Microskills Hierarchy

Five-stage interview structureReflection of feeling

Encouraging, paraphrasing, and summarizingClient observation skills

Open and closed questionsAttending behavior

Ethics and multicultural competence

The Ivey Taxonomy

Anticipating the results of skill useage

First Sections of Taxonomy

• Ethics & Multicultural competence

• Attending Behaviors

• Basic Listening Sequence

Ethics & Multicultural CompetencePresent in all interviews

Expected OutcomeClients learn, appreciate,

respect your knowledge

Attending Behaviors

Individually & culturally appropriate visuals, vocals, verbals, and body language

Expected outcomeClients talk more freely &

respond openly especially about topics to which attention is given (selective attention)

Basic Listening Sequence

• Open and closed questions

• Observation• Encouraging• Paraphrasing• Summarizing

Open and closed questions

Open begin with who, what, when, where and why;

Closed begin with is, and are

Expected OutcomeOpen = more detailClosed = more specificBoth = more talk

Observation

Observing self and other

Verbals & nonverbals plus discrepancies & incongruities

Expected OutcomeUse as foundation for when to

apply microskills

Encouraging

Verbal (repeat key words) and nonverbal (head nods) to support continued talking

Expected outcomeTopics are elaborated

Paraphrasing

Feed back a shortened version of what client said

Expected outcomeclients feel heardFurther information givenIf inaccurate, allows

corrective feedback

Summarizing

Longer time span than paraphrase

Attention to feelingsExpected outcome

Helps integrate thoughts, feelings, behaviors

More centered discussion

Reflection of feeling

Identify key emotions; feedback to clarify affective experience

Expected outcomeHelpees go more deeply into

feelings

Empathic Understanding

• The listening skills presented thus far form the behavioral basis on empathy.

• The qualitative dimensions such as concreteness, immediacy, and nonjudgmental attitude are also important.

Levels of Empathy• Basic empathy –

responses roughly interchangeable with those of helpee (level 3, 4, 5 on rating scale)

• Additive empathy – adds to helpee statement by going beyond what is said to what is implied (level 6, 7 on rating scale)

Positive Regard

• Responding to the clients as worthy human being

• Being nonjudgmental

Respect and Warmth

• Kinesthetic and nonverbal behaviors that demonstrate value to the client

Concreteness

• Specific– Thoughts– Feelings– Examples of actions

Immediacy

• Being in the moment

• Here and now• NOT there and then

• Use present tense

Nonjudgmental Attitude

• Operating from a values neutral position

• Not imposing one’s own values on client

• Change is unlikely without trust

Authenticity and Congruence

• Are you who you say you are?

Five Stages of Interview

• Initiating

• Gathering Data

• Mutual Goal Setting

• Exploring Alternatives, Confronting Incongruities

• Terminating

Initiating the Session

• Rapport and Structuring

• Expected Outcome– The client will feel at ease

and know what to expect.

Gathering Data

• Drawing out stories, concerns, problems, or issues

• Expected Consequence:– The client will share thoughts,

feelings, and behavior. With the positive asset search, the client will also be expected to share strengths and resources that may be available for the problem.

Mutual Goal Setting

• What do you want to work on today? / What do you want to happen?

• Expected Consequence:– The client will discuss directions

in which he or she might want to go, new ways of thinking, desired feeling states, and behaviors that might change. A more ideal story ending might be defined.

Working

• Exploring Alternatives, Confronting

Incongruities, restorying.

• Expected Consequence:– The client may reexamine

individual goals in new ways and start the move toward new stories and action through confronting discrepancies, facing new challenges, and experiencing a variety of influencing skills form the interviewer.

Terminating

• Generalizing and acting on new stories.

• Expected Consequence:– If all stages are completed

successfully, expect the client to demonstrate change in behavior, thoughts, and feelings in daily life outside of the interview.