaker - Let the listener know if she/he is hearing you correctly.

*****


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 interpreting back to the speaker?

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

I said this on the paraphrasing page and it bears repeating: Don’t worry if you are not completely accurate in your sum-up. That is why the listener “plays it back” to the speaker using a tentative tone – to make sure you “get it right.”


*****

Out of Class Homework


Look for opportunities to practice summarizing.


Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have. - Louis Boone

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