Session three17/03/11

Why are they important?Questions can either prohibit the flow of

information in a conversation or enhance the content

Open ended questions assist by helping the counsellor gain a better understanding of the client, subsequently leading to a deeper helping relationship

Closed questionsCan be answered with one or two word

responsesDon’t leave room for elaboration, opinion or

interpretation Limited creativityProhibit the conversation to flow

Closed questionsAre usually phrases such as;

Did you?When?Do you want to?Will you?Have you?

Closed questionsCan be useful when..

Needed quick and direct responses in relation to a situation

During assessmentTo clarify something the client has saidTo highlight an important point

Open ended questionsCannot be answered with one or two word

responsesRequire some thought in respondingProvide much more detail which can assist in

the flow of conversation and deeper insightGives the client more time to talk

More benefitsEncourages the client to consider there

responses more deeply and reflect on the content of the conversation

Enhances listening as counsellors have to wait for a longer response with these questions. 

Counsellors can still lead a conversation by steering with questions however they will receive more in depth responses

Activity• Turn the following closed questions into open

ended;– So you would have been upset that you didn’t

get the job?– How have you felt since you started reducing

your cannabis use?– You mentioned that you have been getting

along with your boyfriend better since you told him about your use.

– Do you drink often?

Paraphrasing• In addition to questioning, paraphrasing is

essential in ensuring that you have understood what the client has said in response to the question

• Example:• Client: “I find it really hard not to use weed

when I go to my mate’s house.”• Counselor: “It sounds like you can already

identify some of your triggers to use, particularly at your mate’s place.”

Paraphrasing is usedTo assist the counsellor to portray that they

have understood what the client has saidTo help the client by focusing on what they

have saidIn order to encourage the client to elaborateTo ensure that the counsellor has understood

the client or to elicit more information

Client perceptionsProblem behaviours are often linked to

irrational beliefs present in the clientThese beliefs need to be challenged and the

client assisted to form a new set of beliefs which encourage more pro-social behaviours and coping

Challenging needs to be assertive, not aggressive

It can be done inadvertently or directly

Irrational beliefsRational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)

identifies 12 irrational beliefs In REBT intervention focuses on assisting

clients to replace these irrational beliefs with rational ones

The following has been obtained from http://www.stressgroup.com/12IrrationalBeliefs.html

Irrational belief 1The idea that it is a dire necessity for

adults to be loved by significant others for almost everything they do—

Rational belief.......Instead of their concentrating on their

own self-respect, on winning approval for practical purposes, and on loving rather than on being loved.

Irrational belief 2The idea that certain acts are awful or

wicked, and that people who perform such acts should be severely damned –

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that certain acts are

self-defeating or antisocial, and that people who perform such acts are behaving stupidly, ignorantly, or neurotically, and would be better helped to change.  People's poor behaviors do not make them rotten individuals.

Irrational belief 3The idea that it is horrible when things

are not the way we like them to be—Rational belief

Instead of the idea that it is too bad, that we would better try to change or control bad conditions so that they become more satisfactory, and, if that is not possible, we had better temporarily accept and gracefully lump their existence.

Irrational belief 4

The idea that human misery is invariably externally caused and is forced on us by outside people and events

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that neurosis is largely

caused by the view that we take of unfortunate conditions.

Irrational belief 5The idea that if something is or may be

dangerous or fearsome we should be terribly upset and endlessly obsess about it—

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that one would better

frankly face it and render it non-dangerous and, when that is not possible, accept the inevitable.

Irrational belief 6The idea that it is easier to avoid than to

face life difficulties and self-responsibilitiesRational belief

Instead of the idea that the so-called easy way is usually much harder in the long run.

Irrational belief 7The idea that we absolutely need

something other or stronger or greater than ourself on which to rely --

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that it is better to take

the risks of thinking and acting less dependently

Irrational belief 8The idea that we should be thoroughly

competent, intelligent, and achieving in all possible respects --

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that we would better do

rather than always need to do well, and accept ourself as a quite imperfect creature, who has general human limitations and specific fallibilities.

Irrational belief 9The idea that because something once

strongly affected our life, it should indefinitely affect it --

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that we can learn from

our past experiences but not be overly-attached to or prejudiced by them.

Irrational belief 10The idea that we must have certain and

perfect control over things --Rational belief

Instead of the idea that the world is full of improbability and chance and that we can still enjoy life despite this

Irrational belief 11The idea that human happiness can be

achieved by inertia and inaction --Rational belief

Instead of the idea that we tend to be happiest when we are vitally absorbed in creative pursuits, or when we are devoting ourselves to people or projects outside ourselves.

Irrational belief 12The idea that we have virtually no

control over our emotions and that we cannot help feeling disturbed about things --

Rational beliefInstead of the idea that we have real control

over our destructive emotions if we choose to work at changing the “musturbatory” hypotheses which we often employ to create them.

Challenging these beliefsPro-social modellingIdentifying the belief when it presents in the

client Educating and equipping the client with skills

to identify irrational thinking and strategies to address these