Interpersonal and Counselling Skills

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that counselling is a critical part of the social worker's professional weaponry not least because it forms a core skill used to communicate and build relationships among those involved in care. The writer points out that of course, it is possible for the social worker to utilize his or her own personal experiences as a guide which would have accumulated, as any citizen would, through the process of socialization. But the kind of people a normal citizen would commonly have dealings with would necessarily be selective - it would merely encompass a relatively narrow circle of family, relatives and friends from similar social and ethnic backgrounds. The writer maintains that what sets professional social workers apart is that they are forced to confront a diversity of people from all walks of life who bring with them their own sets of distinctive problems, beliefs and cultures, for which even the most experienced individual might be ill-equipped.

From the Paper:

"At its most basic, counselling takes into serious consideration verbal and non-verbal speech as well as listening skills. Impressions that clients take away from even the most fleeting of encounters matter: if the speed at which counselling is provided is either too fast or too slow; if the nature of conversation is formal or informal; if the tone of voice, pitch and loudness differ - all this can lead to divergent experiences that leave a more indelible mark rather than the contents of what is said. Equally important would be the skill to listen, providing reassurances to the speaker to express themselves freely and openly. Resisting the temptation to interrupt, avoid misunderstanding, using body language, choosing the right environment in which to talk would be some key skills, while non-verbal skills, such as gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, orientation, touch and proximity to the speaker are important ways in which social workers can engage in fruitful communication."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Richard Nelson-Jones (2002), Basic counselling skills: a helper's manual, London: Sage.
• Lisa Miller (2005), Counselling skills for social work, London: Sage.
• Neil Thompson (2000), Understanding social work: preparing for practice, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• -- (2002), People skills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

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