Active Listening

There are several counseling skills that are effective when working with addicted clients. One skill is Active listening. Active listening allows the counselor to connect to and reflect attitudes, emotions, and thoughts of his or her clients (Myers and Salt). An example of an active listening skill is paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is described as the verbal response from the counselor which rephrases the main idea of the client’s message. Engagement is another counseling skill that is effective when working with addicted clients and are dire when establishing a positive counseling relationship (Myers and Salt). Facilitation of engagement can be demonstrated through qualities of immediacy, warmth, genuineness, as well as a non-judging attitude,

They are both similar in a sense when it comes to helping and rehabilitating individuals. They are also similar because they both include a corporation of skills used by counselors during the therapeutic relationship (Myers and Salt). Another way the two are similar is they both comprise of the counselors or group leader’s support. The definition of counseling is described as an empathic and supportive professional relationship that provides an agenda for the exploration of behaviors, emotions, and thinking patterns which lead to the facilitation of healthy changes. Addictions counseling is different from regular counseling because it may involve many levels of multiphasic treatment system, as indicated by the clinical assessment of a client (Myers and Salt). Another way addictions counseling differs from regular counseling is provided at an individual, group, and family level or setting. Lastly, addictions counseling differs from regular counseling because it comprises of eight dimensions of practice. Those dimensions of practice are the clinical evaluation, treatment planning, referral. Service coordination, counseling, education, documentation, and professional and ethical responsibilities (Myers and