Page 66 - PartA

Counselling Skills

Counsellors must also demonstrate active listening by employing various techniques
throughout their counselling relationship with the client. These include:

• Facing the client – sitting straight, or leaning forwards to show
attentiveness is also useful

• Maintaining eye contact shows the speaker you are interested in them and
what they have to say

• Responding appropriately, by nodding, eyebrow raising and supplying other
more direct responses, prompts the client to continue talking

• Focusing solely on what the client is saying to enable the counsellor to
follow the logical flow of the conversation

• Only asking questions for clarification.

Reflective listening and responding

This is the process of summarising what has just been said, so that the client
understands that you have clearly heard what they have disclosed. It is confirmation
that a counsellor validates the client, by acknowledging what is being said, and by
providing further opportunity to talk.

Blocks to listening

Whilst actively listening, it is important that a counsellor stops any other kind
of distraction.

64