A Safe Place for Change

Skills and Capacities for Counselling and Therapy

Hugh Crago(Senior Lecturer in Counselling)
Western Sydney University

Penny Gardner(Lecturer in Counselling)

Western Sydney University

CHAPTER 3:
SUMMARY
Cinthiyar &
Hlaing Thazin Aung
CHAPTER 3: The Story Unfolds: The skills of Exploring
 3.1 The metaphor of exploration
9 months, infants become mobile– They explore their environment
Caregivers or Mummy need to assist that exploration. Good parents does not
force new experiences on her child (Support & Encourage). Same as counsellors
Clients own priorities., e.g., severely traumatized : To create safe space for
clients. (Her own voice, to see her own face & to follow her own feeling)
3.1 The metaphor of exploration

Mirror reflect
All the counsellors had done was reflect.
• Active process of investigation & discovery.
• Assist clients to find out more about the
things, they have talk about (exploring
process).
1. Reflection is one way of assisting
exploration.
2. Asking question- Open Questions (A or B)
- Closed Questions (Yes or No)
3.2 Therapeutic Question & Diagnostic Question

What was it like to talk to your Mum again, after all

that had happened?

Was it really hard to talk to your Mum again, after all

that had happened?

Counsellor’s preference for open question to conduct an internal search.

3.3 Thoughtful Questioning
Questioning is most important tools for Counsellors.
• Beginning counsellor often use questions for the wrong reasons.
• Asking question is (potentially) more intrusive than reflecting.
• Successful questioning depends on the counsellor’s level of experience,
and sense of timing.
• In asking questions, you are beginning to participate in a more overt
way in the counselling process.

Follow your Client’s Lead

3.4 Questions that follow the Client’s Lead

Counsellor is not know more than client.

What the real problem is?

Something might happen

Something scary
3.5 Speaking from the Self
3.6 Exploring “GAPS” & Missing “BITS”
3.7 What’s really happening?
What, When and How Questions

I’m always anxious

and overthinking about
everything.

Whenever I do something, I
think about what could go
wrong first. Those thoughts
make me feel anxious and
worry making me unable to
focus on the task.
 Questioning

Own behavior Other’s behavior

Reflection
Summarise understanding of the situation at intervals

Accept Reject

Client
3.8 Timing and Choice Points

As counsellor follow the client’s lead, there will be

choice points for questioning.

Choice point A: Gain a more

detailed picture of the whole
Client: My son and I situation.
don’t get along. We
always fight over little
things. Choice point B: Explore the
experience (feelings) of being
in a conflict with her son.
 How do you feel?

What’s it like when…?

3.9 Questions that explore experiences

Thoughts

What’s like to….?

What’s it like when…?
Feelings

Acknowledge feelings Express feelings openly

3.10 Exploring connections between past and present

Client: I feel like I’m being

ignored and he doesn’t
understand me.

Client’s past: I also don’t have a good

relationship with my mom cause I always
feel like she doesn’t understand or hear
what I want to say.
3.11 What does that mean to you?

Tense
Tense
3.12 Why not ask “Why?”

- Client’s answers, emanating from the left hemisphere, may be out

of touch with true motivations, which are often known only to the
right hemisphere
- Shallow rationalisation

When to ask “Why?”

- If we’re asking the client about someone else’s
motivation, rather than their own
3.13 From Exploration to Intervention

Trust the process

The process of exploration, in itself, will take you

where you need to go.