AXL ROSE M.

SALAS
Counseling Skills: (Clarifying the Content)

1.
Counselee: My problem, in effect, has to do with my wife’s heart condition. She already had one heart attack.
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. So, you also have your wife’s health to consider.
2. You’re really worried about your wife.
3. Your daughter must be a real problem to your wife.

2.
Counselee: I know I’m having problems at work but I guess all my problems are caused by what’s going on at
home. My daughter, 15 years of age, stays out all night and my wife had a heart attack before. What am
I going to do?
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. I understand that you have problems at home, but can we focus on your problems at work?
2. Now let me see if I understand your problem. You realize that you’re having difficulties at work but as
you understand it, these are related to your problems at home
3. It seems that you’re finding it difficult to do your job and, at the same time, cope with the problems
caused by your daughter and your wife’s health.

3.
Counselee: Yes, but the major difficulty is with my daughter. I think she’s been sleeping around, and I’m at
my wit’s end to know what to do about it.
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. It sounds as though you feel desperate about the situation.
2. That must be an awful situation.
3. Your major concern, then, is what to do to help your daughter.

4.
Counselee: Yes, You see, we’ve tried everything. We’ve promised to give her things if she agrees to stay
home. We’ve tried to ground here. What else can I do?
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. You’ve tried a lot of things, but nothing has worked.
2. Well, maybe your minister could help you.
 3. You think you should do more. There must be something else you can do.
5.
Counselee: I lost my temper and almost hit her. But my wife got so upset. I started worrying about her heart
condition. Anyway, I realized that I wouldn’t solve anything by losing my temper.
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. So, your problems at work stem from the problems you’re having with your daughter.
2. So, the stress caused by your wife’s heart condition and your daughter’s promiscuity is affecting your
ability to work, and you’re searching for a solution.
3. You’re aware that your work isn’t what it used to be. You seem to think your problems you’re your
daughter are contributing to your problems at work and putting a considerable strain on your wife. Your
daughter is becoming promiscuous and, despite your efforts to control her, she continues to act out.

6.
Counselee: Just the other day, I heard that one of my best clients is moving his insurance business to another
company.
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. It seems that your tardiness, your frequent absence and your inability to attend to your work have lost
the company considerable business.
2. It seems that, at the moment, your problems at home take precedence over your job.
3. You seem to be aware of the fact that the problems you’re having at home are having serious effects on
your business activities.

7.
Counselor: If you’ve experienced any major difficulties since our last meeting, maybe we should discuss these
first.
Counselee: Well, not really. Things are much the same as they were yesterday.
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. Yesterday, you discussed some of your problems at home and their effects on your work. You also
discussed your need to solve these problems.
2. The major concern we dealt yesterday is the fact that your personal problems are beginning to affect
your work.
3. Yesterday, we were discussing the problems you’re having at home. You indicated that you think your
daughter’s problem is serious and the question of whether she needs professional care came up.
8. (Another scenario)
Counselee: My sister took her daughter to their family physician and he had a long chat with her.
Counselor: Your sister found help.
Counselee: Yes, I still don’t know whether I should see the school counselor about my daughter. It might be a
good idea. I just don’t know.
Counselor: It’s difficult to know what to do.
Counselee: John, across the road, said something about getting her into a detention home, but that’s kind of
drastic. I don’t know whether there is any solution. Maybe I could send her to live with my brother in another
state.
Choose the word the best reflects the content of the counselee’s comments.
1. I’m sure there are other solutions.
2. Your sister sent her daughter to the family doctor. You wonder about taking your daughter to see a
school counselor. Your neighbor has suggested a detention home. And you’ve thought of involving
your brother.
3. It seems that you’re thinking about a number of solutions to your problem, and you’re not sure which
solution you should choose. Maybe we can discuss each one separately.