Deck 6: Master the Art of Probing and Summarizing

Question 1

All the empathic responses a helper might use to influence the client's work constructively may be referred to as ___________.

A) wake-up calls
B) promises of healing
C) kicks in the pants
D) nudges

Answer 1

nudges

Question 2

Verbal and sometimes nonverbal tactics for helping clients talk more freely and concretely about any issue at any point in the helping process are commonly referred to as ____________.

A) listening skills
B) encouragement
C) therapist skillfulness
D) prompts and probes

Answer 2

prompts and probes

Question 3

Read the following and answer the question.
CLIENT (hesitatingly): I don't know whether I can kick the habit, you know, just let some trivial things go at work and at home. I know I've made a contract with myself. I'm not sure that I can keep it.
HELPER: Um...
CLIENT (pauses, then laughs): Here I am deep into perfectionism, and I hear myself saying I can't do something. How ironic. Of course, I can. It's not going to be easy, at least at first.
What is the helper's "Um"
Called?

A) An indication that the helper is uncomfortable
B) An attempt to cover up boredom
C) A prompt
D) A probe

Answer 3

A prompt

Question 4

What of the following is/are not a type of probe?

A) A direct question
B) An interpretation
C) Single words or phrases that are, in effect, questions or requests
D) A statement

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of an effective question?

A) Do you like baseball?
B) What do you like about baseball?
C) Do you like baseball compared to basketball, golf, or tennis?
D) When is the next time you will talk to him?

Question 6

Read the following exchange and then answer the question that follows.
CLIENT: My wife and I are seriously talking about divorce now. We had a conversation about it for about an hour before we went to our favorite restaurant for what turned out to be a lovely meal together.
HELPER: I am confused about why you would talk about divorce and then go for a romantic dinner.
The helper's comment can be understood as which of the following types of probes?

A) Direct question
B) Statement
C) Interpretation
D) Request

Question 7

The counselor asks Jason, "Now that you've decided to finish college, how do you see the future?" What type of question is this?

A) Rhetorical question
B) Closed question
C) Hypocritical question
D) Open-ended question

Question 8

Which of the following is not a guideline for using probes?

A) Explore and clarify clients' points of view, intentions, proposals, and decisions.
B) Help clients fill in missing pieces of the picture.
C) Challenge clients to express their uncomfortable emotions, feelings, and moods.
D) Invite clients to challenge themselves.

Question 9

Read the following helper-client exchange about the client's relationship with his mother, and then answer the question that follows.
HELPER: The other day you talked about "having it out with her"-though that might be too strong a term. But just now you mentioned something about "being reasonable with her."
Tell me how these two things are different.
CLIENT (pausing): Well, I think you might be witnessing a case of cold feet…. She's a very strong woman.
How is the counselor using the probe?

A) To help the client achieve concreteness and clarity
B) To invite the client to challenge himself
C) To explore the client's points of view, intentions, proposals, and decisions
D) To help the client get a balanced view of problem situations and opportunities

Question 10

Probes can be used to _____________.

A) explore clients' experiences
B) clarify clients' point of view
C) explore decisions the client is considering
D) All of the above

Question 11

Probes are typically not useful ____________.

A) in assisting clients to balance their viewpoint on a problem situation and their opportunities
B) in assisting clients to explore some unused opportunities in a situation
C) in assisting clients to avoid certain parts of their story
D) as mild forms of challenge

Question 12

Which of the following is not one of the possible goals of summarizing?

A) Prompting the client to explore a theme more thoroughly
B) "Warming up" the client
C) Bringing the discussion of a specific theme to a close
D) Saying a specific problem has been adequately addressed

Question 13

When is a good time to summarize?

A) During a session that is going nowhere
B) When the client needs a new perspective
C) At the beginning of a new session
D) All of the above

Question 14

Which of the following is most accurate about the usefulness of summaries?

A) They can help clients to feel more confident in their cognitive abilities.
B) They can bring together scattered elements during a session, so clients can see every piece of the work they have to do.
C) They can help clients to feel that they have integrated their unconscious conflicts.
D) They can bring together scattered elements during a session, so clients can see the "bigger picture" more clearly.

Question 15

Which of the following is true about communication skills?

A) Communication skills are necessary but not sufficient for successful therapy.
B) Communication skills are necessary and sufficient for successful therapy.
C) Communication skills are generally a technical aspect of therapy.
D) Communication skills are the "magic bullet" of the helping profession.

Question 16

What are "choice architects" and how do counselors play the role of choice architects? How do choice architects nudge clients?

Question 17

Define prompts and probes in the therapeutic context. Provide examples of verbal and nonverbal prompts as well as examples of different forms of probes.

Question 18

Identify and discuss guidelines for using probes. Propose possible probes for the following situations and discuss why these probes are appropriate:
a. A woman with a family history of severe depression and suicide who has severe depression herself comments, "It seems as though my life ended as soon as I was conceived. With my genes, I never had a chance."
b. A single father with three daughters, ages 11, 13, and 15, says, "Now I know why the father of every single girl I dated in high school made a point of meeting me."

Question 19

What is the relationship between using probes and using empathic responses? Provide sample dialogues to illustrate.

Question 20

How does summarizing help provide focus and direction? When should summaries be used? How can the counselor help the client provide a summary?