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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.