Active Listening

Counseling is a unique profession requiring a particular set of qualities. It covers a wide range of disciplines and approaches, each requiring its own unique skill set. However, for anyone thinking of embarking on a career as a counselor, there are some basic skills in addition to personal attributes required to be effective in any specialty. Throughout a counselor’s career, continuous professional development is vital so you will never stop learning.
Crouch (1992) suggests that there are four main areas of skills development: counselor awareness, personal work,theoretical understanding and casework skills. Larson et al. (1992) have constructed a model that breaks down counselor competence (which they term ‘counselor self-efficacy’) into five areas: micro-skills, process, dealing with difficult clients’ behaviours, cultural competence and awareness of values.
Active listening is a fundamental skill, together with encouraging clients to talk by asking open questions while keeping the client’s responses on track. The counselor also needs to listen to what is not being said, whether through omission or expressed non-verbally. Being able to interpret and use non-verbal communication such as voice tone and pitch, posture, facial expressions, gestures and unconscious movements are key skills.
It can help to make them feel listened to without being judged by someone they know. Talking to a stranger is often easier than talking to a judged one, as if you feel uncomfortable or say the wrong thing then you don’t have to see them ever again. They are less likely to judge you as they can see the overall picture and get to know you and your situation based on what you tell them. A counselor can often be understanding and help you to talk through your problems. It will feel like a weight has been lifted off your chest, so you should feel a lot better about