The Basic Listening Sequence
TABLE 8.2 The Five Stages of the Microskills Session
TABLE 8.2 The Five Stages of the Microskills Session
Stage Function and Purpose Commonly Used Skills
Anticipated Client
Response
1. Empathic relationship. Initiate
the session. Develop rapport
and structuring. “Hello, what
would you like to talk about?”
“What might you like to see as
a result of our talking today?”
Build a working alliance and
enable the client to feel comfortable
with the counseling
process. Explain what is likely
to happen in the session
or series of sessions, including
informed consent and
ethical issues. Discover
client reasons for coming
to you.
Attending, observation skills, BLS,
information giving to help
structure the session. If the
client asks you questions, you
may use self-disclosure.
The client feels at ease with an
understanding of the key ethical
issues and the purpose of
the session. The client may also
know you more completely as a
person and a professional—and
has a sense that you are interested
in his or her concerns.
2. Story and strengths. Gather
data. Use the BLS to draw
out client stories, concerns,
problems, or issues. “I’d like
to hear your story.” “What
are your strengths and resources?”
Discover and clarify why the client
has come to the session and
listen to the client’s stories and
issues. Identify strengths and
resources as part of a strengthbased
positive psychology
approach.
Attending and observation skills,
especially the basic listening
sequence and the positive
asset search.
The client shares thoughts, feelings,
and behaviors; tells the story in
detail; presents strengths and
resources.
3. Goals. Set goals mutually. The
BLS will help define goals.
“What do you want to happen?”
“How would you feel
emotionally if you achieved
this goal?” One possible goal
is exploration of possibilities,
rather than focusing immediately.
If you don’t know where you are
going, you may end up somewhere
else. In brief counseling
(later in this chapter), goal
setting is fundamental, and this
stage may be part of the first
phase of the session. All the
same, openness to change and
exploration are good places
to start.
Attending skills, especially the basic
listening sequence; certain
influencing skills, especially
confrontation (Chapter 10),
may be useful.
The client will discuss directions
in which he or she might want
to go, new ways of thinking,
desired feeling states, and
behaviors that might be
changed. The client might also
seek to learn how to live more
effectively with stressful situations
or events that cannot be
changed at this point (rape,
death, an accident, an illness).
A more ideal story might be
defined.
4. Restory. Explore alternatives
via the BLS. Confront client
incongruities and conflict.
“What are we going to do
about it?” “Can we generate
new ways of thinking, feeling,
and behaving?”
Generate at least three alternatives
that might resolve the
client’s issues. Creativity is
useful here. Seek to find at
least three alternatives so that
the client has a choice. One
choice at times may be to do
nothing and accept things
as they are. The system of
restorying will vary extensively
with different theories and
approaches.
Summary of major discrepancies
with a supportive confrontation.
More extensive use of
influencing skills, depending
on theoretical orientation (e.g.,
psychoeducation, interpretation,
reflection of meaning,
feedback). But this is also
possible using only listening
skills. Use creativity to solve
problems.
The client may reexamine individual
goals in new ways, solve
problems from at least those
alternatives, and start the move
toward new stories and actions.
5. Action. Plan for generalizing
session learning to “real life.”
“Will you use what you decided
to do today, tomorrow,
or this coming week?”
Generalize new learning and
facilitate client changes in
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
in daily life. Commit
the client to homework and
an action plan. As appropriate,
plan for termination of
sessions.
Influencing skills, such as directives
and information/explanation,
plus attending and observation
skills and the basic listening
sequence to check out client
understanding.
The client demonstrates changes
in behavior, thoughts, and
feelings in daily life outside
of the interview conversation.
Or the client explores new
alternatives and reports back
discoveries.