RUNNING TEXT: PRAC SKILLS I 1

Practice Skills I

Deion Green

Social Work Practice III

Joe Davis

UNC Pembroke
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Identify 8 skills:

Worker’s Definition Explain

skills for

helping

clients

manage their

feelings
Reaching into Silence in counselling
allows the client to
silences speak about their
issues without
interruption (sometime
s a new experience for
them).
Silence also enables
the client space to
process their thoughts
and feelings without
distraction.
This helps them gain
clarity on the difficulties
they face and consider
a possible way
forward.
Silences occur for a number of reasons
For the counsellor it can be:
 A deliberate use of silence to
encourage the client’s self-
exploration
 A deliberate use of silence to
encourage the client to “carry the
burden” of the conversation
 An organizational use of silence
enabling the counsellor to collect
her/his own thoughts
 A natural ending to a phase of
discussion
For the client it can be:
 A time to make connections, to wait
for words or images to occur
 A space in which feelings can be
nurtured and allowed to develop
 A space in which the client is able to
recover from “here and now”
emotions
 An attempt to elicit a response from
the counsellor, such as satisfying a
need for approval or advice
 An structural use of silence enabling
the client to collect her/his own
thoughts, remember events, assess
values and reflect on feelings
Importance of Body Language during
Silence
We speak about different tones of voice in
both written and spoken language,
but silence has different tones as well.
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Silence in counselling is not about just

being physically present yet quiet.
It requires full presence with the client
within that silence – in other
words, psychological contact must remain
in place at all times.
Maintaining this presence and connection
can allow the therapist to pick up on the
client’s feelings, by observing their body
language. There can be just as much
communication, power and meaning
conveyed during silence as there can be
during conversation.

Putting the Gentle restatement offers After listening to the client, try to restate

client’s client reassurance that you what the client has said in a way that gets

feelings into understand them to see that you understand but also

words compassionately. The that puts their feelings into words so that

worker's acceptance of the
client, their feelings can be
a starting point for the
client’s acceptance of
themselves.
Displaying Indicating through words,
they can see how you relate to them.
Focusing on tuning in or perceiving the
client’s indirect communications (body
language, silence, etc.).
Acknowledge their feelings, using words or

understandin gestures, expression, nonverbal means. Let the client know that

g of the physical posture and touch- you understand how they feel. Believing in the

client’s only if appropriate, the reality of the situation but not trying to over

feelings workers comprehension to empathize to the point that the client feels you are

express affect. trying to fix them.

Sharing the Ask the client to share Share your feelings with the client. Clients

worker’s the affective portion of need someone who cares deeply about the
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feelings the message. Clarify clients’ success, expresses the clients’ own

each point before moving sense of urgency, and openly

on. Genuine empathy
acknowledges feelings. Clients who do not
involves stepping into the
know where the worker stands have trouble
client’s shoes and
trusting them.
summoning an effective

response that comes as

close as possible to the

experience of others.
Worker’s Definition Explain

skills for

helping

clients

manage their

problems
Clarifying the A simple statement This includes introducing the worker to the

worker’s that is made by the client and the client to the worker. The

purpose and social worker that worker describes the initial purpose of the

role describes the general meeting, orients the clients so they can be

purpose of the active, collaborative participants in the

encounter and helping process. Also, discuss relevant

provides some idea of legal, policy and ethical factors as part of

how the social worker the informed consent process.

can help.
Reaching for An effort made by the Encourage clients to comment about the proposed

client worker to determine purpose, your role, their role, policy or ethical
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feedback the client’s perceptions factors, or any other aspects of your introductory

of their needs. remarks.

Partializing Helping a client break Worker must empathize with client’s feeling

concerns large/overwhelming of being overwhelmed but then, having

problems into listened carefully breaks the overwhelming

manageable parts. problem into manageable pieces. Usually

the worker will ask the client to recognize

the issue that is most important.

Supporting Helping clients talk To help the client with discussing taboos,

clients in about issues and the worker has to create a unique “culture”

taboo areas concerns that are in the helping interview. The worker

normally not enables such discussion by monitoring the

discussed. interaction of the work with the client and

listening for clues that may reveal taboo-

related block in the process. The worker

brings it out into the open and begins the

negotiation of a new norm of behavior for

the interview situation.

Portion of Interview Skill using

SW: Hello, glad you made it today. First Clarifying the worker’s purpose and role

let me mention that everything we discuss

will stay in this room, but that if anyone

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expresses a desire to harm themselves or

another, I have to report that by law. If

either of you want to speak privately to

me we can do that in a different session. I

am here to listen to each person and help

everyone articulate their concerns and

feelings in a productive way that helps us

to find meaningful resolutions or paths of

change if necessary. I would also like to

say that here I like for us to respect each

other and wait until our time to talk so that

we don’t interrupt each other. So what

brings us here today?

Clients speak, best to let one speak and Worker is listening intently

then the other

SW: So as I take it, client 1 you are upset Putting the client’s feelings into words

about _____ action of client 2. You want

to have more ______. This is a valid

concern for you.

Client 2 you are upset about _____ of

client 1. You want ____. To you there

need to be a few changes.

SW: Client 1 can you express to me how Reaching for client feedback

you feel Client 2 could make changes in a

way that will help you feel better?

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Client 1 responds, client 2 begins to cry

SW: Client 2 it is ok to show emotion and Displaying understanding of the client’s

to be upset, (hands Kleenex and pats feelings

shoulder for comfort).

SW: Client 2 how do you feel that Client 1 Reaching for client feedback

could make changes?

As client 2 speaks, client 1 sits silently

with mad look upon face

SW: As I see it, you both have many valid Partializing concerns

concerns and points. Is there one major

focus you would like to discuss and try to

accomplish first?
Clients 2 responds, while client 1 sits

quietly.
After this both clients sit quietly for few

minutes, not looking at each other. Client

1 seems to be bored and fidgeting, Client

2 seems to still by crying but relieved to

have cleared their head.

SW: Well now that we have got these Reaching into silences

things out into the open and brought out

our concerns, I’d like to take a few

minutes to comment on both of your

comments and things you have shared.

SW: Client 2 I understand the feelings Displaying understanding of the client’s

your expressing as a wife as well. You feelings

are right to have feelings and concerns, Sharing the worker’s feelings
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but we need to find a way that addresses Reaching for client feedback

them. Client 1, I understand your need for

space and freedom as well but being in a

relationship requires a commitment to the

other person too. Client 1 do you

understand why Client 2 feels the way

she does.
Client 1 responds.
SW: Client 1 I understand your statement, Partializing concerns

and it is ok to have concerns about sex Supporting clients in taboo areas

and feelings. It apparently is something

that is very concerning to you and it is ok

to discuss. Please express more of what

your needs and desires are with Client 2.

Client 2 is listening while Client 1 talks.
SW: Client 2 I see that you have been Reaching into silences

listening intently. I’d like to give you a

chance to respond.
Client 2 responds
SW: it seems we are making some Partializing concerns

headway here today. I would like for you Closure

to both remember each others’ concerns

and work on the things we have

addressed this session. We will continue

our discussions next time. In the

meantime think of one main thing that you

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would like for us to focus on next session.