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Effective Listening Skills Program

This weekly program introduces participants to effective listening skills, including identifying helpful and unhelpful behaviors, understanding blocks to listening, and exploring non-verbal communication. Participants will also learn how to take care of themselves and reflect on their experiences. The program includes practice sessions and a working agreement for the group.

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Effective Listening Skills Program

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  1. Key Skills Weekly Programme Week 1 Introduction to effective listening What’s helpful, what’s unhelpful Starting to identify skills Practice Week 2 Blocks to listening Our self as the greatest tool Expanding skills Practice

  2. Key Skills Weekly Programme Week 3 Non-verbal communication Considering more difficult situations Expanding practice Week 4 Looking after our self Reflections on intervening weeks Requests

  3. Working Agreement • The agreed limits of confidentiality enable ideas, themes and issues to be brought into and taken out of the group. It must be ensured, though, that no individuals can be identified in either case. • Members will work supportively, collectively and tolerantly with each other. • Feedback will be offered constructively and respectfully. • Members will strive to be as fully present as possible during each session and commit to attendance in order to help create a rich learning environment. • Differences between individuals of any nature will be respected.

  4. TO LISTEN YOU EAR EYES UNDIVIDEDATTENTION HEART

  5. HELPING STRATEGIES CONTINUUM HELPER CLIENT informing taking direct action advising supporting counselling Often in crisis intervention Using specific knowledge and giving specific opinion - intent is that it will be acted on Giving certain information, dispelling misinformation - not necessarily intent that it will be acted on Being available in most appropriate way - practically, emotionally Facilitating self-exploration through specific therapeutic relationship

  6. Script A

  7. Script B

  8. EMPATHY ‘The ability to understand the world of another as if it were your own whilst never loosing the ‘as if’ quality’. i.e standing in someone else’s shoes but remembering that they are not yours and not to walk off in them…

  9. ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS REFLECTION of content Paraphrasing Aim:To communicate back succinctly and briefly key themes. Why? • Clarifies. • Conveys listening – builds trust • Allows teller to hear own story. ‘You need to talk to me about some concerns that you have following our restructuring.’

  10. REFLECTION of feelings Listening to the bass line Aim: to reflect acknowledgement and acceptance of feelings Why? • Hearing the emotional as well as the factual content of the story. • To provide an opportunity for underlying feelings which have, as yet, not been voiced to be identified and articulated. ‘You’ve lost confidence in your capabilites Yes that’s right I do feel overwhelmed.’

  11. REFLECTION of process How the story’s being told, pacing, pauses, silences etc Aim: to articulate and offer back the unspoken dimension of the story Why? • Conveys listening and attentiveness at depth – hearing more than just the words. • If words are difficult conveys continued interest of listener and can help focus speaker. As with listening to the bass line with feelings, try and identify what underlying message is being conveyed- what is being ‘said’ by the pacing. Set it in the context of all the other information you are receiving. • I can see how hard it is for you to tell me all this.’

  12. When to use reflection Reflection of both content and feelings can be used relatively frequently in order to clarify and communicate listening and understanding. Reflection of process can be particularly useful if communication seems stuck. Don’t use it to just fill awkward silences. Remember: reflection only requires a sentence or two

  13. SUMMARISING Aim: To bring together both content and feeling in one whole, reflecting both back to the speaker. Why? • To convey attentive listening at the end of a session. • To clarify and ensure correct understanding of content and feelings - particularly important if a lot of information has been given. ‘I can see how hard it is for you to tell me all this John. It seems that what we thought was pretty straight forward on paper now seems almost overwhelming for you in practice…’’

  14. PRACTICE

  15. CLOSED QUESTIONS Aim: to gather information Closed questions generally invite a simple yes or no answer and do not give the speaker the opportunity to elaborate. ‘That ok?’ OPEN QUESTIONS Aim: to allow the speaker to elaborate and explore their thoughts and feelings more widely ‘How can I help ?’ Have you had any thoughts on other options?’ NB Questions can be helpful but can also take away from the direction that the speaker wants to go in. Questions used to gather information just for the listeners curiosity or as a ‘gap filler’ should be avoided. Use questions wisely and consciously!

  16. PROMPTS / ENCOURAGEMENT Aim: to convey engagement and listening and to gently encourage continuation nodding ‘mm’ ing ‘ah ah’ing simply repeating the last few words that the speaker has given and leaving space for continuation. ‘there’s no rush, take your time’

  17. Non- verbal communication and the sound of silence.

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