Counseling Skills Experiment: Encouragers
Skillful use of encouragers (e.g., nods, brief interjections, facial expressions) is essential for counselors aiming to communicate interest while maintaining neutrality. Used unconsciously, these cues can subtly influence a session by signaling approval or steering the client. By being intentional, counselors support client autonomy, foster deeper reflection through silence, and uphold a non-directive stance, especially in person-centered approaches. This mindfulness also enhances the counselor’s self-awareness and presence. In this experiment, you will be practicing your use of encouragers.
To prepare:
- Review the Learning Resources.
- Find a willing adult volunteer to participate in a 5- to 10-minute experiment.
- Explain that you are conducting a “counseling skills experiment” and will process with them afterward.
The experiment:
- Ask your volunteer: “Tell me about a great meal you enjoyed.”
- While your volunteer describes the meal, remain stoic. Do not use any encouragers (i.e., do not respond verbally or non-verbally).
- Then ask your volunteer: “Tell me about a bad meal you had.”
- While they describe the bad meal, use encouragers (verbal and/or non-verbal interjections that communicate interest, such as saying “ew,” grimacing, and nodding).
- Then ask, “Please choose one thing to add about one of the meals—either the great meal or the bad meal.”
- Thank your volunteer and explain to them what an encourager is.
- Ask them about their experience of you using and not using encouragement
By Day 3 of week 1
Create an initial post that addresses the following prompts:- Did your volunteer add more information about the good meal or the bad meal?
- Do you think your use of encouragers influenced which meal they added to? Why or why not?
- What feedback or observations did you receive from your volunteer when you explained the purpose of the experiment?
- Provide an in-depth description of how encouragers relate broadly to counseling.