1. Chapter 1: Developing a Helping Relationship

2. “Most people would rather be certain they are miserable,
than risk being happy.”
Author: Unknown

3. Learning Objectives
Define the helping skills (including attending, listening, reflecting, and encouraging) and apply them in an interview setting
Construct open- and closed-ended questions and demonstrate the appropriate use of each type
Identify a client’s needs, strengths, and barriers
Explain how to help clients establish long- and short-term goals and use them as the basis of an action plan; cite methods used to assist the client to accomplish the plan
Develop and maintain a comprehensive file of community resources for client referral
Explain when and how to terminate service to a client

4. Ingredients in the Helping Relationship
Acceptance
Respect
Understanding
Empathy
Trust
Warmth
Genuineness

5. Purpose of the Intake Interview
To develop an understanding of the client’s history and current situation
To identify and define a client’s career goals
To identify obstacles to and resources for goal attainment
To match the client’s needs with appropriate organizational services

6. SOLER Attending Skills
S - Face the client squarely
O - Adopt an open posture
L - Lean toward the client
E - Maintain good eye contact
R - Try to be relatively relaxed

7. Choose a partner Role play: CDF and “client”
Play yourself as if you were coming to a CDF for help with your own career.
10 minutes – engage in a getting-to-know-you interview using the skills you’ve learned
Reverse roles

8. SOLER Debrief What was easy, difficult Anything suprising?
Imagine using these skills with real clients/students

9. Reflection
Two key components
Feeling
Content

10. Closed-ended Questions
Advantages
Easy for clients to answer
Yield information quickly
Useful for clarifying information

11. Closed-ended Questions
Disadvantages
Restrict clients to brief answers
Keep the questioner in control of the conversation
May make clients feel interrogated
May be perceived as advice or criticism

12. Open-ended Questions Advantages Explore clients’ thought and feelings
Give clients some control in the conversation
Convey your interest in and respect for the client
Provide information you may not think to ask

13. Open-ended Questions Disadvantages
May allow clients to wander or to avoid a topic
May lead to a series of “I don’t know” answers

14. Identifying Strengths
Motivation: client’s level of desire to work toward attaining career goals
Education and Transferable Skills: academic, vocational, and experiential
Support System - family, community, etc.
Timing - perception of how much time can be spent in job search
Decision-making Skills - comfort and experience with decision making

15. Identifying Barriers Finances - living expenses and job-search costs
Transportation - driving and using public transportation
Childcare and eldercare concerns - needs related to caring for children and elderly
Mental and Physical Health Issues - illness that may affect self-esteem or work

16. Elements of an Effective Action Plan
A well-defined long-term goal
Alternative goals
Specific resources needed to accomplish the goals
Short-term goals
A realistic time line
Strategies to overcome anticipated barriers