Techniques

Examples from Kesha Video

Examples from Julie Video

Physical Environment:  Ensure that the physical environment of your office, waiting room, or other areas of your organization reflect your clientele.  Do the pictures on your wall or the magazines in the lobby match the diversity of your clients?

Culturally diverse posters.

Toys in the waiting room

Rapport Building:  Involves developing trust through verbal and non-verbal means.  Verbal rapport building can include the use of compliments, expressions of caring (how would you feel most comfortable?), self-disclosure and humor.  Non-verbal rapport building can include touch, eye contact, nodding, and smiling.

Nurse asked “How are you?”

Nurse makes a joke stating “That boring, huh?”, when referring to falling asleep in class.

Nurse complimented on quitting smoking.

Nurse praised her behavior with children.

Noticing family/dynamics in waiting room.

Gave her a supportive hug.

Was supportive.

When Gary states he has a right to be there, Nurse states “absolutely, come right in.”

Open-Ended Questions:  Are questions that allow the client to tell his/her story.  Open-ended questions cannot be answered by a yes or no.

Nurse asks “What happens when you eat in the morning?”

Nurse asks “What did you have for breakfast this morning?”

Nurse asks “How long has that been happening?”

“How do you feel about the pregnancy?

What’s the hardest thing about being pregnant?”

Reflective Listening:  Is a technique that lets the client know that the social worker is listening to what he/she is saying.  This technique is often referred to as paraphrasing and/or reflective or active listening.

Nurse states “This is so hard, I know.”

“Sounds like you have a lot on your plate.” When Gary says “This is your fault.” Nurse responds, “I know it feels that way.  I’m the one telling you everything you don’t want to hear.”

Responding Nonjudgmentally:  Requires the social worker to continually assess their own values and beliefs so that they do not interfere with their work with clients.

Nurse asks “Do you use them every time?” when referring to birth control and Kesha replies “sometimes."

“Couldn’t even imagine.”

Didn’t say, “You already have two kids.”

Empowerment/Strength-Based Comments:  Is a technique that identifies and compliments strengths in order to help an individual take control of a situation.  When responding to the client communication, it is helpful to notice the strengths you can identify, not just the problems and concerns. 

Nurse states “Let’s work together and figure what we all need to do next…”

Nurse states “Kesha, you’re a smart girl. I know you will make a good decision.”

Gave her the brochure.

Providing education – eating, smoking

Empathy:  Involves listening respectfully to the client’s concerns and relating to the client’s situation.

Nurse states to Kesha’s mom “I am sure this really caught you off guard.”

Stood up and hugged her.

“I couldn’t even imagine what you are going through right now.”

“I’m saying everything you don’t want to hear.”

Identifying Feelings:  Occurs when the social worker puts words to the emotions that are being expressed and then checks with the client to make sure that his/her interpretation is correct.

Nurse states to Kesha’s mother “I see how angry and disappointed you are.  And how worried.”

“Looks like you’re tired.”

Defusing Anger:  Can be accomplished by several techniques including listening for and responding to the angry person’s fear, identifying and responding to the issues underlying the person’s anger and shifting the angry person’s perspective.

Nurse states to Kesha’s mother “I see how angry and disappointed you are.  And how worried.”

Gary.

Let them vent.

Summarizing:  Is a technique in which the social worker highlights key points of the conversation with the client and checks back to make sure that his/her interpretation is correct.

Nurse states “you tell me you have nausea in the morning, your teacher tells me you have been falling asleep in class, you are not sure when your last period started, and you have been sexually active.  All these things make me wonder if you might be pregnant."

Hard time; not easy choice; options, think about them.

I’m here to support your decision.