Chapter Seven:  Formulating Feedback for Clients

  1. End-of Session feedback in solution building is not the same as ______________ in the problem-solving approach.  
  2. In problem-solving, the interviewer uses _________________  information to decide what actions would best benefit the client. This makes the interviewer the primary _________________  agent.
  3. Solution building does not regard session-ending feedback as any more _________________  than any other component of the process.  
  4. Solutions are built by clients through the hard work of applying their strengths in the direction of _________________ they value, making the client the primary agent of change.
  5. Session-ending feedback in a solution focused interview _________________ and highlights aspects of information that might be useful to clients in their solution building.

Taking a Thinking Break

  1. You may take a break in the interview before giving feedback; this may encourage the client to _________________ carefully to the feedback as it has been given more importance.
  2. If you are working with a partner or team, you might _______ them during this time.

The Structure of Feedback

  1. Feedback has three basic parts: compliments, a bridge, and a suggestion, all of which are convey to the client that you have been listening _________________.  
    1. Compliments: These are _________________ of the client.  
      1. Affirming what is _________________ to the client.
      2. Affirming client successes and ________ suggested by those successes.  
      3. Beginning feedback with compliments may provide ________.
      4. How the client reacts to the compliment will help you determine if the compliment makes _________________ to them.  
    2. The Bridge:  This links the initial compliment to the concluding suggestions.  It provides the _________________ for suggestions that are made.  
      1. The content of the bridge is usually drawn from client goals, exceptions, _________________ or perceptions. 
      2. The bridge is often started with the comment, “I agree with you that….”  It is also helpful to incorporate client ____________ and phrases.  
    1. Suggestions:  Suggestions are usually given in solution focused work and there are two main types: Observational suggestions and behavioral suggestions
      1. Observational suggestions:  This generally involves collecting information through a suggestion to the client that he pay attention to a particular aspect of his life that may prove useful in solution building, such as noticing _________________  on days when there is an exception.  
      2. Behavioral Suggestions: These suggestions require that the client takes certain actions that the interviewer believes will be useful in the solution building process, and must be understood by the client within their __________________________________.  
    1. Deciding the type of _________________ is often the most difficult part of providing feedback and there are factors to consider.

Deciding on a Suggestion

  1. Does the client want something?
    1. If the client wants something and sees themselves as part of the solution, it generally makes sense to provide a ________________ suggestion.
    2. If the client sees a problem but does not yet see themselves as a part of the solution, you may make a(n) __________________ suggestion.
    3. When clients do not seem to want anything at all, you may end the session with _____________.
  2. Are there well formed goals?
    1. _________________ tasks are more helpful when there are more well formed goals.  
    2. When working with more than one person at a time, you may give different _________________  to each, depending on how well formed their goals are.  
  1. Are there exceptions? 
    1. If the client has been able to identify _________________ related to what he wants to be different, the interviewer can assign a(n) _______________ suggestion based on the exception(s).
      1. With _________________ exceptions, observational suggestions may be most useful.  
      2. With deliberate exceptions, when the client can identify something they did to make the exception happen, it is often appropriate to assign a(n) _________________  suggestion that consists of doing more of the same (that made the exception happen).
    1. If the client has not identified exceptions, but there is a jointly defined problem, you may want to assign a more general _________________ suggestion.  

Feedback for Ah Yan

  1. Suggestions are the bottom line in formulating _________________.  
  2. Peter thought about the nature of the relationship, how well formed Ah Yan’s ________ were and the exceptions identified by Ah Yan, and then formulated suggestions that reflected these conclusions.  
  3. When delivering this feedback, Peter carefully watched Ah Yan’s ____________.

Feedback for the Williams Family

  1. Although Gladys had brought the family in for treatment, the team concluded that she did not necessarily see herself as a part of the problem, thus the team decided to recommend observational suggestions around ____________.
  2. As there was a question of the type of relationship, the team chose to be _________________  and treat the family as though they had the less involved type relationship; being conservative helps prevent the interviewer from misinterpreting data and not pushing clients too far.
  3. After providing a(n) _________________ suggestion for Gladys, she herself initiated further action by telling Albert not to come back to the next session.
  4. Sometimes doing less can lead to doing ________.

Feedback Guidelines

  1. Feedback serves several purposes, such as:
    1. It aids clients in the _________________ of well formed goals.
    2. It helps client focus on the _________________ in their lives as they are related to their goals.  
    3. It encourages clients to _________________ what they are doing to make those exceptions happen.
  2. It is helpful to look at the _________________ _________________ first – what suggestions are indicated by the interview data?
  3. When you are unsure, err of the side of being _________________.  
  4. Suggestions should be developed through assessing if the client wants something, the extent of the _________________ and the presence or absence of exceptions.
  5. It is important to agree with what the client views as _________________ and what they want.
  6. Compliment the client on what they are ____________ that are helpful in solution building.   
  7. A _________________ statement between the compliments and the suggestions makes the suggestions seem reasonable and connected.  
  8. Stay within the client’s _________________ _________________ by using the client’s words. 
  9. Feedback should be simple and _________________.
  10. Feedback should be delivered deliberately and _________________ and the interviewer should observe the client’s reactions.

Common Messages

  1. Common messages are based on _________________ that repeat themselves; providing common messages will help focus clients on areas that are most helpful in solution building.  
  2. When you and the client have not developed a joint understanding of a problem or of something the client wants different, then it makes the most sense to stop with ____________.
  3. When the client perceives a problem but he does not see a role for himself in a solution, the client tends to feel ______________.
    1. With this client, it may be most helpful to authentically compliment the client for observing the problem and coming in for help, agree that this is a serious or ___________ problem, and make a suggestion about paying attention to what is happening in his life that tells him the problem can be _________.
    2. Another possible suggestion might direct the client to observe what happens in their life that they would like to have ________________; this is called a formula-first session suggestion.
  4. When you and the client have jointly defined the problem, and the client can identify exceptions, however sees the problem as something outside of him and not something for which he can do anything, the most useful suggestion is generally and observational suggestion around the ___________ ___________.
    1. This implies that the exceptions will happen ___________, and thus creates ________.
    2. When the client sees exceptions as completely related to someone else’s behavior/control, it may also be helpful to offer a(n) _________suggestion about what else is different  when the other person acts differently.
    3. When the clients see the problem as outside of themselves but are able to identify random exceptions, you may also want to add an element of __________ to the suggestions;  this may suggest the exception will occur again and change the client’s expectations,  and may increase the client’s perceptions of what is going on that makes the situation better. 
  5. When the client wants something for themselves and sees themselves as part of the solution, and has a clear miracle picture but no exceptions, it is helpful to compliment the client for the _________ of the miracle picture and suggest that the client __________ that the miracle has happened. 
    1. By asking the client to pretend the miracle has happened, the interviewer gives the clients’ permission to ________ the various possibilities they have generated. 
    2. Remember that this suggestion of pretending something has happened is a(n) _______________________ suggestion, as it requires the client to do something _____________.
    3. Before offering this suggestion, you should be convinced that the client is ___________ to carry it out. 
  6. When the client wants something for themselves and sees themselves as part of the solution but has no well-formed goals, it may be most effective to make a suggestion that focuses squarely on the client and his or her perception of their resources; this would be a ________________________ suggestion.
    1. This gives the client permission to be ___________ and _____________ at those times when it is most needed. 
      1. Clients who successfully use this suggestion often __________ themselves with unusual and successful strategies.
  7. When the client wants something for themselves and sees themselves as part of the solution, has well-formed goals and deliberate exceptions, the suggestion is often to do ________ of the __________, with the addition of a(n) ___________ suggestion. 
    1. This compliments a client for successes and encourages the client to ________ on the strengths and successes. 
    2. With clients who see deliberate exceptions, it is important to help them see the aspects of this which present a potential _____________, but it is also important to realize that these exceptions do not necessarily represent ____________ for the client. 

Other Useful Messages

  1. The overcoming the urge suggestion: In the situation in which the problem is a tendency to _________________ or _________________ in a way that they would like to change, this may be useful.
    1. This involves having the client pay attention to what is different when they are able to _________________ the urge, particularly focusing on what they are doing differently.  
    2. This encourages solution building by helping clients focus on the _________________ and successes in their lives and how one leads to the other.  
  2. Addressing Competing Views of the Solution:  When there are different views of solutions, you can assign a suggestion that _________________ the different participants and their multiple perspectives.
    1. This may include a suggestion that suggests alternating differing solutions, such as in the example, flipping a coin each morning to decide which way to try that day.
    1. This honors both perspectives. 
    2. This avoids or defuses the idea that one way must be _________________ and the other one _________________.  
    3. It removes another opportunity for the involved parties to have another _________________.  
    4. Often in this situation, elements from both solutions end up being a part of the solution.  However, if this does not happen, it is important to respect client ___________ and maintain a posture of ____________, encouraging the clients to explore how they determined this way was the most useful.
    5. This can also be used with a single person who is having trouble deciding between multiple _________________.
      1. The interviewer may also suggest an observational suggestion about paying attention to what tells them (the client) that it is good to be ________ about their problem at this time.  
      2. This also suggests that it is ________ to be confused sometimes.

Decisions about the next session

  1. The textbook suggest it is helpful to ask clients to come back for another session to explore the _________________ that has occurred between sessions.
    1. The authors suggest that putting the idea of coming back more tentatively may lead the client to the conclusion that the interviewer is not interested in working with them or __________ in their capacity to build solutions.
    2. The interviewer tells the client they would like to see them again to find out what is going better, fostering an expectation of _________________  change in the client.  
    3. Using statements such as “So when do you think it would be most useful for you to return?’ leaves the _________________ in the client’s hands, communicating a sense that the interviewer thinks the client is _________________.  

Cribsheets, Protocols and Note taking

  1. Cribsheets may be helpful in helping the interviewer stay on suggestion, however, your instructor will not let you use them during the actual interview – they may be reviewed before the interview or during a break.
  2. If you are going to take or use notes, it is important to explain to the client what you are doing and _________________ you are doing it.  

 

True/False questions

 

1.      De Jong and Berg view end-of-session feedback in solution building as the same thing as making interventions. 

2.      End-of-session feedback is the point in solution building at which a practitioner can bring in his or her own ideas about what would be most helpful to the client and suggest them to the client. 

3.      The most difficult part of formulating feedback for clients is figuring out which compliments to give. 

4.      Clients who see a problem but do not see themselves as part of a solution are not given suggestions. 

5.      Peter did not give Ah Yan a suggestion at the end of their first session because she did not have well-formed goals. 

6.      At the end of the first session, Insoo and her team believed that Gladys had well-formed goals and saw herself as a central part of a solution to her problems.

7.      Insoo and her team decided not to give Albert a suggestion. 

8.      The rule of thumb about preparing feedback for clients is to lean in a conservative direction when caught undecided between two possible suggestion assignments; that is, go with the less demanding suggestion. 

9.      At the conclusion of the end-of-session feedback for the Williams family, Gladys stated that Albert could not come back for the next session. 

10.  It is a good idea to incorporate the client’s words into the end-of-session feedback. 

11.  It is important to observe the client’s reactions when giving end-of-session feedback to get some indication of whether the feedback makes sense to the client. 

12.  A combination of compliments and no suggestion increases the chances that clients who do not see a problem and do not want anything will return and be more likely to define a problem on which to work. 

13.  Clients who can identify exceptions but have not defined goals may be given an observational suggestion.  

14.  Client who have a clear and specific miracle picture but no exceptions are generally not given a suggestion. 

15.  The “do something different” suggestion is generally given to clients who are highly motivated but do not have well-formed goals. 

Multiple Choice

1.      Which is not one of the structural components of end-of-session feedback?

a.       Compliments

b.      Exceptions

c.       Bridge

d.      Suggestions

 

2.      A bridge may be drawn from a client’s:

a.       goals.

b.      exceptions.

c.       perceptions.

d.      Any of the above

 

3.      When a practitioner suggests that a client “pay attention for                  between now and the next time we meet,” the practitioner has suggested:

a.       an intervention suggestion.

b.      a behavioral suggestion.

c.       an observational suggestion.

d.      a “do something different” suggestion.

 

4.      The first and most important matter in deciding on a suggestion is whether: 

a.       there are exceptions.

b.      the client sees herself or himself as part of the problem.

c.       the client wants something.

d.      the goals are well-formed.

 

5.      If a competent practitioner suggests at the end of a session that the client “pay attention to what’s happening in her (or his) life that tells her that the problem can be solved,” it is likely that the client perceives a problem and:

a.       can identify exceptions but does not have well-formed goals.

b.      cannot identify exceptions and does not have well-formed goals.

c.       can identify exceptions and has well-formed goals.

d.      has demonstrated strong powers of observation in the interview.

 

6.      Clients who have well-formed goals and deliberate exceptions in which they play a role are assigned the                   suggestion.

a.       do something different

b.      formula first session

c.       do more of the same

d.      overcoming the urge