1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills into Client Practice
Career practitioners often ask what advanced techniques they should learn. I usually recommend working on core counselling skills. Haven’s journey from layoff to a new beginning was facilitated through a counselling approach that began with deep listening. The process did not involve “fancy” techniques but was grounded in a core set of counselling skills that allowed Haven to be heard and helped them sort out their career. Understanding and improving your use of these counselling microskills is vital to career practice.
Microskills are the basic building blocks of counselling; they are the specific techniques and interventions we use to interact with clients and help them achieve their goals. Allen Ivey originally developed the model in his counsellor education programs (Ivey, 1971). Developing a mastery of microskills is essential for conducting effective client interviews.
Table 1.2 highlights seven basic microskills and provides examples of statements that represent how career coaches use these skills in career coaching sessions.
| Microskills and Their Meanings | Examples of How Microskills are Used in Career Coaching Sessions |
|---|---|
| Attending behaviour: Verbal or non-verbal statements/gestures that encourage the client to continue talking. | Culturally appropriate eye contact, head nodding, and physical mirroring. |
| Open questions: A question that invites the client to respond with additional information. Open question stems include the following: What, When, Where, and How. | “What happened before your boss reprimanded you in the meeting?” |
| Closed questions: A question that the client can answer with a yes/no or a specific statement. Closed question stems include the following: Who, Is, Are, Have, Can, and Did. | “Did your employer give you advance notice that your team was being let go?” |
| Scaling questions: Ask clients to rate something on a numerical scale. | “On a scale from zero to ten, with zero representing no hope and ten representing an abundance of hope, how much hope do you have right now that you will find a new job?” |
| Reflecting feelings: A brief statement connecting the client’s emotions to content from the session. | “It sounds like you’re feeling really frustrated about your job.” |
| Paraphrasing: A statement that condenses session content but less than a summary. It may include content, affect, and meaning. | “So far in our conversation, it sounds like you’re feeling stuck in your job and unsure how to move forward.” |
| Summarizing: A statement that reiterates more content than paraphrasing. Typically used at transition/ending points in the counselling session. A summary may include content, affect, and meaning. | “During our session today, we talked about your relationship with your boss, and the challenges you face in being heard.” |
Source: Based on Ivey, A., Ivey, M. & Zalaquett, C. (2018). Intentional interviewing and counselling (9th ed.). Cengage Learning Custom Publishing.
Watch this video on the microskills related to attending, paraphrasing and summarizing to get a sense of how to use these essential skills with your clients.
Source: Kelly Allison. (2021, April 15). Attending, Paraphrasing and Summarizing. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/JGMGXtfAX7U?si=-INWd4WNqFqM_Qep
The specific techniques and interventions that are used to interact with clients and help them achieve their goals.
Verbal statements and non-verbal gestures that encourage the client to continue talking.
Questions that invite the client to respond with additional information.
Questions that the client can answer with a yes/no or a specific statement.
Questions that ask clients to rate something on a numerical scale.
A brief statement connecting the client’s emotions to content from the session.
A statement that condenses session content. Typically less than a summary, although it may include relevant content, affect, and meaning.
A statement that reiterates more content than paraphrasing. Typically used at transition/ending points in the counselling session.
