Interpersonal and Relational Processes in Conjoint Behavioral Consultation

Interpersonal and Relational Processes in Conjoint Behavioral Consultation Ariadne Schemm & Valerie Gortmaker

Development of Relationship-Building Competencies in Consultees �Overt Didactic Approach �Role Model �Practice �Feedback

Training Interpersonal Skills

Skill Domains • Microskills • Perspective Taking • Building Partnerships • Conflict Management

Microskills • • • Open Questions Minimal Encouragers Reflection Self-disclosure Paraphrase/Summarize

Open Questions • Questions that are designed to elicit more than a single response (they open the opportunity for the client to talk, elaborate, and/or describe situations) • Video Clip

Minimal Encouragers • Statements or gestures that encourage the consultee to communicate their thoughts or ideas (e. g. , um hum, huh or head nods).

Reflection • A statement made by the consultant that responds to the emotional tone of the consultee’s message.

Self-Disclosure • Personal experiences of the consultant shared with the consultee within the consultative relationship.

Paraphrase • Paraphrase: A statement that rephrases the content of the consultee’s message (i. e. , describing a situation, event, person, or idea) using one’s own language. • Video Clip

Summarize • Summarize: A statement that combines two or more paraphrases and condenses the essential elements of the consultee’s message.

Perspective Taking • Listen to and Acknowledge Different Perspectives • Adopt a Non-deficit Approach • Be Responsive

Listen to and Acknowledge Different Perspectives • Help the consultees see that the situation can be viewed from different vantage points, and that this can be beneficial for problemsolving. • Video Clip

Adopt a Non-deficit Approach • Place attention on the shared strengths of the home, school and child, rather than on efforts to “fix” child, family or school problems. • Video Clip

Be Responsive • Attend to consultee’s needs and provide effective resources.

Building Partnerships • Point out Similar Experiences • Point out Consultee Contributions • Develop Opportunities for Positive Communication

Point out Similar Experiences • Highlight the similarity of examples provided by the parents and teachers.

Point out Consultee Contributions • Recognize the benefits associated with the unique contributions of parents and educators.

Positive Communication • Emphasize the positive and realistic aspects of the child (e. g. , “good news” phone calls).

Conflict Management • Focus on Mutual Goals • Use Language to Unify (e. g. , us, we, our) • Reframing • Provide Structure • Read Nonverbal Language

Focus on Mutual Goals • Place an emphasis on the situation and concerns shared across systems, not the individual parent, teacher or student.

Use Language to Unify • Emphasize a team concept with words such as “we, ” “us, ” and “together. ”

Reframing • Re-name or re-label a consultee’s thoughts, feelings, or beliefs about a particular individual, situation, or process to provide an alternate positive frame of reference.

Provide Structure • Use the structured problem solving steps to systematically resolve the issue.

Read Nonverbal Language • Be attentive to the consultee’s nonverbal cues.

• Interpersonal skills are the keys to bringing systems together in a supportive and collaborative manner. – Didactic supervision presents interpersonal skills as a vehicle to build home-school partnerships. – Role playing and role-modeling provide interpersonal practice to facilitate individual development. – On-site practicum provides training and feedback experience in real-life situations.

The Effect of Good Interpersonal Skills • Interpersonal skills are the roots upon which one needs to build the more systemic goals to ultimately meet the needs of the child. • Build awareness of interpersonal skills through building competencies. • Once competencies are built, consultants use skills to ultimately meet more systemic goals of providing home-school partnerships and focusing on family needs.