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1
Instructor’s Manual with Test Bank
for
Effective Helping
Interviewing and Counseling Techniques
Eighth Edition
Ricki E. Kantrowitz
Westfield State University
Barbara F. Okun
Northeastern University and Harvard Medical School
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CONTENTS
Introduction 4
SECTION I: TEACHING EFFECTIVE HELPING SKILLS
Teaching an Experiential Course 5
Feedback 5
Self-disclosure in the Classroom 6
Assignments and Grading 6
Recorded Sessions 7
Hints for Instructor Using Recorded Sessions 7
Equipment Hints for Students 8
Keeping a Journal 8
Bringing Culture into the Course 9
SECTION II: SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING EACH CHAPTER
(Chapter Review, Major Teaching Objectives, Additional Learning Activities,
Comments on Exercises in the Book, Internet Activities, Books, Films and
Videotapes, Multiple Choice Questions, Essay Questions)
1. Introduction 10
2. The Helping Relationship 18
3. Communication Skills 24
4. Stage 1: Building Relationships and Establishing Goals 31
5. Helping Theory 37
6. Current Theoretical Perspectives 44
7. Introduction to Strategies 50
8. Stage 2: Applying Strategies 56
9. Crisis Theory and Intervention 61
10. Issues Affecting Helping 67
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Introduction
This Instructor's Manual is designed to assist teachers using the eighth edition of Barbara F.
Okun and Ricki E. Kantrowitz's Effective Helping: Interviewing and Counseling Techniques.
The first section discusses general issues related to conducting an experiential course, such as
how to create an atmosphere of trust in the classroom, how to give constructive feedback, and
how to handle self-disclosure. Many instructors who teach a helping skills course use audio and
video technology to record practice sessions and suggestions are given for using them
effectively. Special challenges in choosing assignments, giving grades, keeping a journal, and
bringing culture into the class will be discussed.
In the second section, a brief overview is given of each chapter, with accompanying teaching
objectives. There are numerous experiential exercises and discussion topics already presented in
We are both very interested in receiving your feedback about this manual. You can e-mail Ricki
(rkantrowitz@westfield.ma.edu) or Barbara (b.okun@neu.edu) or write to us at:
Ricki E. Kantrowitz Barbara F. Okun
Department of Psychology Department of Counseling and Applied
577 Western Avenue Educational Psychology
Westfield State University 423 International Village
Westfield. MA 01086 Northeastern University
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
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SECTION I
TEACHING EFFECTIVE HELPING SKILLS
Teaching an Experiential Course
Teaching an experiential course is very different than lecturing or leading academic discussions.
Students are required to participate in exercises and process their reactions and observations in
Instructors must process with students from the beginning about how this class is
different. Asking students what their expectations are for the course and describing the
instructor’s expectations can help clarify some of the differences.
It is important for this class to be small (if possible not more than 20 students) so that everyone
can participate. Many activities involve students in triads and dyads, and the instructor often
goes from group to group to observe and give feedback. Bigger classes make this personal
Feedback
Feedback is an important part of this course and is given by the instructor to students, by students
to other students, and by students to the instructor. If triads are used when doing exercises, one
person is always rotating into the position of observer and is expected to provide feedback.
Feedback must be specific, nonjudgmental, given from an “I” perspective, and delivered in a
We ask students to give us feedback as well. Are we focusing too much on mistakes they
are making rather than their strengths and improvements? How can we improve the course?
Giving feedback is enhanced if the instructor and students learn the names of one another. Early
Self-disclosure in the Classroom
The instructor models for students that it is acceptable to have feelings and be vulnerable.
He/she does this by sharing some level of personal information and by giving examples of
Student self-disclosure is an integral part of the course process. For example, we want to
know when they have made mistakes, when they feel insecure, or when they feel great about an
intervention. Role-plays are set up so that students can assume a role (we distribute a list of
possible client roles) or can discuss real issues that are affecting them. If they do share personal
Assignments and Grading
Assigning grades can be a challenge. Students will be starting at different levels of self-
awareness and communication. While there is a certain standard of communication skill
development to be reached in a counseling class, we encourage instructors to consider personal
Students earn points for attendance and participation. They are unable to learn counseling
skills if they are absent. The more actively they participate, the more they will gain from
experience. Yet, we need to realize how different this course is for many students. Over the
years, we have remarked to some students that they are quiet. A frequent response is “You
should see me in my other classes, I never talk at all.”
Students submit three recorded sessions. The grading is based on their analyses. These
will be described in the next section. At the conclusion of the course, students are asked to
assess their strengths and limitations as helpers. What are their strong points and what skills do
they still need to develop?
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An additional assignment is to ask students to review one of the films or books recommended
in the manual and discuss the helping process.
Recorded Sessions
An important part of this course is having students do practice counseling, both within and
outside of class. Students can interview each other, students from other classes getting extra
Hints for Instructor Using Recorded Sessions
We have required recorded sessions for years. At first we asked students to submit audiotapes.
However, with advanced technology and low-priced equipment, students now submit video
sessions to us. Students are required to turn in three sessions during the semester.
Obviously watching video sessions is an enormous task for the instructor, especially if the class
is large. I (REK) have students complete a transcript of 5-10 minutes taken from the session they
are submitting. They use a divided page, with the transcript on the left side, leaving the right
We suggest that instructors play sections of the video sessions in class. Remember to choose
segments displaying both effective skills and those needing improvement. Use equipment that
has good speakers. External speakers can be added to boost the sound level.
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Equipment Hints for Students
Students must become familiar with the equipment they are using. A key task is to make sure
that the session is recorded and is loud enough to hear and clear enough to see. I (REK) say to
1. Borrow video equipment beforehand and make sure you know how to use it.
2. Set up the equipment on a tripod before the client comes to the session. Be certain that
the camera will be close enough to get facial expressions but also far enough away to
3. Make sure that the batteries of the recording device are fully charged.
Keeping a Journal
A common assignment in a helping skills course is to have students keep a journal. Increasing
self-awareness is a key objective in educating human services workers. Journals can focus on
feelings, thoughts, observations, actions, or some combination. Some instructors do not grade
journals, but some we know assign grades but do not deduct for spelling or grammatical
mistakes.
It is important to give details to the students about how often the journals will be read by the
instructor. Typically, students write and submit their journals on-line.
At the beginning of the semester students must answer the following questions in their journals:
Why did you take the course? What are your feelings and expectations about the course and its
subject matter? What do you hope to get from this course? What skills or characteristics do you
have now that will help you become a good helper? What theoretical models do you like?
At the conclusion of the course, students are asked to write about what they have learned about
themselves, helping others, and issues of diversity. Which models do they prefer at this point?
Which helping skills have they learned and which ones are they still learning? They also write
about their future plans and the anticipated impact of the course.
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Bringing Culture into the Course
It is virtually impossible when teaching a helping skills course in the 21st century to avoid the
reality of diversity. Cultural values influence the helping relationship. Since culture includes
many factors, such as gender, religion, class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, how can it not be
