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Jan 21, 2016
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Counseling Strategies
MARK A NEW TRAIL ~ LEARN TO BE A BETTER LISTENER AND EXPLAINER
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Stressful Conversations Financial concerns rank among the top 20 stressors
◦ Applying for financial aid is a new and uncertain experience for many◦ A college education has a significant price tag and there may be a
great deal of uncertainty around how they will manage◦ Overwhelmed◦ Afraid
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Bureaucratic Approach Sometimes administrators can get caught up in the rules and regulations
◦ Don’t forget about the human standing in front of you
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Acronyms and Jargon The world of financial aid is filled with acronyms and jargon
◦ Families think they understand but they often don’t◦ They may think they are the only ones who “don’t get it”◦ Confused◦ Maybe afraid to ask for a clarification◦ Lose confidence in their ability to understand something completely
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“Curse of Knowledge”
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Explanation Scale
Students/Parents FAA
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Less Understanding More Understanding
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TING Chinese Symbol for Listening
◦ It has been adopted by◦ Department of State◦ Theologians◦ Peace Workers◦ Counseling Courses
The Chinese have capture the essence of listening – the difference between simply hearing and truly listening“to listen to one another with our whole bodies”
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Active Listening◦ Pay attention
◦ Look at the speaker directly.◦ Put aside distracting thoughts. ◦ Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal!◦ Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side
conversations.◦ "Listen" to the speaker's body language.
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Active Listening◦ Show you are listening
◦ Nod occasionally.◦ Smile and use other facial expressions. ◦ Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. ◦ Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like
yes, and uh huh
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Active Listening◦ Provide feedback
◦ Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back.
◦ Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?"
◦ Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.
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Active Listening Defer judgment
◦ Allow the speaker to finish. Don’t interrupt with a counter point
Respond appropriately◦ Be candid, open, and honest in your response. ◦ Assert your opinions respectfully.