Description of the Unit

Counseling interviews are conducted by "lay" people nearly every day.  Whether someone asks advice on what schools to apply to, what computer to buy, or how to deal with a problematic roommate, we are often called upon to use our personal experiences to aid others.  This unit is designed to teach students skills necessary for engaging in these types of communication situations.  Fundamentally, this unit teaches students how to elicit information from the interviewee so that thoughtful advice can be provided.  After completing this unit, students should be able to:

1) analyze their own experiences as well as the perspective of the person soliciting advice
2) determine an interview approach appropriate for the situation
3) use listening, observing, and questioning skills to conduct a successful counseling interview.

Relevant Chapter

Chapter 11: The Counseling Interview

Potential Activities

• If your class is comprised of primarily communication majors and minors, have students conduct counseling sessions for students in the basic communication courses.   The counseling sessions should primarily focus on difficulties students have with the course and strategies they could use to overcome those difficulties.

• Resident assistants (RA's) are undergraduate or graduate students who act as "managers" of dorm floors or units.  Have students in your class interview RA's to determine common types of counseling situations they encounter, training they receive, and problems they have in fulfilling this counseling role.  A more advanced version of this assignment can require groups of students to develop a training program for RA's to help them fulfill their counseling role more effectively.

• Have students analyze their own experiences and provide examples of directive and nondirective counseling interviews they have taken part in.  After analyzing their own experiences, they should articulate principles to follow when deciding which approach to used in specific circumstances.

• Have students select examples of counseling interviews found in television "sitcoms" or dramas.  Students should apply theoretical principles from the chapter to the examples and evaluate the effectiveness of the interview based on those principles.

Daily Lesson Plan