What is Your Favourite Microskill?

Counselling Microskills are specific skills a counsellor can use to enhance their communication with clients. These skills enable a counsellor to effectively build a working alliance and engage clients in discussion that is both helpful and meaningful.

Here are some examples of microskills which are commonly utilised in counselling practice:

1. Influencing
2. Client Observation
3. Confrontation
4. Responding, Noting and Reflecting
5. Questioning
6. Attending Behaviour
7. Focusing

As a counsellor/therapist, what is your favourite microskill? We’d love to know!

To join our discussion and share your insights with other therapy professionals, simply leave a comment (by filling the comment box below) telling us…

1. What your favourite microskill is (you can include microskills which have not been listed above);
2. Why; and
3. How you utilise this microskill when communicating with clients (describe your approach/context).

Professionals who join our discussion and leave their insights will be emailed a free educational resource (make sure you enter your correct email address in the comment section below - note that your email will NOT be displayed publicly).

4 Responses to “What is Your Favourite Microskill?”

Author comments are in a darker gray color for you to easily identify the posts author in the comments

1. Russell Reeves says:

   November 17, 2009 at 10:59 am

   I enjoy being a positive influence with my client, challenging questions and encouragers for for a positive outcome.

   Reply
2. Diane Warden says:

   November 17, 2009 at 8:55 pm

   My favourite microskills are observing and questioning.

   These skills give me valuable insights into “what makes my client tick” This in turn enables me to assist them in helping them to help themselves by gaining an understanding of who they really are and what will make them happier.

   Reply
3. Susan Barrie says:

   November 21, 2009 at 5:44 pm

   My favourite microskill is responding/noting/reflecting as it helps to build rapport with my client and encourages them to sometimes self-process and come up with their own solutions without the need for further questioning or challenging.

   Reply
4. Allen Ivey says:

   February 12, 2011 at 1:19 pm

   What a nice site and such a surprise! Mary Bradford Ivey and I will be presenting in Melbourne in November at the Australian Counselling Association.

   We hope we see some of you there. I’ll be lecturing on my new writing on neuroscience, the brain, and microskills.

   This is our 9th trip to Australia. We love Oz!
   Allen

   Reply