Counseling Skills

Counseling Skills

Counseling is a way of working with people in which you try to understand how they feel and help them to decide what they think is best to do in their situation.

Counseling is useful in situations when you talk to : • mothers about feeding their infants • patients or clients in other situations. • your family and friends or your colleagues at work.

A mother may not talk easily about her feelings, especially if she is shy, and with someone whom she does not know well. You will need the skill to listen and to make her feel that you are interested in her. This will encourage her to tell you more. She will be less likely to “turn off” and say nothing.

LISTENING AND LEARNING SKILLS • Use helpful non-verbal communication • Ask open questions • Use responses and gestures which show interest • Reflect back what the mother says • Empathize- show that you understand how she feels • Avoid words which sound judging.

CONFIDENCE AND SUPPORT SKILLS • Accept what a mother thinks and feels • Recognize and praise what a mother and baby are doing right • Give practical help • Give a little, relevant information • Use simple language • Make one or two suggestions, not commands.

Checking Understanding • Discuss suggestions made with the mother so she can decide on a course of action. • The suggestion does not automatically become what the mother will do.

Checking Understanding • Often we need to check if the mother understands a practice or action she plans to carry out. • It is not enough to ask the mother if she understands, because she may not realize that she understood incorrectly.

Checking Understanding • Ask open questions to find out if further explanation is needed. • “Checking Understanding” also summarizes what you have talked about

Arrange follow-up or referral • Follow-up is important; includes checking what foods are used and how they are given, checking how breastfeeding is going, checking the child’s weight, health, general development and care.

Follow-up visits • Give an opportunity to praise and reinforce practices thus building the mother’s confidence, to offer relevant information and to discuss suggestions as needed.

Follow-up visits • important to check how the mother is coping with her own health and difficulties

Follow up and on-going support • Learn what help may be available from her family and friends • Offer a time when you will see her or talk with her again • Encourage her to see you or another person for help if she has doubts or questions • Refer her to a community support group if possible • Refer her for more specialized counselling, if needed

Continuing Supportive Care • Adequate Nutrition • Helpful Maternity Services • Appropriate Health Services • Continuing Assistance and Social Support Simple Rapid Assessment of Mother-Baby Pair • Basic Breastfeeding Aid • Ensure effective suckling • Build mother’s confidence • Increase milk production • Encourage age appropriate feeding Full Assessment of Mother-Baby Pair Further help (refer onwards)

If she needs breastfeeding help… DO NOT JUST TELL THE MOTHER WHAT TO DO – THIS IS UNLIKELY TO WORK! BE SUPPORTIVE, LISTEN TO THE MOTHER Counselling

Problem 1 Problem 2 Problem 3 Problem 4 Agree with mother main 1 or 2 problems Problem 2 Discuss with mother the solution to the problem and AGREE that she will try it for a SHORT time 1-2 days On your return discuss how she got on X Not successful - Try again! Successful Continue with change DON’T FORGET TO TALK TO THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY – MOTHERS’ NEED SUPPORT! Choose next problem Problem 3

Thank you!

Counseling Skills