4. Key part of our
experience
We grow apart from our
inner experiencing and
cannot accept ourselves.
We need to return to and
allow ourselves to feel
our emotions.
5. Clients expression
of emotions enables
helpers to know and
understand them.
The importance
of listening
carefully and
not imposing
assumptions on
clients.
6. Unaccepted feelings
are likely to “leak”
out. sometimes in
destructive ways.
Feelings are not
static but change
once they are
experienced.
8. REFLECTION OF FEELINGS
Is a repeating or
rephrasing of the
client’s statements,
including an explicit
identification of
feelings.
9. “I wonder if you’re feeling
angry?”
“It sounds to me like you’re
feeling angry”
10. Helpers use
reflections to help
clients identify.
Clarify. and
experience feelings
on a deeper level.
Reflections encourage clients
to become immersed in their
inner experiences. Rather
than just stating a feeling.
11. BENEFITS OF REFLECTION OF
FEELINGS
Reflection of feelings are ideal
interventions for enabling clients to
enter into their internal experiences,
esp. if delivered with concern and empathy
for clients reluctance to experience the
painful feelings. Clients often need such
assistance to recognize and accept their
feelings
12. Clients often have difficulty identifying and
accepting feelings on their own.
Hearing reflections also enables clients to
rethink and re examine what they really feel.
Reflection validates feelings.
Can be used to model the expression of feelings.
Can held to build the relationship because
helpers are working hard to understand their
clients.
13. HOW REFLECTION OF FEELINGS
RELATES TO EMPHATY?
Empathy is an attitude
or way of being in tune
with the experience of
another person. if
delivered
appropriately. However.
a reflection of
feelings could be a
manifestation od
empathy.
14. “ you feel____
“you feel ______ because _______.”
“I wonder if you’re feeling ____”
“Perhaps, you’re feeling___”
“It sounds like you feel_____”
“It sounds like you felt
like you were run over by
a truck”
15. Helpers should pick
the most salient
feeling rather than
reflect all of the
feelings in a
single reflection.
Helpers need to be
attentive to
client’s verbal and
nonverbal behavior.
16. Helpers allows
clients time to
absorb and think
about the
reflections that
are presented
rather than
rushing quickly to
the next feeling.
18. SOURCES OF REFLECTIONS
1. The client’s portrayal of his or her feelings
2. The client verbal content
3. The client’s nonverbal behavior
4. The helpers projection of his or her own
feelings onto the client.
19. Client’s verbal Content
Although the client
may not be
mentioning feelings
directly. It may be
possible to infer
the feelings from
the client’s word.
Helpers need to be
CAUTIOUS. TENTATIVE from
the client.
20. So helpers MUST use non verbal behaviours as
clues to possible feelings rather than assuming
that non verbal behaviours have fixed.
NONVERBAL BEHAVIOURS
Helpers also need to look at all the non verbal
behaviours. especially discrepancies between
different non verbal behaviours. for clues.
21. PROJECTION OF HELPER’S
FEELINGS
Helpers can use these
projections as long as
they remember that the
projections are
possibilities rather
than accurate
representations of the
client’s reality.
22. Helpers need to be aware that the last three
sources only provide clues and may NOT
necessarily accurately reflect a client’s
feeling.
23. ACCURACY OF RECLECTION OF FEELINGS
The feeling word provided by the helper does
not have to be perfectly accurate to be
helpful, although it does not to be “in the
ball park.”
Helpers are rarely accurate with every
reflection.
Understanding another person’s feelings
is something helpers strive for but
remain humbly aware of how difficult it
is to achieve.
24. WHEN TO USE THE REFLECTION OF
FEELINGS
There is a therapeutic bond between a helper and
a client.
The helper and the client agree on the task of
working on emotions.
A client is avoiding feelings.
A client behaves maladaptively because of lack
of awareness of feelings.
A client needs to reprocess traumatic
experiences.
25. WHEN NO TO USE…
The therapeutic relationship is not strong.
The client feels overwhelmed by emotions due to severe
emotional disorder. delusional thinking. or extreme
anger.
The client is going through severe emotional crises and
discussing feelings would add more pressure than he or
she could handle.
The client has a history of aggression. falling apart.
substance abuse. self harm.
The client shows strong resistance to expressing
feelings.
There is not enough time to work through the feelings.
The therapeutic relationship is not strong.
The helper is not experienced in dealing with
emotionally distraught clients.
26. DIFFICULTIES HELPERS EXPERIENCE
IN DELIVERING REFLECTION OF
FEELINGS
Helpers are often nervous about
dealing with client’s expressions
of intense negative feelings. such
as sadness or anger.
Feelings of guilt might also
emerge when clients cry. Because
helpers might think their
interventions upset the client.
Beginning helpers have difficulty
capturing the most salient feeling
to reflect back to the client.
27. DISCLOSURE OF FEELINGS
Is when the helper suggests a
feeling that he or she had in a
similar situation. This
disclosure can be real or
hypothetical.It can stimulate clients to
recognize and express their
feelings.
It can be helpful for clients who
are afraid to experience their
feelings, especially feelings of
shame and embarrassment.
Help clients feel normal because
they learn other people have
similar feelings.
28. OPEN QUESTIONS ABOUT FEELINGS
Ask clients to clarify or
explore feelings. Helpers
do not request specific
information and do not
purposely limit the nature
of the client response to a
“YES” or “NO” or two word
answer.
29. HELPFUL HINTS
Convey empathy on your client
Make sure your question are open instead of closed.
Avoid multiple questions
Avoid “WHY” questions
Focus in your client
Observe client reactions to your questions
