HELPING EDUCATORS
ENGAGING MINDS
Instructor’s Guide
THE HELPING INTERVIEW:
Enhancing Therapeutic Communication
Series 684
684.2: Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
This Instructor’s Guide Contains:
Objectives, discussion questions, practice exercises, quizzes, and answer keys for all of
the programs in The Helping Interview series. Institutions who have purchased Series 684
from Concept Media have permission to duplicate any of the contents of this Instructor’s
Guide for teaching purposes.
THE HELPING INTERVIEW:
Enhancing Therapeutic Communication
Program 684.2: Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Objectives
After completing the program, the learner will be able to:
ƒ Discuss the basic principles for opening a helping interview.
ƒ Discuss the role of questioning.
ƒ Describe characteristics of helpful questions.
­ identify open and closed questions
­ formulate an indirect statement
ƒ Discuss answering a client.
ƒ Discuss silence during the helping interview.
­ cite four possible causes
­ describe two helpful responses
­ describe two unhelpful responses
Discussion Questions
1. What do you usually say to a client at the beginning of an interaction?
2. Should the helper use questions in a helping session? If so, to what degree?
3. What do you do if silence occurs during a helping interview?
Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use grated to purchaser only.
Concept Media
2004
PRETEST
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QUESTIONS
Opening strategies vary depending on who initiates the interview.
In a client-initiated interview, it is important to acknowledge at the very
beginning that the helper understands the purpose of the proposed interaction.
Privacy is important for any helping interview.
In a client-initiated interview, it is best to start with a brief neutral comment.
In a caregiver-initiated interview, it is best to have an extended period of
small talk before telling the client the purpose of the interaction.
In a caregiver-initiated interview, the professional has tight control of the
interaction and guides it.
Small talk is inappropriate in any helping interview.
Questioning is essential before teaching a client a skill.
Questioning is essential when gathering specific information about a person.
Questioning a person with an emotional problem is vitally important.
A client’s flow of thoughts and feelings can be disrupted by a question.
When emotional issues are involved, questions should help identify and
explore relevant ideas and feelings.
Closed questions begin with what, how or could.
Closed questions are not as helpful as those that are open-ended.
Open questions guide the client to increase verbalization.
Indirect statements are closed questions that are reworded.
“I’d be interested to know how you feel about his going back to school.” is an
indirect statement.
A simple request for information from a client should be given a prompt
response.
Client requests for advice or opinions should be answered directly and
promptly.
The helper’s solutions to the client’s problems are usually superior to those
generated by the client.
Sometimes client questions are not really about the topic posed by the
question.
A chief function of a helper is to give good advice.
When asked for advice, it is usually necessary for the helper to request more
information.
A helpful statement to a client usually begins with, “If I were you….”
A client’s personal question to a caregiver may convey a hidden message.
Silence is destructive in a helping interview.
Silence is stressful for both helper and client.
Switching topics is appropriate when silence is longer than comfortable for
either helper or client.
Reassuring the client that silence is acceptable is a helpful strategy.
Responding too quickly to what a client has said to avoid silence may not be
therapeutic.
ANSWERS
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Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use grated to purchaser only.
Concept Media 2004
Practice Exercises: Role-Playing
These role-playing exercises are designed for three persons who take turns being the caregiver/helper,
the client, and the observer.
Exercise No. 1: Opening a client-initiated interview
Client: Begins to discuss a problem of some sort.
Helper: Interacts appropriately as a helping professional.
Observer: Watches and listens for the following:
ƒ Did the helper arrange for privacy?
ƒ Did the helper make a brief neutral opening statement?
ƒ Did the helper allow the client to speak without interruption?
Exercise No. 2: Questioning
Client: Talks about any subject for approximately five minutes.
Helper: Asks appropriate questions during the interaction.
Observer: Focuses on the following questions:
ƒ How directly relevant were the helper’s questions?
ƒ In general, how did the questions detract from or enhance the interaction?
ƒ Were any of the questions open-ended? What kinds of answers did they elicit?
ƒ Were indirect statements used at all? What kinds of answers did they elicit?
ƒ Were questions ever used inappropriately? Explain.
ƒ What questions appeared to restrict the client?
Exercise No. 3: Questioning
Client: During a discussion about any subject, asks the helper three types of questions:
A direct request for information
A solicitation of advice
A personal question that may have a hidden message behind it
Helper: Interacts with the client and responds appropriately to his/her questions.
Observer: Watches, focusing on the following:
ƒ How did the helper display an understanding of the intent of the questions?
ƒ Did the helper give advice when it was requested? If not, how was the question handled?
ƒ Did the helper answer the question in a manner that would assist the client in exploring his or
her own resources further? Explain.
Exercise No. 4: Silence
Client: Sits and looks at the helper without talking for three minutes.
Helper: Remains relaxed with talking. Utilizes appropriate attending behaviors.
Observer: Watches and then answers the following:
ƒ Were you uncomfortable during this time? Describe how you felt.
ƒ What good attending behaviors did the helper use?
Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use grated to purchaser only.
Concept Media 2004
Exercise No. 5: Silence
Client: Engages helper in a social conversation, first one talking then the other.
Helper: Waits three seconds after the client has spoken before replying.
Observer: Watches and listens, and then answers:
ƒ Did a wait of three seconds seem too long? Discuss.
ƒ What emotion or feeling did you experience because of the three-second wait?
ƒ Did the person talking take advantage of the time to add more information? If so, describe the
kind of information.
Exercise No. 6: Silence
Client: Initiates an interaction on any subject lasting approximately five minutes.
Helper: Interjects only a few words, if necessary to keep the interaction going.
Observer: Watches and answers the following questions:
ƒ Did the helper interrupt the client at any time? If so, give specifics.
ƒ Was the helper’s response-time too fast? If so, give specifics.
ƒ What happened during the period of silence? Did the helper change the topic and if so, when?
Did the participants seem to be uncomfortable? If so, describe.
Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use grated to purchaser only.
Concept Media 2004
EXAM
1 When a client initiates a helping interview, the caregiver should:
a. make a statement that anticipates the topic the client wishes to discuss.
b. provide privacy and then sit down and listen.
c. mentally formulate answers or responses to the client's concerns in advance.
d. All the above
2 In a client-initiated helping interview, the caregiver should:
a. be active in steering the conversation to therapeutic interactions.
b. begin a monologue if there is a lull.
c. not interrupt the client or speak too soon.
d. be active in providing solutions to the client's problems.
3 When the caregiver initiates the interview, he or she should:
a. let the client know the purpose of the interview at the onset.
b. make sure to maintain tight control of the interaction.
c. bring up the subject very slowly after engaging in an extended period of socializing.
d. a and b
e. All the above
4 In which of the following is questioning essential?
a. When determining how much a person knows about a subject before instructing him
b. When gathering information
c. When helping a patient with an interpersonal difficulty
d. a and b
e. All of the above
5 Questioning a client who is discussing an emotional problem:
a. may restrict what the client says.
b. tends to be overused.
c. may skew the interview and causes the caregiver to direct it.
d. All the above
6 Potential hazards of questioning include:
a. a pattern of caregiver questioning, client answering then waiting for another question.
b. caregiver's question disrupting client's flow of ideas.
c. restriction of the content of client's input.
d. All the above.
7 Which of the following are closed questions?
a. "Does your disability cause problems at home?"
b. "What bothers you about your wife working?"
c. "Is your age a factor in your advancement?"
d. a and c
e. All the above
8 Which of the following are open questions?
a. "How do you feel about your son leaving home?"
b. "What about your relationship with your sister?"
c. "Could you describe what you felt when he left?"
d. b and c
e. All the above
Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use granted to purchaser only
2004 Concept Media
9 "I'd be interested to know your feelings about the separation." is:
a. a closed question.
b. an open question.
c. an indirect statement.
d. small talk.
10 Which of these client questions could probably be answered directly by the caregiver?
a. "Should I quit going to this church?"
b. "What should I tell my daughter about this?"
c. "Who can I call about changing my appointment?"
d. b and c
11 Advice given to a client by a caregiver:
a. is usually less suitable for the person than his/her own solution.
b. may not really be relevant to the client's real concern.
c. may cause client dependency.
d. a and b
e. All the above
12 Which of the following responses to this question, 'Should I confront my mother about
her treatment of me?' is probably BEST?
a. "If I were you, I wouldn't do that because she's too old to change."
b. "Yes, I think you need to get this off your chest."
c. "No, I don't think it will do you any good."
d. "Why are you considering this now?"
13 Which of the following answers by a caregiver to a client's question, "Are you
married?" is probably the BEST?
a. "Why would you ask that?"
b. "No; some people believe that it would be difficult for me as a single person to talk with clients about
their relationships with their spouses."
c. "No, I had several chances to be married but I felt that it was more important for me to help others
with their problems."
d. "No, I'm not."
14 Which of the following might be a reason for silence in an interaction?
a. Client is thinking and needs time to contemplate.
b. Embarrassment
c. Client does not wish to discuss topic.
d. All the above
15. Which of the following are caregiver options when a period of silence occurs?
a. Switching topics to relieve the stress the caregiver and client are experiencing.
b. Waiting for the client to say something.
c. Returning to a previous client statement and commenting on that.
d. b and c
e. All the above
Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use granted to purchaser only
2004 Concept Media
ANSWER KEYS
Pretest Answers
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False
8. True
9. True
10. False
11. True
12. True
13. False
14. True
15. True
16. False
17. True
18. True
19. False
20. False
21. True
22. False
23. True
24. False
25. True
26. False
27. True
28. False
29. True
30. True
Exam Answers
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9 c
10 c
11 e
12 d
13 b
14 d
15. d
Instructor’s Guide for Concept Media Program 684.2 Opening, Questioning, and Use of Silence
Permission to duplicate for classroom use granted to purchaser only
2004 Concept Media