SKILLS IN SOCIAL WORK COUNSELING

LOVELEIH G. QUEMADO, PHD

 SKILLS DEFINED
● SKILLS- the ability to do something.
● A skill is the learned ability to perform an
action with determined results with good
execution often within a given amount of
time, energy, or both. 
● Skills can often be divided into domain-
general and domain-specific skills.
 Social workers help clients cope with and resolve
issues like substance abuse, grief, family
dysfunction and school adjustment.

 Social workers connect clients to community

resources and empower them to overcome
structural barriers such as poverty, discrimination
and social injustice.

 As part of their training, they learn evidence-

based techniques in social work that help them
guide clients toward goals that can enhance their
quality of life.
 Active Listening
● One of the most fundamental techniques of social work is
active listening, which is used to show genuine interest in
the client’s thoughts and feelings. No other technique will
prove effective without taking time to build trust and
rapport.

● When social workers engage in active listening, they are

focused, engaged and attentive. They use nonverbal cues
such as head nodding and direct eye contact. 

● Simmons University explains that active listening includes

reflecting back what the client is saying to clarify meaning.
Example:

 It sounds like you’re having second thoughts about

accepting his marriage proposal, did I get that right?

 Are you saying that you’re afraid of losing your spouse if

you don’t lose weight?

 The goal of active listening is to build a therapeutic

alliance that conveys respect and nonjudgmental
acceptance. Clients who feel that their voice matters are
more likely to open up and confide in the social worker.
 Task-Centered Practice
● Social Worker Helper describes Task-Centered Practice (TCP) as a well-known
therapeutic technique that is supported by evidence. Instead of
psychoanalyzing root causes of a client’s problems, TCP builds on the client’s
strengths and resiliency. Emphasis is placed on a process of problem-solving and
goal-setting that is reviewed and modified until the initial problem is resolved.

● First, the social worker and client identify problems contributing to stress or
unhappiness. Next, the social worker guides the client in developing measurable
goals and an action plan. The social worker offers support and validation as the
client works toward goals.

● Lastly, outcomes are discussed and related back to the presenting problem. For
example, a client who can’t find work might set a goal of visiting an American
Job Center and then discusses career training with their social worker who
provides information on apprenticeships.
 Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
● Clinical social workers use cognitive behavior therapy techniques to
assist clients whose thought patterns are exacerbating their
problems and reinforcing self-defeating behaviors. According to 
Healthline, negative thinking and fearing the worst can become a
self-fulfilling prophecy, which intensifies negativity. To break this
cycle, a client must learn how to recognize and reframe negative
thought patterns.

● For example, a clinical social worker might work with a panicked

client who feels worthless after losing a job and has no hope of ever
finding a suitable position. The problem could be reframed as a
need to work on the behaviors that resulted in being fired, such as
missing deadlines, arriving late and poor hygiene. The social worker
might also recommend relaxation and deep breathing exercises for
anxiety.
 Family Therapy
● The Mayo Clinic describes family therapy as a type of brief
therapeutic intervention that helps families adjust and resolve
situations that evoke feelings of anger, guilt, resentment and
confusion. Clinical social workers are trained in marriage and family
systems theory and family counseling techniques. Family therapy is
for couples and family members whose lives are affected by a
festering problem such as an alcoholic father, rebellious teenager or
daughter with an eating disorder.

● Using this social work counseling technique, the social worker starts
with an assessment that takes cultural perspectives into account.
The clinical social worker observes family roles and dynamics,
completes a family history, diagnoses any mental health conditions
in family members and guides change toward better communication
and healthier behavior.
 Clinical Social Work Approach
● Clinical social work is a broad field that focuses on the mental,
social and behavioral health of individuals, couples, families and
groups. It includes the diagnosis and treatment of mental health
disorders and behavioral disturbances, crisis intervention and
prevention of psychosocial dysfunction, such as through patient
education or early intervention, as explained by the 
National Association of Social Workers.

● Clinical social work includes different social work interventions,

such as biopsychosocial assessments, advocacy and referral,
cognitive and behavioral treatment and mediation. Clinical social
workers are employed in a variety of settings, including private
practice, mental health clinics, substance abuse facilities, schools,
hospitals, universities, primary health care centers, correctional
facilities, employee assistance programs and child welfare agencies.
 Education and Training
● Clinical social workers must have a minimum of a
master's degree in social work from a school
accredited by the Council on Social Work Education,
although many practitioners also have a doctorate.

● In addition, clinical social workers must have a

minimum of two years or 3,000 hours of post-master's
experience, providing direct care in a supervised
setting and hold a state license to practice. Specific
license requirements for clinical social work vary by
state.
 Professional Counseling Focus
● Professional counseling is a mental health field similar to clinical
social work in that it focuses on helping individuals, couples and
families with a variety of problems. However, unlike social work,
which also includes many different interventions and modes of
helping clients, professional counseling focuses solely on
counseling.

● One of the main functions of a professional counselor is to work

with the client to help identify goals and potential solutions to
problems causing emotional turmoil. Professional counselors also
work to improve communication and coping skills, increase self-
esteem and promote behavior change and the mental health of their
clients, according to the American Counseling Association. They
may work in different settings, such as mental health clinics or
substance abuse facilities, or in private or group practice.
 Attending Behavior
● Any behavior engaged in by an individual while
attentively listening to and observing a speaker,
for example, exhibiting an open, interested posture
and maintaining eye contact.

● Helpful attending behaviors, along with active

listening, are considered cornerstones of
a therapist's or counselor's general ability.
 Observation Skills
● Skilled client observation allows the counsellor to
identify discrepancies or incongruities in the
client's or their own communication.

● Observation is a skill that is utilized throughout the

entire counselling interview.

● Observing body language, tone of voice and

facial expressions.
 Paraphrasing Skills
● Paraphrasing occurs when the counselor states
what the client has just said, using fewer words but
without changing the meaning of what the client
said.

● When utilizing this skill, you attempt to feed back

the essence of what the person has just said.
 Paraphrasing Skills
The following are some examples of accurate paraphrasing:

Client: "I don't know about her. One moment she's really friendly,
and the next time 1 see her she's totally cold."
Counselor: "You haven't experienced her as being very consistent."
Client: "Every moment there is something new to do. There must be
ten different things going on at the same time!"
Counselor: "There are a lot of activities for you to chose from."
Client: "He's really crummy. His degree is from a non-accredited
school. He's had very little training, and he has a: poor relationship
with his wife."
Counselor: "You don't think he's very competent."
 Questioning Skills
● Effective questioning helps guide the counselling conversation
and may assist in enriching the client's story. 

● Questioning is useful in the information gathering stage of the

interview. It can however be an important skill to use throughout
the entire process.
 Questioning Skills
Closed questions (aka the ‘Polar’ question)

● Closed, or ‘polar’ questions generally invite a one-word answer,

such as ‘yes’ or ‘no’. For example, ‘do you drive?’ or, ‘did you take
my pen?’ They could also include answers to factual or multiple
choice questions, such as ‘what’s your name’, or ‘would you like
tea, coffee, or water?

● They’re popular as icebreaker questions in group situations because

they’re easy to answer. Of course, most questions can be opened up
for further discussion, including closed questions — but more on
that later.
● Useful for: warming up group discussions, getting a quick answer
 Questioning Skills
Open questions

● Open-ended questions require a little more thought and generally

encourage wider discussion and elaboration. They can’t be
answered with a simple yes or no response. For example: ‘what do
you think of your boss?’ Or ‘why did you choose that car?’

● Useful for: critical or creative discussion, finding out more

information about a person or subject.
 Questioning Skills
Probing questions

● These questions are useful for gaining clarification and encouraging

others to tell you more information about a subject. Probing
questions are usually a series of questions that dig deeper and
provide a fuller picture. For example: ‘when do you need the
finished project, and is it ok if I email it to you?’

● Useful for: seeing the bigger picture, encouraging a reluctant

speaker to tell you more information, and avoiding
misunderstandings.
 Questioning Skills
Leading questions
● These questions are designed to lead the respondent towards a certain desired positive
or negative route.
● In the workplace, you might encounter leading questions such as: ‘do you have any
issues with the project?’, or ‘did you enjoy working on that project?’ The former subtly
prompts the respondent towards a negative response; the latter towards a positive.
Asking ‘how did you get on with that project’ will get you a more balanced answer.
● Leading questions could also involve an appeal at the end that’s designed to coerce the
respondent into agreeing with the speaker. For example, ‘this project is going well, isn’t
it?’ encourages the respondent to say ‘yes’. This works particularly well because
psychologically, we prefer saying yes over no. So when we’re put on the spot, we’ll
usually opt for the former.
● Useful for: building positive discussions, closing a sale, steering a conversation
towards an outcome that serves your interest
● A word of warning: It’s important to use leading questions carefully; they can be
seen as an unfair way of getting the answer you want.
 Questioning Skills
Loaded questions

● Loaded questions are seemingly straightforward, closed questions — with a

twist: they contain an assumption about the respondent. They’re famously
used by lawyers and journalists to trick their interviewee into admitting a
fundamental truth they would otherwise be unwilling to disclose.
● For example, the question: ‘have you stopped stealing pens?’ assumes the
respondent stole a pen more than once. Whether she answers yes or no, she
will admit to having stolen pens at some point.
● Of course, the preferred response would be: ‘I have never stolen a pen in my
life’ But it’s not always easy to spot the trap. These questions are quite
rightly seen as manipulative.
● Useful for: discovering facts about someone who would otherwise be
reluctant to offer up the information
 Questioning Skills
Recall and process questions

● Recall questions require the recipient to remember a fact. For

example, ‘what’s seven times seven?’ and ‘where did you put the
keys?’ or ‘What’s your login password?’ Process questions, on the
other hand, require the respondent to add their own opinion to their
answer. These types of questions can be used to test the
respondent’s depth of knowledge about a particular topic. For
example: ‘what are the advantages of asking a closed question?’ or
‘why are you the right person to lead this project?’

● Useful for: encouraging critical thought and in-depth evaluation of

a subject in tests, interviews or discussions
 Questioning Skills
Rhetorical questions
● These are a different beast altogether because they don’t
really require an answer. They’re simply statements phrased
as questions to make the conversation more engaging for the
listener, who is drawn into agreeing with you.
● For example, ‘isn’t it nice working with such a friendly team?’
is more engaging that ‘this team is friendly’, which doesn’t
require any mental participation from the respondent.
● Rhetorical questions are often used by coaches or public
speakers for effect to get the audience thinking and
agreeing. In this way, they’re a not-too-distant cousin of the
leading question.
● Useful for: persuading people, building engagement
 Questioning Skills
A word on tone
● Tone, context, intonation, and body language all help us make sense of what is
being asked of us. But what happens when you throw technology into the mix
and place a digital screen between the interlocutors?
● Emojis and gifs have made their way into the workplace, and they’re here to
stay. Moreover, there’s no denying that they enhance interpersonal
communication and go some way towards fulfilling our need for something a
little more human.
● In fact, when used well, emojis and gifs can make workplace communication 
a little more fun for everyone. When asking questions over email, or via a team
chat app such as Typetalk, why not enhance your message with a gif or two?
Obviously, use a little discretion — you may want to hold back when talking to a
new client. But for general chat and team collaboration at work, it’s the next
best thing to talking face-to-face.
● With a certain level of carefulness towards tone and a knowledge of how to ask
questions in the right way, you can get a lot more out of your work relationship.
 Feeling Reflection
Reflection in counselling is like holding up a mirror: repeating
the client's words back to them exactly as they said them. ...
When we use the skill of reflection, we are looking to match the
tone, the feeling of the words, and the client's facial expression
or body language as they spoke.

When a counselor uses reflection, s/he accurately describes the

client's affective state from either verbal or nonverbal cues. By
listening for and responding to the feelings of the client rather
than the content of their statement you arc communicating that
you can accurately sense the world as they are perceiving it.
 Challenging Skills
Challenge (sometimes also known as 'confrontation') is
an advanced skill in the therapeutic relationship.

Although these terms may sound at odds with person-

centered counselling, it can be useful for the client to
recognize a mismatch – say between thoughts and
feelings, or between words and body language.
 Reference:
Dowd, M. (2020). Social work counseling techni
ques from https://work.chron.com/social-work-c
ounseling-techniques-4897.html
Any question/comments?