An_Evaluation_of_Counselling_Skills

An Evaluation of the roll of listening skills in effective counselling. In order to evaluate the roll of listening skills in effective counselling, I will look at how listening skills paraphrasing, asking open questions, clarification and summarising contribute to effective counselling. To do this I will look at how the listening skills are used in the counselling process and if they help or hinder this process, and if it is just the listening skill that is used or if other things are used along side the listening skills, Effective counselling requires careful review and planning. Because of the personal nature of the counselling relationship between the counsellor and client, each one to one session is an opportunity to explore free thinking, and therefore each of the counselling sessions can not be to structured or rigid. It is also the counsellor’s job to provide effective non verbal communication and to interoperate the client’s body language. They must also encourage and empower the client to ensure they make steady progress. This must be done in a caring, supporting, safe and friendly environment at all times. Counsellors use listening skills as an important part of the tools they carry to help the client, listening skills don’t just help the counsellor hear what the client is saying but also enable the counsellor to understand what the client is saying and feeling at that time, they also help the counsellor in many other ways to. They help the counsellor build a relationship with the client and help the client feel understood when talking to the counsellor. Each of the 4 main listening skills has its own purpose, Paraphrasing is communicating back to the client the main message, it lets the client know that you are trying to see their point of view, it can be used to check the understanding of what has been said and also can build up trust with the client by showing that you are not judging them in any way, it also lets the client know you are listening closely to what it is they are saying. [Ed. D Langdridge. 2008] Asking open questions is a way to get a fuller more detailed answer from the client and can also help to focus the client on what is troubling them. Open questions usually start with how do, or when would. [Ed. D Langdridge. 2008] Requesting clarification is used to show the client that you are trying to understand and to try to help the client get a better clarity of their thoughts and feelings. [Ed. D Langdridge. 2008] Summarising is a skill that can help the client explore different thoughts and feelings whilst away from the counselling session, it can also help the client identify their priorities and concerns and can also help move the client forward if they get stuck in a session. [Ed. D Langdridge. 2008] The four main listening skills are used in many ways and at times one after another in counselling sessions, but they are also used alongside non verbal communication. This can be a nod of the head, facial expression, the way you are sitting, by hmmming or mmming and also eye contact, all of these also contribute to listening skills and effective counselling, Active listening requires the counsellor to listen to and understand what the client is saying and to do so without pre-judgement or imposing their own ideas. The counsellor should be taking in not only the words but the way in which they are said, the emotions displayed verbally or physically and the context of what is being expressed. This is important to allow the counsellor to explore the client's situation further and also to build the relationship between them, effective listening demonstrates to the client that the counsellor is present with them and interested in what they have to say. This builds trust and allows for more effective communication and counselling because a client who feels listened to and understood is more likely to disclose their deeper feelings and concerns (McLeod. 2008) When a counsellor uses listening skills they are used within a framework which works in relation to the code of ethics, these are there to protect the client [Ed. D Langdridge. 2008]. This framework is different in each approach to counselling. In the person-centred approach a large part of the framework is the ‘core conditions’ Empathy ‘the ability to receive and resonate the clients expressed feelings’ (The Barrett-Lennard, 1981 Model cited in McLeod, 2008) is one of these conditions. The ethical framework that is put into place by the BACP is there to help the counsellor and guide the counsellor into what is required from them in the counselling practice, some of these are, Empathy, Integrity, Respect, Humility and courage. These things are then passed onto the client in the way the counsellor acts and is as a person when in a counselling situation, thus helping the client feel safe, secure and at ease within the counselling relationship. (BCAP. 2010) The counselling relationship is made up of many things, the ethical framework is there to guide the counsellor and help the counsellor also, The framework of the counselling approach being used also guides and helps the counsellor in the counselling relationship, and the listening skills themselves help the counsellor in this relationship. In conclusion the listening skills alone help the counselling relationship, but other things need to be used at the same time to achieve effective counselling that will meet the needs and requirements of the client. Word Count: 919 words References: BACP (2010), ethical framework for good practice in counselling and psychotherapy [Online], Leicestershire, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, www.bacp.co.ukprintable/ethical_framework.html. Accessed and Downloaded on 16.06.2012. McLeod, J (2008) Introduction to Counselling [Ed. D. Langdridge], Maidenhead/ Milton Keynes, Open University Press/The Open University. (2008) Introduction to Counselling Course Guide [Ed. D. Langdridge], Maidenhead/ Milton Keynes, Open University Press/The Open University.