The Therapeutic Dialogue The Helping Dialogue The ProblemManagement

The Therapeutic Dialogue The Helping Dialogue The Problem-Management Dialogue The Opportunity Development Dialogue

n Turn Taking – Dialogue is Interactive n Connecting – To What Client Actually Says n Mutual Influencing – By what is Said n Co-creating Outcomes – Benefits Both Parties

n Empathic Presence – Calls for Robustness and intensity of Presence – Let’s Clients Know: “I Am With You”. – Puts you in a position to listen to their concerns.

n Factors in Non-Verbal Communication – Bodily Behavior § Posture § Body Movement § Gestures – Eye Behavior § Eye Contact § Starring § Eye Movement

– Observable Autonomic Physiological Responses § Quickened Breathing § Blushing § Paleness § Pupil Dilation – Physical Characteristics § Fitness § Height § Weight § Complexion

n Factors in Non-Verbal Communication – Facial Expression § § § Smiles Frowns Raised Eyebrows Twisted Lips Zombie-like expression – Voice-Related Behavior § Tone of Voice, Pitch, Volume, Intensity, Inflection, § Spacing of Words, Emphases, Pauses, Silences and Fluency

– Space § How Close or Far From a Person – General Appearance § Grooming § Dress

n Attending n Visibly Tuning In n Active Listening n Empathy n Probing n Summarizing n Challenging n Reluctance. Resistance and Resilience

SOLER Face the client squarely n O: Adopt an Open posture n S: n L: Remember that it is possible at times to Lean toward the other n Maintain good Eye contact n Try to be relative Relaxed or natural in these behaviors

Questions on Visibly Tuning In n What are my attitudes toward this client? n How would I rate the quality of my presence to this client? n To what degree does my nonverbal? behavior indicate a willingness to work with the client? n What attitudes am I expressing in my verbal behavior

Questions on Visibly Tuning In n n To what degree does the client experience me as effectively present and working with him or her? To what degree does my nonverbal behavior reinforce my internal attitudes? In what way am I distracted from giving my full attention to this client? What am I doing to handle these attitudes? How might I be more effectively prsent to this person?

Questions on Visibly Tuning In to the Instructor n What are my attitudes toward the Instructor? n How would I rate the quality of my presence to the Instructor? n To what degree does my nonverbal? behavior indicate a willingness to work with the Instructor? n What attitudes am I expressing in my verbal behavior

Questions on Visibly Tuning In to the Instructor n n n To what degree does the instructor experience me as effectively present and working with him or her? To what degree does my nonverbal behavior reinforce my internal attitudes? In what way am I distracted from giving my full attention to the Instructor? What am I doing to handle these attitudes? How might I be more effectively present to the Instructor as a person, as a professor, as a human being?

Active Listening: The Foundation of Understanding n Inadequate Listening – Tape-recorder listening § Lack of Total Presence § Not Merely Repeating the Same Words but § Being Totally Present – Psychologically, – Emotionally – Socially and – Spiritually

Active Listening: The Foundation of Understanding n Inadequate Listening – Non-listening § Not fully engaged § Distracted and Disinterested § Mind Drifting and Wandering – Partial listening § Skimming the Surface § Pick up only Bits and Pieces

Active Listening: The Foundation of Understanding n Inadequate Listening – Rehearsing § Worker stops listening § Starts playing next response in her/his mind – “I don’t have to listen because what the client is saying is irrelevant and insignificant”. – “You don’t matter to me right now”. – “You are not important”.

n The implementation of social work skills for effective and ethical practice is: – Complex – Demanding and – Challenging

n Such breath, depth and complexity can be overwhelming to the point that students may tend to NOT zero in to the content of the teaching/learning process/ n Students are invited to practice in the classroom the same active listening skills as are systematically required with clients

n The teaching/learning experience is effectively enhanced by extraordinary selfdiscipline and professional integrity on the part of the student in active listening with understanding and purpose to – The teacher and to – Fellow students in their comments, questions and deliberations.

n Authenticity refer to the genuineness of a person’s manner of relating while reflecting fundamental – Honesty – Authenticity – Naturalness – Sincerity Important to get rid of one’s negative and destructive self-talk which hampers effective social work practice

n Students can often be threatened by the material presented in class and might choose fight or flight n Fight – Being aggressive, hostile, belligerent or argumentative n Flight § Cut Off, Severed, Hide Behind a Facade

The Challenge n Is a growth in – Mind – Body – Soul – Spirit

REMEMBER n EVERY WAVE OF “NEGATIVE ENERGY” ONE SENDS TO THE WAY OF ANOTHER DECREACES THE COLLECTIVE ENERGY OF BOTH PARTIES AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIMINISHES THE “SPIRIT” OF THE ENCOUNTER WITH ALL OF ITS POTENTIAL POSSIBILITIES. n LIKE SPORTS, YOU CAN’T TAKE YOUR “EYE OFF THE BALL”

n THE CLASSROOM IS THE “CONDITIONING PLACE” FOR PRACTICE IN PREPARATION FOR OUR AUTHENTIC WORK WITH CLIENTS IN THE FIELD n AND ACTUALLY IN REAL LIFE.