Discuss the Different Ways in Which Questioning Is Used in Counselling?

DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH QUESTIONING IS USED IN COUNSELLING?

Questioning during counselling sessions can help to open up new areas for discussion. They can help to pinpoint an issue or they can assist to clarify information that at first may seem ambiguous to the counsellor. Questions that invite clients to think or recall information can aid in a clients journey of self-exploration.

Counsellors should always be knowledgeable about the different types of questioning techniques available to them:-

-Open-Ended Questions are those that cannot be answered in a few words, they encourage the client to speak and offer and opportunity for the counsellor to gather information about the client and their concerns. Typically open ended questions begin with; what, why, how or could. It should be noted that care must be taken by the counsellor when asking why questions. Why questions can provoke feelings of defensiveness in clients and may encourage clients to feel as though they need to justify themselves in some way.

-Closed Questions these are questions that can be answered with a minimal response (often as little as “yes” or “no” ). They can help the counsellor to focus the client or gain very specific information. Such questions begin with: is, are or do.

While questioning techniques can be used positively to draw out and clarify issues relevant to counselling session, there is also a very real danger of over-using questions or using questioning techniques that can have a negative impact on the session. The wrong types of questioning techniques, at the wrong time, in the hands of an unskilled interviewer or counsellor, can cause unnecessary discomfort and confusion to the client.

-Observation Skills by actively observing non verbal behaviour, a counsellor can gauge the affect his/her words and actions are having upon the client.

For example when a client enters into the office of the counsellor, the counsellor can gain some indication of how the client is feeling about the session (are the reticent, comfortable, awkward?) by the way the client walks in, takes their seat, and greets the counsellor. If a client is resentful about the counselling session taking place, they may keep their eyes lowered, seem dismissive of the counsellor and sit in a closed position, not encouraging communication.

-Focusing enables the therapist to direct the client’s conversational flow into certain areas. It is a skill that is relevant to all stages of therapy. By using this skill the therapist can focus on the individual, the main theme or problem, the client’s family, the mutuality; and the environment to bring about broader perspectives and potential solutions.

-Encouragers are a variety of both verbal and non verbal ways of promoting clients to continue talking. Encouragers simply encourage the clients to keep talking. Verbal minimal responses such as “I hear what you are saying,” “Tell me more”. Non verbal minimal responses such as nod of the head or positive facial expressions.

-Paraphrasing, to paraphrase, the therapist chooses the most important details of what the client has just said and reflects them back. Effective paraphrasing is when the therapist has captured the essence of what the client has said. -Paraphrasing, to paraphrase, the therapist chooses the most important details of what the client has just said and reflects them back. Effective paraphrasing is when the therapist has captured the essence of what the client has said.

-Clarifying you need to clarify information given to you by the client. This is extremely important at the ‘Notation’ when attaining all relevant details from the client. It will also allow you to check your understanding of the situation and not to clarify any mistakes or misinterpretations.

-Summaries are brief statements taken from the session or sessions over a period of time and restating them for the client as accurately as possible. A checkout at the end of a summary is important to ensure accuracy and therefore increasing the rapport and relationship building between both parties.

-Confrontation as a therapy skill is an attempt by the therapist to gently bring about awareness in the client of something that they may have overlooked or avoided. It involves identifying, awareness and evaluating.

-Reflection which refers to the deeply held thoughts and meanings underlying life experiences. The therapists who use reflection in their work will find clients that will search more deeply into aspects of their own life experiences. Resulting in better successful therapy and rapport building

-Self-Disclosure the benefits or advantages of self-disclosure include improving the clients awareness to different viewpoints, decreasing anxiety, helping the client to not feel alone and increasing the therapist genuineness.