WVASFAA 1

Counseling Strategies MARK A NEW TRAIL ~ LEARN TO BE A BETTER LISTENER AND EXPLAINER WVASFAA 2

Stressful Conversations Financial concerns rank among the top 20 stressors ◦Applying for financial aid is a new and uncertain experience for many ◦A college education has a significant price tag and there may be a great deal of uncertainty around how they will manage ◦Overwhelmed ◦Afraid WVASFAA 3

Bureaucratic Approach Sometimes administrators can get caught up in the rules and regulations ◦Don’t forget about the human standing in front of you WVASFAA 4

Acronyms and Jargon The world of financial aid is filled with acronyms and jargon ◦Families think they understand but they often don’t ◦They may think they are the only ones who “don’t get it” ◦Confused ◦Maybe afraid to ask for a clarification ◦Lose confidence in their ability to understand something completely WVASFAA 5

“Curse of Knowledge” WVASFAA 6

Explanation Scale Students/ParentsFAA ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Less Understanding More Understanding WVASFAA 7

TING Chinese Symbol for Listening ◦It has been adopted by ◦Department of State ◦Theologians ◦Peace Workers ◦Counseling Courses The Chinese have capture the essence of listening – the difference between simply hearing and truly listening “to listen to one another with our whole bodies” WVASFAA 8

Active Listening ◦Pay attention ◦Look at the speaker directly. ◦Put aside distracting thoughts. ◦Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal! ◦Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. ◦"Listen" to the speaker's body language. WVASFAA 9

Active Listening ◦Show you are listening ◦Nod occasionally. ◦Smile and use other facial expressions. ◦Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. ◦Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh WVASFAA 10

Active Listening ◦Provide feedback ◦Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back. ◦Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?" ◦Summarize the speaker's comments periodically. WVASFAA 11

Active Listening Defer judgment ◦Allow the speaker to finish. Don’t interrupt with a counter point Respond appropriately ◦Be candid, open, and honest in your response. ◦Assert your opinions respectfully. WVASFAA 12