1)       Today really sucks.  Nothing has gone right.  I don't know why I bother getting up anyway.  Nothing in my life works.

Reflection:   So you're having a bad day. You feel nothing has gone right today.

Direct compliment:   So you got up today even though nothing's gone right.   You managed to get to this appointment even though you were having a really bad day.

Indirect compliment:   How did you get the strength to come into today even though everything has gone wrong for you?   How did you manage to make it to this appointment even though you are having a bad day?

 2)      I'm really scared about this test.  I know I'm not going to pass it.  I study and study and I just don't get it.

 Reflection:  You are nervous about this test. You've studied for this test and you still feel you are not going to pass it.

Direct compliment:  It's good that you have done a lot of studying even though you were nervous.  You are nervous about the test but you studied really hard.  You care a lot about doing well in school.

Indirect compliment: What gives you the ambition to try so far?  How do you keep yourself studying when you feel it is not going to help?

3)      I'm so glad the sun is shining.  I love this weather.  It makes me happy to be alive.

Reflection: So you love this type of weather. It looks like you're enjoying the day.  So today is a good day.

Direct Compliment:  You seem to be happy today. You are in a great mood today. The weather seems to make you have a glow.  You have found a way to make yourself happy by enjoying the weather.

Indirect Compliment:  How do you manage to stay happy? How does this weather affect you so positively?   Seems like you are having a great day.  How do you stay so positive?

 4)      So my boss calls me into her office, and tells me to sit down.  I'm shaking in my cowboy boots and I miss the edge of the chair and fall on the floor.  I'm too embarrassed to get up for a minute, and I just lay there with my boss standing over me.

Reflection:  So you are nervous about being in the bosses' office. So you were really embarrassed because you missed the chair in front of your boss.  You had an extremely embarrassing moment with your boss.

Direct compliment:  It took a lot of courage to leave and not stay in the office.  It's good that you had the courage to go to the bosses' office even though you were nervous.

Indirect compliment:  How did you manage to deal with what happened while you were embarrassed?  Even though you felt embarrassed, how did you manage to stay in the office?  How did you get the courage to enter the bosses office?

 5)      I just don't know where to start.  I have all this work to do and I just look at the piles and feel paralyzed.

Reflection: So you are feeling overwhelmed by all your work. So it seems you are having anxiety about the work you have to do.  So you feel overwhelmed with the paperwork.

Direct compliment: It's good that you are not trying to avoid the work. You still find the strength to try even though you are overwhelmed. I can see that the work is important to you even though it makes you feel overwhelmed.

Indirect compliments:  How did you overcome feeling paralyzed and getting started?  How did you manage to show up even though you have all this work?

 6)      I'm not sure I should be here.  I mean, I really don't need to see a counselor.  It's my parents' problem, not mine. They are so uptight.  It was just a little pot, anyway.  What's the big deal?

Reflection:  So you don't think a little pot is a problem but your parents think it is a big deal.  So you feel this is your parent's problem, not yours.

Direct compliment: By showing up today, it proves you care about your parents. You came in even though you didn't want to.

Indirect compliment: How did you manage to come in when you feel it is so pointless? How did you get the strength to come in even though you don't think it's a problem?

7)      I did really well on my assignment.  The class seems be to be going much better now.  It really did help to talk to the instructor.   He wasn't so scary when it was just the two of us.  In fact, I really liked him.  So, now I'm paying better attention in class and understanding more.  It really helped.