Section V – Skill Building Exercise

 

Below is an exercise which challenges the learner to bring together those skills and interventions from the previous section of the course, and consider the way in which their responses may or may not contribute to evocation of additional change talk.

A key to the answers may be found later in this section.

 

Responding to Change Talk

Instructions: Read the following client statements and identify examples and/or inferences of change talk.  After you have identified that change talk exists, identify it as preparatory or commitment language.  Finally, create a list of three responses the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

 

1. “I have never had a drinking problem, I have always been able to go to work and provide for my family. If it wasn’t for my wife nagging me, I wouldn’t have come here today.”

Change Talk (list examples here) :

 

 

Circle One:

Mobilizing                 Activating

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

 

2. “I tried the stuff we talked about last week to calm down. My anger just consumes me and there is nothing that will help.”

Change Talk (list examples here) :

 

 

Circle One:

Mobilizing                 Activating

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

 

3. “I know that I have to do something different and that eventually something has to give. I just don’t think this is the right time.”

Change Talk (Examples):

 

 

Circle One:

Mobilizing                 Activating

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

 

4. “I do not want this marriage to end like the last one and I know if I don’t do something different about my drinking, it will.”

Change Talk (list examples here) :

 

 

Circle One:

Mobilizing                 Activating

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

 

 

PRACTICE EXERCISE # 1 (KEY)

Recognizing Change Talk

Instructions: Read the following client utterance and identify statements and/or inferences of change talk.  After you have identified that change talk exists, identify it as preparatory or commitment language.  Finally, create a list of three responses the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

 

1. “I have never had a drinking problem, I have always been able to go to work and provide for my family. If it wasn’t for my wife nagging me, I wouldn’t have come here today.”

Change Talk

 

Reason- The client came in today because of his wife.

 

Circle One:

Mobilizing

 

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1. “Your relationship with your wife is really important to you.” (Reflecting Values)
2. “There are absolutely no problems that have resulted from your drinking.” (Amplified Reflection)
3. “On one hand you don’t see your drinking as a problem and on the other hand your wife seems to see it differently.” (Double-sided reflection)

 

2. “I tried the stuff we talked about last week to calm down. My anger just consumes me and there is nothing that will help.”

Change Talk

 

“I tried the stuff…”- commitment, taking steps

**The client’s presence at today’s interaction, despite poor results the previous week might be evidence that there is a desire to make change. **

 

Circle One:

Activating/Mobilizing

 

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1. “You are not going to take no for an answer. When you put your mind to something, you see it through no matter how difficult it is.” (Affirmation)
2. “Even though you did not have the success you hoped for last week, you are back here today looking to try something new.” (Finishing the paragraph)
3. “On one hand you are feeling discouraged, as though nothing will work and on the other hand you recognize that something has to change and you are ready to keep working.” (Double-sided reflection)

 

3. “I know that I have to do something different and that eventually something has to give. I just don’t think this is the right time.”

Change Talk

“I know I have to do something different.”  (Need)

 

Circle One:

Mobilizing

 

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1. “Something has to change.” (Simple Reflection)
2. “Imagine that you and I were meeting again in twelve months. Imagine that at that time you have not yet made any changes. Tell me what things would look like.” (Projective Question)
3. “This does not feel like the right time and yet you know something has to change.” (Double-sided reflection)

4. “I do not want this marriage to end like the last one and I know if I don’t do something different about my drinking, it will.”

Change Talk

“I do not want this marriage to end.” (Reason, Need)

 

Circle One:

Activating

 

Three responses that the Clinician might use to evoke additional change talk.

1. “Your marriage is very important to you.” (Reflecting Values)
2. “You are terrified that this marriage will end up like that last one if you do not do something different about your drinking.” (Reflecting Affect)
3. “Something really has to change.” (Simple Reflection) 

 

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