Week 5 - Counselling Skills Practice 1 Exercises – Paraphrasing (Worth 10%)
You choose to complete and submit 2 Counselling Skills Practice 1 Exercises between Weeks 2-7 and then
you choose 2 more Counselling Skills Practice 2 Exercises between Weeks 9-15. You must complete all of
the assigned video and/or written exercises for that particular week and it must be submitted by the due
date for full marks. Sometimes, there will be a combination of both written and video exercises to complete
for the specific week.
For written exercises, write your answers after each question and include a title page (title, name, date,
faculty name), save your completed document, and submit in the weekly drop box by midnight on Sundays.
For all video exercises, submit by uploading your compatible file or providing a YouTube link of your
recording to the weekly drop box by midnight on Sundays.
Exercise #1. Read the dialogue between the worker and client (Stacy) below. Then return to think
critically and answer the following questions about using paraphrasing within a Person-Centred
Approach. Tip: Use slides from the lecture of Week 3 and the lecture and seminar of Week 5 to help you.
1) Read the client’s story provided on the next page and summarize the main points in 3 sentences or
less.
2) Describe your honest inner reaction to the client when she compared her boyfriend’s job and the
worker’s job as easier than her own. If you were the worker talking to this client, how might your
inner reaction help and also get in the way of establishing a connection with her?
3) What do you think of how the worker verbally responded to the client in the moment described
above in question 2? Using what you know about engaging clients and showing positive regard
(non-judgment) and empathy, why do you think the worker responded to the client the way she did
in that moment and throughout the counselling meeting?
4) While making sure to read over the definition of a paraphrase and what paraphrases sound like,
provide at least 4 different examples of paraphrases the worker used from the transcript.
5) Which paraphrase made the client feel validated? How can you tell the client felt validated?
6) Which paraphrase advanced (increases) the depth of the conversation with the client? How can you
tell?
7) You must submit the completed written exercises by submitting the word docx file to Week 5
Counselling Skills Practice drop box by midnight on Sunday of Week 5.
Transcript: For Reflection Skills - Paraphrasing
Video #3 from the Art of Helping - Paraphrasing II:
Worker:
Okay, Stacy well I'm glad you came in today. I don't know what you think it will be important for me to
know about your situation or your problem in order to be helpful today?
Client (Stacy):
I've been I've been here before and when and we worked on different things…
W:
Okay.
C:
... and I've come to realize that the real problem here is my boyfriend…
W::
Okay. In your mind he’s the one with the problem.
C:
Absolutely, he’s the one with the problem. If it weren’t for him, I’d have no problem.
W:
Okay. Tell me a little more about the problem as you see it.
C:
Well I’m not saying he’s not a good boyfriend (rolls her eyes). He’s a pretty good boyfriend a far as
boyfriends go. You know we both work right? We both work 40 hours, he works in an office all day
long behind a computer screen, in air conditioning, feet up, nice long lunches, big meetings
whatever…
W:
Okay, so your work, the type of job you do is very different and in your mind your work is a lot more
physical and it's a lot more demanding.
C:
How could you get easier than that!? It’s like doing what you do. You sit there all day long in air
conditioning, nice and relaxing.
W:
Okay…(tone is neutral)
C:
(Pauses for a moment) I'm going to school all day long. I'm sure you’ve gone to school before too so
you know it's difficult to go to school there all day. Your brain gets tired…
W:
Sure…
C:
... and then I come home, change my clothes and go to work. I work as a waitress and I start at 5
o’clock at night and don't get off until 2 or 3 in the morning.
W:
Okay. so long day...
C:
Yeah, yeah, long day on these feet, all day long.
W:
So in your mind, the situation that you work in is longer hours, more demanding and just more
physically tiring it sounds like...(Kind tone used)
C:
God, yes!! It’s like 100% more tiring and I deal with more shit…
W:
Okay, uhmmm...
C:
I deal with customers who, they’re mad because they’re guacamole isn’t on the side and they’re
taking it out on me.
W:
Uhmmm
C:
And I’m thinking there's bigger things in this world than your guacamole (speaks quickly and with a
judgmental tone), but anyways...
W:
Your work in many ways is more stressful it sounds like…
C:
God yes! So terribly, terribly stressful… (pauses for a moment) When I get home, what do I want?! I
want a little bit of pampering, I want a little bit of care, I want a little bit of my needs being met.
(Starts to speak more animatedly and faster) I want more food, I want a nice dinner. I want, I want a
bath, I want my feet massaged cuz they hurt. I want, I want, I want someone to wash my hair, I, to do
really, that's what I need when I get in.
W:
When you come home, you’re wanting comfort, you want attention...you want a little bit of
pampering...
C:
I just want some pampering cuz I deserve it.
W:
(Smirks a bit) Okay.
C:
So I come in and what do I get? He's, he's sitting on the couch with the remote control like this... (uses
judgmental tone) (imitates her boyfriend by pretending to stare blankly holding a remote changing
the channels).
W:
Uhmm…
C:
No, no jumping up and saying, “Hey baby! How you doing? What can I do for you? Here's this
wonderful meal I made you, sit down let me take care of you when you get home”.
W:
It sounds like you feel a little neglected when you get home.
C:
Well, yeah!!!
Counselling Skills Practice 1 – Week 5 Evaluation
Criteria
Communication
Exceptional
2.5
Quality of the writing
enhanced the meaning for the
reader connecting what was
being communicated (content)
with how it was said (style)
fully
Quality of the writing made
the information easy to read
and interpret
Accomplished
2
Quality of the writing made
it clear for the reader what
was being communicated
(content) with how it was
said (style) fully.
Quality of the writing made
the information easy to read
and interpret
5 to 9 errors
No errors in spelling,
punctuation, sentence
structure, grammar, etc.
Self-Awareness in
the Context of
Becoming a
Professional
Critical Analysis of
Applying a
Person-Centred
Approach
Knowledge and
Application of
Paraphrasing
Drew insightful and detailed
conclusions about how their
inner reaction to the client
might help and get in the way
of establishing a connection
with the client
Applied information from the
readings, slides from the
weekly topic and also from
previous weeks, live
discussions and videos from
the week and also previous
weeks, which resulted in
significant reflection and
insight about a worker’s ability
to engage and the importance
of using empathy and positive
regard with clients that may
provoke strong worker
reactions
Provided clear and accurate
examples of more than 4
parphrases used by the worker
in the transcription
Demonstrated a good
understanding of how their
inner reaction to the client
might help and get in the
way of establishing a
connection with the client
Applied information from
the readings, slides from the
weekly topic and also from
previous weeks, live
discussions and videos from
the week and also previous
weeks, which resulted in
good reflection and insight
about a worker’s ability to
engage and the importance
of using empathy and
positive regard with clients
that may provoke strong
worker reactions
Provided clear and accurate
examples of 3 to 4
paraphrases used by the
worker in the transcription
Thorough explanation of how
more than 1 paraphrase that
made the client feel validated
Good to thorough
explanation of how 1
paraphrase made the client
feel validated
Thorough explanation of how
more than 1 paraphrase that
helped or did not help advance
the depth of the conversation
with the client
Good to thorough
explanation of how 1
paraphrase helped or did not
help advance the depth of
the conversation with the
client
Developing
1.5 - 1
Quality of the writing connected in a
basic way what was being
communicated (content) with how it
was said (style)
The writing mostly followed the
instructions in the assignment and
made the information readable with
some clarification
Some peer and/or formal college
assistance with reading
comprehension, formal writing,
and/or editing of work is
recommended
10 to 20 errors
Demonstrated some understanding of
how their inner reaction to the client
might help and/or get in the way of
establishing a connection with the
client
Applied information from the
readings, slides from the weekly topic
and also from previous weeks, live
discussions and videos from the week
and/or also previous weeks, which
resulted in some reflection and
insight about a worker’s ability to
engage and the importance of using
empathy and positive regard with
clients that may provoke strong
worker reactions
Quality of t
difficult for
what was b
(content) w
(style)
The writing
instructions
making ma
read and in
Formal colle
reading com
and/or edit
recommend
21 to 29 err
A limited un
demonstrat
inner reacti
help and ge
establishing
the client
Application
the reading
weekly top
videos from
previous we
and/or inac
in limited re
about a wo
engage and
using empa
regard with
provoke str
Accurately provided 2 to 3 examples
of paraphrases used by the worker in
the transcription
Provided 1
paraphrase
in the trans
There may have been some confusion
about the difference between
paraphrases and other microskills
There was c
the differen
paraphrase
Some explanation of how 1
paraphrase made the client feel
validated
Limited to n
any of the p
client feel v
helped or d
the depth o
with the cli
Some explanation of how 1
paraphrase helped or did not help
advance the depth of the
conversation with the client