Module 5: Attending and Empathy Skills

Introduction

A note from Jon Boyd on the next phase of this course...

You have now finished the section of the course which addresses theoretical frameworks that I (and others) find useful in practice as a social worker.

• The CASW Social Work Code of Ethics (ensures that social workers do right by clients);
• Generalist Eclectic Direct Social Work Practice (emphasizes that social workers look at the big picture and find eclectic ways to help clients; not to fit clients into models);
• Ecological Systems Theory (assesses a person in their situation);
• The Strengths Perspective (understands clients as resilient, adaptive, who can heal, grow and develop, make their own decisions, and solve their own problems);
• Common Factors (emphasizes the importance of hope, therapeutic alliance, and strengths of clients and their resources, in order to facilitate change across models);
• Therapeutic Alliance (one of the most important variables in counselling outcomes, regardless of theoretical orientation of the counsellor, model or techniques used); 
• Motivation (starting where the client is);
• Basic Communication (verbal and non verbal) (how to communicate effectively);
• Problem Solving:
  • a) practical: logical and evidence-informed;
  • b) intuitive: elevation of art, creativity, and practice wisdom, to essential places in professional functioning; and
•  10 basic counselling techniques (a summary of what to do as a social worker).

This section of the course is about acquiring direct counselling skills from the intentional interviewing model by Ivey, Ivey, and Zalaquett (2018),  which builds on the theoretical frameworks studied up to this point in the course. You will explore and practice:

• Attending skills (how we listen nonverbally);
• Observation skills (verbal and nonverbal) (what we see, hear, and perceive);
• Questions (to structure the interview);
• Active listening (to show we are listening with our words);
• Noting and reflecting feelings (to be aware of, and assist clients express feelings when appropriate); and
• The 5 stage interview process (how to organize an interview primarily with listening skills).

What I want to especially draw your attention to, going forward, is the strengths perspective which emphasizes that clients are viewed as resilient, able to heal, adapt, grow and develop, are capable of making their own choices and decisions, and solve their own problems (Saleeby, 1997). This defines the role of a counsellor as more of a facilitator/consultant.

Many student counsellors (and beginning counsellors) tend to offer suggestions and directions to clients instead of assisting clients in finding their own way, whatever that is, depending on the uniqueness of each individual in their situation.

 This section, I hope, will demystify the counselling process as much as possible.

This week’s reading will familiarize you with attending and empathy skills, and the significant importance of these skills in collaborative problem-solving conversations.  

Pay attention to the descriptions of attending skills, including international perspectives, explanations of empathy, and the evidence from neuroscience about the effects (of attending and empathy) on brain functioning.