Intentional Interviewing and Counseling

Allen E . Ivey

University of Massachusetts

THE MICROSKILLS APPROACH
Microskills are communication skill units of the interview that will help you develop a more intentional and rounded ability to interact with a client. They will provide specific alternatives for you to use with different types of clients . Micnoskills form the foundation of intentional interviewing .

- Different theories have different patterns of skill usage .
- Different situations call for different patterns of skill usage .
- Different cultural groups have different patterns of skill usage.
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SKILL
INTEGRATION
Five Stages of the Interview : l . Rapport/Stntcturing
2 . Defining the Problem
SKILL SEQUENCING
3 . Defining a Goal
AND STRUCTURING
4 . Explorations of Alternatives
THE INTERVIEW and Confronting Incongmity
5 . Generalization to Daily Life
CONFRONTATION
(Discrepancies, Incongruity)
INFLUENCING SKILLS
Directive, Logical Consequences,
Interpretation, Self-Disclosure,
Advice/Information/Explanation/
Instruction, Feedback, Influencing
Summary
FOCUSING
Client, Problem, Others, "We ; ' Intewiewer,
CulturallEnvironmentaUContextual
REFLECTION OF MEANING
BASIC
ATTENDING
SKILLS

REFLECTION OF FEELING
ENCOURAGE, PARAPHRASE, AND SUMMARIZATION
OPEN AND CLOSED QUESTIONS

BASIC
LISTENING
SEQUENCE

CLIENT OBSERVATION SKILLS
ATTENDING BEHAVIOR
Culturally appropriate eye contact, verbal tracking, body language, and vocal qualities

Attending behavior and client observation skills form the foundation of effective communication, but are not always the appropriate place to begin training.
The basic listening sequence of attending skills (open and closed questions, encouraging, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling, and summarization) is often found in effective interviewing, management, social work, physician diagnostic sessions, and many other settings.
FIGURE 1-I The