Pre-Clinical Skill Building Notes

Definition: Clinicians unintentionally or intentionally serve as models for their clients.
Inadvertent Modeling
- Unconscious display of behaviors.
- Clients may idealize clinicians, leading to unconscious mimicry of clinician behaviors and attitudes.
- Example: A clinician showing empathy may lead clients to learn effective listening skills.
Intentional Modeling
- Clinicians consciously display behaviors that could help clients achieve their goals.
- Can involve role-playing specific situations (e.g., conflict resolution in marital therapy).
- Effective modeling requires a trusting relationship to be successful.

Definition: Clinicians revealing personal information to assist clients.
Nature of Self-Disclosure: Should primarily benefit the client, not the clinician.
- Example of positive self-disclosure: A clinician shares their own experience with education to help a client feel less alone.
- Outcomes: Enhances the therapeutic bond, expresses empathy, encourages clients to open up more.
Cautions with Self-Disclosure:
- Avoid sharing too much personal information or becoming the focus of the conversation.
- Consider ethical implications, avoiding disclosures that seek to satisfy the clinician’s own needs.
Types of Self-Disclosure:
- Content Self-Disclosure: Sharing specific personal experiences (e.g., divorce) to assist the client.
- Process Self-Disclosure: Expressing clinician’s current feelings related to the client (e.g., feeling connected).

Use sparingly and strategically, ensuring the client would feel comfortable.
Focus on building the therapeutic relationship and showing empathy.
Consider alternative responses first if necessary (e.g., active listening, questioning).

Avoid self-disclosing to meet the clinician's emotional needs.
Steer clear of sensitive topics that may blur professional boundaries (e.g., sexual topics).

Closed Questions: Yes/no or short answer responses (e.g., "Do you like your job?").
Open Questions: Encourage storytelling and deeper responses (e.g., "How did you meet your spouse?").
Tentative Questions: Slightly open, with a focus on specific topics (e.g., "Would you mind telling me about your family?").
Reflective Questions: Encourage reflection on past experiences (e.g., "What has worked for you in the past to alleviate your depression?").
Avoid 'Why' Questions: They can make clients defensive (e.g., "Why didn't you do this?").

Understanding and applying these clinical response strategies creates a foundation for more advanced therapeutic training.
Mastering these skills will aid in guiding clients toward constructive problem-solving solutions.