counselling
TRANSCRIPT
Counseling
• Prepare for a counseling session.
• Conduct a counseling session.
• Avoid pitfalls in conducting a session, and
• Decide whether or not to write a counseling memo.
Introduction• Counseling is a wonderful twentieth-century invention. We live in a
complex, busy, changing world. In this world, there are many different types of experience that are difficult for people to cope with.
• Most of the time, we get on with life, but sometimes we are stopped in our tracks by an event or situation that we do not, at that moment,
have the resources to sort out. Most of the time, we find ways of dealing with such problems in living by talking to family, friends, neighbors, priests or our family doctor. But occasionally their advice is not sufficient, or we are too embarrassed or
ashamed to tell them what is bothering us, or we just don’t have an appropriate person to turn to.
Counselling is a really useful option at these moments. In most places, counselling is available fairly quickly, and costs little or nothing
Defining Counselling
The term ‘counselling’ includes work with individuals and with relationships which may be developmental, crisis support, psychotherapeutic, guiding or problem solving . . . The task of counselling is to give the ‘client’ an opportunity to explore, discover and clarify ways of living more satisfyingly and resourcefully
Defining Counselling
Discussion of an emotional problem with an employee with a general objective of decreasing it.
Emphasizes personal growth & development, achievement of harmony with the environment, influencing society to recognize individual differences and encourage development of individuals
Defining Counselling
• Face to face meeting of the counselor & the counselee
• Helping process should be followed by constructive action
Advice• Many persons think of counseling as primarily an advice-
giving activity, but in reality it is but one of several functions that counselors perform.
• The giving of advice requires that a counselor make judgments about a counselee’s problems and lay out a course of action.
• Herein lies the difficulty, because understanding another
person’s complicated emotions is almost impossible. Advice-giving may breed a relationship in which the counselee feels inferior and emotionally dependent on the counselor.
• In spite of its ills, advice giving occurs in routine counseling sessions because members expect it and counselors tend to provide it.
Reassurance
• Counseling can provide members with re- assurance, which is a way of giving them courage to face a problem or confidence that they are pursuing a suitable course of action.
• Reassurance can be a valuable, though sometimes temporary, cure for a member’s emotional upsets.
• Sometimes just the act of talking with someone about a problem can bring about a sense of relief that will allow the member to function normally again.
Release of Emotional Tension
• . People tend to get emotional release from their frustrations and other problems whenever they have an opportunity to tell someone about them. Counseling history consistently shows that as persons begin to explain their problems to a sympathetic listener, their tensions begin to subside.
Release of Emotional Tension
• . They become more relaxed and tend to become more coherent and rational. The release of tensions does not necessarily mean that the solution to the problem has been found, but it does help remove mental blocks in the way of a solution.
Clarified Thinking
• Clarified thinking tends to be a normal result of emotional release. The fact is that not all clarified thinking takes place while the counselor and counselee are talking.
• All or part of it may take place later as a result of developments during the counseling relationship.
• The net result of clarified thinking is that a person is encouraged to accept responsibility for problems and to be more realistic in solving them.
Reorientation• Reorientation is more than mere emotional release or clear thinking
about a problem. I• t involves a change in the member’s emotional self through a
change in basic goals and aspirations. • Very often it requires a revision of the member’s level of aspiration
to bring it more in line with actual attainment. • It causes people to recognize and accept their own limitations. • The counselor’s job is to recognize those in need of
reorientation before their need becomes severe, so that they can be referred to professional help.
• Reorientation is the kind of function needed to help alcoholics return to normalcy or to treat those with mental
Emotional Intelligence
• An assortment of noncognitive skills, capabilities, and competencies that influence a person’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures.
Emotional Intelligence (EI)
– Self-awareness– Self-management– Self-motivation– Empathy– Social skills
Personality TypesPersonality TypesType A’s1. are always moving, walking, and eating rapidly;2. feel impatient with the rate at which most events take place;3. strive to think or do two or more things at once;4. cannot cope with leisure time;5. are obsessed with numbers, measuring their success in
terms of how many or how much of everything they acquire.
Type B’s1. never suffer from a sense of time urgency with its
accompanying impatience;2. feel no need to display or discuss either their achievements
or accomplishments;3. play for fun and relaxation, rather than to exhibit their
superiority at any cost;4. can relax without guilt.
The aims of counsellingInsight. The acquisition of an understanding of the origins and development ofemotional difficulties, leading to an increased capacity to take rational controlover feelings and actions (Freud: ‘where id was, shall ego be’).
• Relating with others. Becoming better able to form and maintain meaningful and satisfying relationships with other people: for example, within the family or workplace.
• Self-awareness. Becoming more aware of thoughts and feelings that had been blocked off or denied, or developing a more accurate sense of how self is perceived by others.
• Self-acceptance. The development of a positive attitude towards self, markedby an ability to acknowledge areas of experience that had been the subject ofself-criticism and rejection.
Need For Counseling
• We are living in a much more complex world, with many more choices than our forefathers
• Employee may be1. Unable to concentrate2. Ineffective3. Frustrated4. Facing Conflict5. Facing Stress6. Increased Absenteeism
Freud’s Id, Ego & Superego
The aims of counselling• Self-actualization or individuation. Moving in the direction of fulfilling potential or
achieving an integration of previously conflicting parts of self.
• Enlightenment. Assisting the client to arrive at a higher state of spiritualawakening.
• Problem-solving. Finding a solution to a specific problem that the client had notbeen able to resolve alone. Acquiring a general competence in problem-solving.
• Psychological education. Enabling the client to acquire ideas and techniques withwhich to understand and control behaviour.
• Acquisition of social skills. Learning and mastering social and interpersonal skillssuch as maintenance of eye contact, turn-taking in conversations, assertivenessor anger control.
Types of Counseling
• Directive Counseling
• Non Directive Counseling
• subside. They become more relaxed and tend to become more coherent and rational. The release of tensions does not necessarily mean that the solution to the problem has been found, but it does help remove mental blocks in the way of a solution. Clarified Thinking Clarified thinking tends to be a normal result of emotional release. The fact is that not all clarified thinking takes place while the counselor and counselee are talking. All or part of it may take place later as a result of developments during the counseling relationship. The net result of clarified thinking is that a person is encouraged to accept responsibility for problems and to be more realistic in solving them. Reorientation Reorientation is more than mere emotional release or clear thinking about a problem. It involves a change in the member’s emotional self through a change in basic goals and aspirations. Very often it requires a revision of the member’s level of aspiration to bring it more in line with actual attainment. It causes people to recognize and accept their own limitations. The counselor’s job is to recognize those in need of reorientation before their need becomes severe, so that they can be referred to professional help. Reorientation is the kind of function needed to help alcoholics return to normalcy or to treat those with mental disorders.
TYPES OF COUNSELING
• Counseling should be looked upon in terms of the amount of direction that the counselor gives the counselee.
• This direction ranges from full direction (directive counseling) to no direction (nondirective counseling).
Directive Counseling
• Directive counseling is the process of Listening to a member’s problem, deciding with the member what should be done, and then encouraging and motivating the person to do it.
This type of counseling accomplishes the function of
advice; but it may also reassure; give emotional release; and, to a minor extent, clarify thinking. Most everyone likes to give advice, counselors included, and it is easy to do.
Directive Counseling
Although advice-giving is of questionable value, some of the other functions achieved by directive counseling are worthwhile.
If the counselor is a good listener, then the member should experience some emotional release.
As the result of the emotional release, plus ideas that the counselor imparts, the member may also clarify thinking. Both advice and reassurance may be worthwhile if they give the member more courage to take a workable course of action that the member supports.
Directive Counseling• But is it effective? • Does the counselor really understand the member’s problem? • Does the counselor have the technical knowledge of human behavior and the
judgment to make the “right” decision? • If the decision is right, will the member follow it?
• The answer to these questions is often no, and that is why advice- giving is sometimes an unwise act in counseling.
• Although advice-giving is of questionable value, some of the other functions achieved by directive counseling are worthwhile. If the counselor is a good listener, then the member should experience some emotional release. As the result of the emotional release, plus ideas that the counselor imparts, the member may also clarify thinking. Both advice and reassurance may be worthwhile if they give the member more courage to take a workable course of action that the member supports.
Nondirective Counseling• Nondirective, or client-centered, counseling is the process of skillfully listening to a
counselee, encouraging the person to explain bothersome problems, and helping him or her to understand those problems and determine courses of action.
• This type of counseling focuses on the member, rather than on the counselor as a judge and advisor; hence, it is “client-centered.”
• This type of counseling is used by professional counselors, but nonprofessionals may use its techniques to work more effectively with service members. The unique advantage of nondirective counseling is its ability to cause the member’s reorientation. It stresses changing the person, instead of dealing only with the immediate problem in the usual manner of directive counseling. The counselor attempts to ask discerning questions, restate ideas, clarify feelings, and attempts to understand why these feelings exist. Professional counselors treat each counselee as a social and organizational equal. They primarily listen and try to help their client discover and follow improved courses of action. They especially “listen between the lines” to learn the full meaning of their client’s feelings. They look for assumptions underlying the counselee’s statements and for the events the counselee may, at first, have avoided talking about. A person’s feelings can be likened to an iceberg. The counselor will usually only see the revealed feelings and emotions. Underlying these surface indications is the true problem that the member is almost always initially reluctant to reveal. 4-27
Nondirective Counseling
• Nondirective, or client-centered, counseling is the process of skillfully listening to a counselee,encouraging the person to explain bothersome problems, and helping him or her to understand those problems and determine courses of action.
• This type of counseling focuses on the member, rather than on the counselor as a judge and advisor; hence, it is “client-centered.”
• This type of counseling is used by professional counselors, but nonprofessionals may use its techniques to work more effectively with service members.
• The unique advantage of nondirective counseling is its ability to cause the member’s reorientation.
• It stresses changing the person, instead of dealing only with the immediate problem in the usual manner of directive counseling.
Non Directive Counseling
• The counselor attempts to ask discerning questions, restate ideas, clarify feelings, and attempts to understand why these feelings exist.
• Professional counselors treat each counselee as a social and organizational equal.
• They primarily listen and try to help their client discover and follow improved courses of action.
• They especially “listen between the lines” to learn the full meaning of their client’s feelings.
• They look for assumptions underlying the counselee’s statements and for the events the counselee may, at first, have avoided talking about.
• A person’s feelings can be likened to an iceberg. The counselor will usually only see the revealed feelings and emotions. Underlying these surface indications is the true problem that the member is almost always initially reluctant to reveal.
Industrial Psychology
• The Industrial Psychology division is concerned
with the assessment and evaluation of the nature of work, working conditions and work organization.
• By carrying out multi-disciplinary studies, surveys and training courses, ways are sought for better management of human resources to ensure safety, health and welfare of the employees.
Main Areas of Research
• Psycho-social aspects of safety management
• Employee Participation in Safety & Health at Work
• Assessment and management of Occupational stress
• Mental health in the industry • Psychological testing
Training On….
• Managing stress at work place • Counseling for safety and health • Management of human factors in safety
and health • Participative approach for safety and
health at work • Psychological testing for selection and
placement of personnel • Handling problem behavior of employees
• Plan your counseling sessionDefine your objectives for the session – write down what you hope to accomplish.Have all documentation available.Review the facts. Make an outline to be sure you cover all the points of concern. Schedule a time when you will not be disturbed.Arrange for a place where you can meet in private.
• Verbally inform the employeeLet the employee know what the meeting will be about, as well as where and when it will be held. Do this in private and in person.
• Schedule the meeting on your calendarMark the date on your calendar so there will be no scheduling conflict.
What To Do During the Counseling Session
• How you behave and what you say during a counseling session can affect the outcome. Be sure to follow these five guidelines when conducting a counseling session:
1. Set a positive tone for the session. 2. Clearly describe the problem or improvement
opportunity. 3. Ask, then listen. 4. Identify options for correcting the situation. 5. Listen.
Guideline 1 – Set a Positive Tone for the Session
• Counseling is a process for helping the employee identify performance and/or behavior problems, and then find a solution. Setting the proper tone will help accomplish this.
• Welcome the employee. • Tell the employee he or she is here for a counseling session. • Explain the purpose of the meeting. • Be yourself. Act in a manner consistent with your normal demeanor. • Try to control your emotions and reactions. • Remember, a counseling session is a problem-solving session. You
are not there to attack or punish the employee. • Focus on the behavior of the employee, not the employee’s
"character" or "morality." • Don’t use judgmental language.
Guideline 2- Clearly Describe the Problem or Improvement
Opportunity • After you have welcomed the employee to the
counseling session and have explained why he or she is there, stick to the facts. Avoid sharing opinions and don’t get personal.
• Be direct and clear. • Talk about the behavior you have observed. • Describe the problem in concrete terms, using specific
examples. • Explain how the employee’s behavior affects others. • Explain rules, policies, and expectations regarding the
performance. • Make sure the employee understands what is expected
in the future.
Guideline 3 - Ask, Then Listen
• Counseling is not one-way; it is a two-way, face-to-face communication. Be sure to give the employee ample and reasonable opportunity to respond.
• Ask for the employee’s response. • Listen to the employee’s perspective on the situation. • Ask open-ended questions. • Keep an open mind during the counseling session. If the
discussion reveals your information was incorrect, or the employee’s explanation is satisfactory, say so to the employee
Guideline 4 – Identify Options for Correcting the Situation
• Once you have established a rapport with the employee by identifying the problem area, explore with him or her ways to improve or correct the situation.
• Reinforce expectations. • Discuss ways to improve. • Encourage the employee’s suggestions for correcting the
situation. • Make the employee aware of other resources, such as
EAP. • Establish a performance improvement plan with the
employee. • Include clear expectations and a date for a follow-up
session.
Guideline 5 – Take Notes
• If you have properly prepared for the counseling session, you’ll have your "plan of action" in front of you. Take notes during the dialogue. Notes are invaluable, they can:
• Refresh your memory about what occurred in the session and the actions upon which you and the employee agreed.
• Help you summarize the session with the employee.
• Form the basis for the counseling memo, if you decide a memo is appropriate.
Minimizing Conflict During Counseling
• Counseling is personal and private, and there is no guaranteed formula for success. During counseling, it is important to use good judgment. There may be times when the employee becomes hostile. You can minimize this by being pro-active and showing sincere interest in working with the employee to resolve the problem.
• Here are some things you can do to minimize conflict:• Counsel in a timely manner. • Look for the root cause of the problem. • Let the employee talk. • Listen. Don’t interrupt. • Show sincere interest in the employee. • If you can help, offer it. If you offer it, do it.
Concluding the Session
• The conclusion of the counseling session is the time to review and summarize key points from the meeting. This is critical.
• Summarize the meeting to ensure understanding.
• Inform the employee if the counseling session will be documented in writing and placed in his or her Personal History Folder.
After the Counseling Session
• What you do after a counseling session is just as important as what you have done during the session. After the counseling session, follow these guidelines.
• DocumentPrepare a memo, if appropriate. If a memo is not written, it is important that you keep notes. You may need to recall the employee’s behavior and what was discussed at the session. You may need to refer back to these notes if the behavior does not improve and another counseling session is required.
• ImmediacyWhatever you decide to do after a counseling session, do it immediately following the session. Your thoughts will be fresh and accurate. Even waiting one day can cloud your recollection of the session. Remember to schedule the counseling session in such a way that allows you time to either draft a memo or prepare notes.
• Continue to Monitor PerformanceMaintain a supervisory eye on the employee. The purpose of the counseling session was to set expectations. Now is the time to monitor the employee’s performance.
The Last Step in the Counseling Process
• The last step in the counseling process is to decide whether or not to write a counseling memo. A counseling memo is a structured account of the counseling session, detailing what was said and by whom. It summarizes the performance improvement process and notes when the follow-up session will be held. You must tell the employee during the counseling session if you will be writing a counseling memo which will be placed in his or her Personal History Folder.
• When making the decision about whether or not to write a counseling memo, consider if any of the following are present:
• Previous counseling has failed to bring improvement. • You have little or no confidence that the employee will correct the
problem without further encouragement. • The seriousness of the situation requires it, or • A multi-step plan for improvement is designed and the memo can
serve as a written confirmation and reminder.
Writing a Memo:Format
• Address to the employee• Be concise and clear• Tone should be supportive and factual• Date and sign the memo• Include signature line for recipient to
acknowledge receipt• Include all others who will receive a copy
(cc:), including the employee’s personnel folder
Writing a Memo:
• Date, time, and place of the counseling session
• State purpose of discussion, including the background which led for the need for the session
• State reason for the memo
• Identify what the employee should be doing, what rules are not being followed, and what pattern has been developed
Write a Memo
• The employee’s response
• Identify improvement plan and performance expectations
• Include provisions for follow-up consultations
Failure to follow these steps or to include allrequired elements may result in the counselingmemo being invalid and removed from the personal file.
The Counseling Process • The Follow-up Session• Be sure to schedule a follow up session with the employee. The follow-up session
has two major purposes: acknowledge performance that has improved, and address performance that has not improved.
• If the employee performance improves, during the follow-up session make sure you:
• Describe improved performance. Listen to the employee and ask if you can do anything to help sustain improvement.
• Thank the employee. • If the employee performance does not improve, during the follow-up session
make sure you:• Review the previous counseling session (from notes or counseling memo). Describe
insufficient improvement and ask the employee to explain. • Listen and discuss solutions. State consequences of continued unacceptable
behavior. Set a new follow-up date. • Summarize the session and offer assistance. • If, during the initial session you decided not to write a counseling memo for the
Personal History Folder, prepare one now to confirm the follow up session. Make sure you tell the employee that you are preparing a counseling memo.
Avoiding Pitfalls
• There are some common mistakes that a supervisor can make during a counseling session, which can have an adverse effect on the outcome of the session.
• Pitfalls to Avoid in Counseling• Not checking with your supervisor or agency Employee Relations Office before starting the
process. • Having a preconceived notion about what the "real" problem is. • Letting your own opinions and values about the employee’s choices interfere with your ability to
counsel. • Playing "psychiatrist" with the employee and diagnosing the problem. • Moving from stating the problem right into problem solving without listening to the employee. • Shifting the focus to you. • Over- or under-empathizing with the employee. • Rescuing the employee by taking care of things. • Overlooking resources like EAP, job-aids, training, etc. (You cannot mandate EAP, but when
appropriate you should identify EAP as a resource that can help the employee.) • Letting friendship or loyalty interfere. • Underestimating the problem. • Being concerned with "being liked." • Using phrases that could be considered discriminatory, i.e., "I know you are older but…"
Skills For Counseling
1. Listening
2. Clarifying questions
3. Use of Open-ended questions
4. Assessing Ability-potential deciding response
Skills For Counseling
Skills to Work with Client’s Feelings
Help Express feelings
Identify & Discriminate bet.feelings
Help to Alter/Accept feelings
Attend to Verbal/Nonverbal Cues
Convey Support :Verbal & Nonverbal methods
The counselor is willing to give help in a setting that permits
help to be given and received.
The Print Shop Supervisor•
You supervise a print shop where a new staff member, Jane, is transferred to your unit. You heard Jane was a poor performer and you anticipate trouble. On Jane’s first day you meet with her. She states she is glad to be joining your team, that she is a team player, and is excited about being there. During the first six months, Jane does well. Her jobs are timely and accurate, and you sign off on Jane’s probationary period.
• Within 90 days of Jane completing her probation, complaints begin. Jane’s jobs are late, or are not printed as requested. Complaints include pages out of order, work missing, ignoring requests for two-sided printing, etc. Other members of the team tell you Jane holds them back and that they are picking up the slack.
• You hold three different feedback and coaching sessions with Jane but see little sustained improvement. You decide to counsel Jane because a pattern of behavior has developed and her performance is affecting the team’s ability to get the job done.
Planning the Session
• You are planning the counseling session. You set a time and place, inform Jane of the meeting, and outline the items you want to cover related to Jane's performance issues. You are aware when she came to you that there had been reports of problems in other offices. You start to call the Employee Relations Office but wonder if that might bias your counseling.
1. What do you do? : A. Consult with the Employee Relations Office.
B. "Start fresh" without bias from past experiences. You decide to handle this yourself and don't call Employee Relations.
• Good planning and follow-up can help you avoid many common pitfalls in counseling. The following checklist can help you prepare. You may want to print a copy of this checklist for future reference using the print button at the bottom of the page.
• Does the employee know what is supposed to be done and by when?• Does the employee have:
___ the information needed to do the job?___ the skills needed to do the job?___ the resources needed to do the job?
• Have I adequately defined the job performance expectations?• Does the problem have an adverse effect on:
___ the employee?___ the co-workers/team?___ the unit?___ the agency?___ myself as a supervisor?
• Are any obstacles, beyond the employee’s control, getting in the way?• Have I been inadvertently rewarding poor performance by my silence or behavior?• Is anyone else exhibiting the same problem?• Is there a pattern with this employee?• Have I contacted Employee Relations for guidance?
• Conducting the SessionYour session with Jane starts. You greet her and state the reason for the meeting. You begin to address the performance issues. Here is how the session goes:
• You: Jane, we have met over the past month and discussed your work performance. Specifically, we discussed the fact that you frequently make mistakes filling orders and that you have missed several work deadlines. Your performance has not improved. This seems to be a continuing problem.
• Jane: I don't know what you are talking about. All of my past supervisors thought I did good work. They all gave me positive appraisals.
• You: This discussion is only concerned with your work here. Let’s talk about two of the jobs you did last week. You were two weeks late printing the grant forms for the State Aid Office. This delayed the distribution of the information to the field. The Engineering Office had requested double sided printing for their specs booklet, but you did it single sided.
• Jane: Why do you keep bothering me? You're the problem. I've never had any trouble before. But here you're on my back all the time.
• Jane is becoming more agitated. You feel the session could get out of hand if she continues talking. You think it might be better to conclude quickly and enforce your requirements. On the other hand, you know you should hear what she has to say.
2. Do you say: – A. "Let's concentrate on what you need to do here. I'm going to
tell you specifically what you have to do in this job to improve or further action will need to be taken." B. "In our last discussion, you said you would be more careful, but errors and lateness continue. What is happening that causes your work to have more errors and continue to be late?"
Should Counseling Memo Be Written?
• Before Jane leaves, you must make a decision. Is Jane’s response sufficient? If so, you can forego writing a counseling memo. Or, do you have reservations regarding Jane’s potential to improve based on her comments? If so, you should write a counseling memo. Which of the following comments reflect your decision? – A. You – "Jane, thank you for discussing this with me. I am going
to summarize our session, what we discussed and our plans for improvement. This will be summarized in a counseling memo. You will receive that tomorrow."
• – B. You – "Jane, thank you for discussing this with me. We’ve
discussed the areas where improvement is needed, and we’ll revisit this issue in three weeks."
Employee relations officer: Job description and activities
• An employee relations officer works at both a strategic and operational level to manage various personnel policies that affect people at work. These issues include working conditions, performance management, equal opportunities, maternity/paternity leave, absence management and grievance procedures.
• The post holder works with groups of employees, union representatives and line managers across a variety of tasks including:
• designing new policies; • establishing and maintaining good relationships between
employers and employees;
Employee relations officer: Job description and activities
• acting as a consultant to line managers on the implementation of policies; • assisting in the resolution of specific disciplinary or grievance cases,
including acting as an arbiter between the employee and line manager; • carrying out formal consultation procedures on a variety of issues as
required by law; • advising others on the proper procedures for carrying out negotiations and
on the special regulations relating to employment and salary agreements; • negotiating with trade unions on issues relating to pay and working
conditions; • providing accurate advice on issues arising from employment contracts and
legislation; • preparing staff handbooks to ensure that the workforce is aware of company
policies; • ensuring that grievance handling and disciplinary proceedings are carried
out in line with company policy and national legislation.
Conflict
• Intentions: Decisions to act in a given way
• Cooperativeness: Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns.
• Assertiveness: Attempting to satisfy one’s own concerns.
Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions
Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
Competing
A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the impact on the other party to the conflict.
Collaborating
A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties.
Win-Win Solutions
Avoiding
The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.
Accommodating
The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s interests above his or her own.
Compromising
A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something.
Carl Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987)
• was an influential American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology. Rogers is widely considered to be one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy research and was honored for his pioneering research with the Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions by the American Psychological Association in 1956. The person-centered approach, his own unique approach to understanding personality and human relationships, found wide application in various domains such as psychotherapy and counseling (client-centered therapy), education (student-centered learning), organizations, and other group settings.
• For his professional work he was bestowed the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Psychology by the APA in 1972. Towards the end of his life Carl Rogers was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with national intergroup conflict in South Africa and Northern Ireland In an empirical study by Haggbloom et al. (2002) using six criteria such as citations and recognition, Rogers was found to be the sixth most eminent psychologist of the 20th century and second, among clinicians, only to Sigmund Freud
• "Empathy is the counselor's ability to sense the client's world the way the client does and to convey that understanding." Frank A. Nugent
Carl Rogers on Empathy
• "The therapist is sensing the feelings and personal meanings which the client is experiencing in each moment, when he can perceive these from the inside, as they seem to the client, and when he can that understanding to his client, then the third condition has been fulfilled."
Carl Rogers on Empathy
• Questions to ask yourself:• Can I step into his private world so completely that I lose all desire
to evaluate and judge it?• Can I let myself enter fully the world of the client's feelings an
personal meanings and see these as he does?
• Can I enter it so sensitively that I can move about it freely, without trampling on meanings that are precious to the client?
• Can I extend this understanding without limit?
• Can I sense it so accurately that I can catch not only the meanings of the client's experience which are obvious to him, but those meanings which are only implicit, which he sees only dimly or as confusion?
Empathic Listening Techniques • Encouragers• These are "continuers". They can be verbal, non-verbal, or a
mixture. They communicate to the client: "I am listening", "I want to listen", and "I want to understand more about your experience"
• Non-verbal "encourager" behaviors include nodding your head, leaning forward, making sounds like "umm, ahh, etc. Facial expressions are used like smiles and grimaces.
• All of these non-verbal expression convey "I am with you."
• Verbally, encouragers give permission, request additional information, and provide direction.
• Examples include statements like "Can you tell me more• about that"? Or "I'm curious about ......
Empathic Comments
• Rogers wrote: "To be with another in this way (empathetic) means that for the time being you lay aside the views and values you hold for yourself in order to enter another's world without prejudice. In some ways it means you lay aside your self'.
Why Do We Use Empathic Listening?
• To show an interest in the client
• To encourage the client to gain a better understanding of himself
• To support the client in his attempts to resolve conflict
• It is therapeutic in and of itself
• It leads to an increase in client satisfaction
• To discover the client's needs and concerns
Barriers to Empathic Listening
• Cultural differences • Gender • Seeing the client as an object• Not understanding your role as a counselor• Your inner-world (inscape)• Your preconceived ideas and beliefs• You may be uncomfortable in the presence of
the client's strong emotions---grief, anger or pain
Thank You