Case Work II Chapter 7 Responses and Leads

 Benjamin stated – when I respond, I speak in terms of what the client has expressed. I react to the ideas and feelings he has communicated to me with something of my own.  Benjamin stated – when I lead, I take over. I express ideas and feelings to which I expect the client to react.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Silence  Silence can be a response. The response is nonverbal but can express a great deal. Silence has meaning. “Mm-hm”  “Mm-hm” is a verbal response  “Mm-hm” can indicate approval or criticism by the helper.  See pp

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Restatement  Restatement – serves as an echo to let the client hear what he/she has said on the assumption that this may encourage them to go on speaking – looking deeper.  Restatement can be effected in 4 basic ways: 1.) Restate exactly what has been said without even changing the pronoun the client has used.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Restatement (cont.) 2.) Restate exactly, changing only the pronoun. 3.) Restate part of what has been said – the part the helper feels to be more significant and worth having the client hear again. 4.) Restate in summary fashion what the client has said.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Clarification  Clarification is commonly understood to mean the helper’s clarification for the client of what the latter has said or tried to say.  See examples – pp. 213 – 215. Reflection  This is a very difficult response to achieve.  To reflect the feelings and attitudes of the client demands deeply emphatic listening and understanding.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Reflection (cont.)  When reflecting, the helper verbalizes what the client feels.  Reflection is very similar to restatement except that the former is more loaded emotionally.  See examples pp. 215 – 218.  When reflecting, the therapist neither guesses nor assumes.  True reflection will be accepted by the client because it simply consists of putting into words the feeling tone of what he has just said.  When the helper uses reflection, he responds not to his own inner frame of reference but solely to the feeling tone of the client.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Interpretation and Explanation  There are 2 kinds of interpretation: 1.) The first is based on the internal frame of reference of the client. 2.) The second one is based on the internal frame of reference of the therapist or helper.  When a helper interprets what they have understood from the client’s communication to me in terms of their life space, the helper is responding to him.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Interpretation and Explanation (cont.)  When the helper interprets it in terms of his/her own life space, the helper has crossed the rubicon and is expected to have them respond to the helper.  See pp. 220 – 221  Explanation – it is a descriptive statement. It may include evaluative overtones – whether intended as such or not – that may be sensed by the client.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Interpretation and Explanation (cont.)  The helper may utilize explanation as a lead – in structuring the interview – for example – or as a response to the client’s statements and questions.  As it is descriptive in character, explanation should be neutral in tone.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Orientation to Situation  See examples – pp. 221 – 222. Explanation of Behavior  See examples – pp. 222 – 223. Explanation of Causes  See pp. 223 – 224.

Client – Centered Responses & Leads Explanation of the Therapist  See pp. 224 – 225  In many situations, these two responses, interpretation and explanation – merge and elements of both are present in the response.

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses  In leading we must be conscious that we are doing so and know whom we are leading and to what end. Encouragement  Our attitude, our approach, our responses – all are meant to support and reinforce the client in his/her efforts to change in a direction meaningful and worthwhile for the client.

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Assurance/Reassurance  We use assurance/reassurance as leads to tell the client in words that we believe in his capability to overcome obstacles, to face up to this situation successfully.  See pp. 280 – 281 Suggestion Suggestion  Suggestion is a mild form of advice.  Its overtones tend to be tentative and vague.  See pp

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Advice  Advice essentially is telling someone else how to behave – what to do or not to do.  It may be directly or indirectly.  Non threateningly or as an ultimatum.  See pp. 233 – 239  It is often easier to advise than to become more deeply involved in the struggles of another.  When advice is given, it should be followed up.

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Urging  Urging is very closely related to persuasion and cajoling.  Urging is a lead or response – the purpose of which is to prod clients – to not escape what they should evade.  Urging involves supporting in order to strengthen the client’s determination to carry out whatever it is that both partners have discussed and the helper – at least, feels would be beneficial to the client.  See pp

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Moralizing  Moralizing is a mixture of advice giving and urging with one significant addition.  Use of conscience and: morals – those sacred, social norms no one in his right sense could possibly oppose or even question.  See pp

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Authority Leads and Responses  In this group the therapist perceives his role in a specific light and acts accordingly. Agreement – Disagreement  Here the helper tells the client whether in their opinion the latter is right or wrong.

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Approval – Disapproval  Approval – Disapproval is similar to agreement – disagreement. However, the question is not of right or wrong, but of good or bad.  The helper expresses a valve judgment when from his frame of reference, this seems appropriate.  See pp

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Opposition and Criticism  When a helper opposes, they are saying “no” to a contemplated course of action.  When the helper criticizes, he/she expresses their displeasure with the client’s “bad” conduct or mistaken action.  The helper from his/her vantage point, is certain that this opposition or criticism is well – founded.  See pp

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Disbelief  Disbelief assumes that the client’s perception of a given situation is incorrect or distorted and that the helper, from his/her position, can detect this and present and undistorted, more objective view.  See p. 252

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Ridicule  In intent, ridicule is related to disbelief, but the lead or response is sharper, more sarcastic.  Here the helper condescendingly instructs the client for the purpose of demonstrating how absurd the client and his/her perceptions are.  See p. 253

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Contradiction  “It is not so. It is otherwise.”  The helper is saying “no” “wrong”, to what the client has expressed.  See p. 254 Denial and Rejection  Of the leads and responses listed in this series, denial and rejection are the most extreme.

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Denial and Rejection (cont.)  The client is made to understand that under prevailing conditions, the client can be neither guided nor assisted.  See pp. 254 – 255 Open Use of Authority  Helper makes open use of their authority.  The helper assumes complete responsibility for what occurs in the interview and dominates the situation accordingly.

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Scolding  When scolding, the helper interprets and evaluates the ideas, feelings, and actions of the client.  See p. 256 Threat  The helper will mobilize the power at his command – which is much greater than any the client can muster.  See p. 257

Therapist – Centered Leads and Responses Command  The helper unequivocally orders the client to follow their instructions.  See pp. 257 – 258 Punishment  The helper – feeling he/she must chastise the client for some impropriety of deed or attitude – brandishes the power and influence implicit in his role.  See pp