The must-have guide to honestly and sensitively answering your clients' questions Written to help therapists view their clients' questions as collaborative elements of clinical work, What Do I Say? explores the questions some direct, others unspoken that all therapists, at one time or another, will encounter from clients. Authors and practicing therapists Linda Edelstein and Charles Waehler take a thought-provoking look at how answers to clients' questions shape a therapeutic climate of expression that encourages personal discovery and growth. Strategically arranged in a question-and-answer format for ease of use, this hands-on guide is conversational in tone and filled with personal examples from experienced therapists on twenty-three hot-button topics, including religion, sex, money, and boundaries. What Do I Say? tackles actual client questions, such as: Can you help me? (Chapter 1, The Early Sessions) Sorry I am late. Can we have extra time? (Chapter 9, Boundaries) I don't believe in all this therapy crap. What do you think about that? (Chapter 3, Therapeutic Process) Why is change so hard? (Chapter 4, Expectations About Change) Will you attend my graduation/wedding/musical performance/speech/business grand opening? (Chapter 20, Out of the Office) Where are you going on vacation? (Chapter 10, Personal Questions) I gave your name to a friend . . . Will you see her? (Chapter 9, Boundaries) Should I pray about my problems? (Chapter 12, Religion and Spirituality) Are you like all those other liberals who believe gay people have equal rights? (Chapter 13, Prejudice) The power of therapy lies in the freedom it offers clients to discuss anything and everything. It's not surprising then, that clients will surprise therapists with their experiences and sometimes with the questions they ask. What Do I Say? reveals how these questions no matter how difficult or uncomfortable can be used to support the therapeutic process rather than derail the therapist client relationship.

Have you ever walked alone into a room of chattering people and felt nervous? Is the idea of attending a wedding or job interview where you won't know many people intimidating? The art of conversation is a necessary skill for navigating life’s social and business occasions, and with practice you can develop the ability to easily talk to people. What Do You Say When ... is a smart, useful tool that helps you assess all situations and approach people with confidence. When you can chat easily and know the right things to say, you not only feel more relaxed, but also make others feel comfortable. What Do You Say When ... provides a complete guide to conversation in a variety of circumstances. It teaches the basics, plus helpful rules that work anywhere and with anyone—at cocktail parties, dinners, charity benefits, job interviews, conferences and conventions, dates, and even at family reunions and other gatherings. Also covered are can’t-fail conversation openers and strategies for expanding conversation and getting to know casual social or business contacts better. You’ll learn how to find appropriate words for difficult times, such as a friend’s divorce, illness, or job loss, or when someone’s loved one has died. Included, too, are tips on teaching your children to converse politely. Filled with examples, ideas, and practical advice, What Do You Say When ... helps you master one of life’s most essential skills.

A guide to effectively communicating with teenagers by the bestselling authors of The Self-Driven Child If you're a parent, you've had a moment--maybe many of them--when you've thought, "How did that conversation go so badly?" At some point after the sixth grade, the same kid who asked "why" non-stop at age four suddenly stops talking to you. And the conversations that you wish you could have--ones fueled by your desire to see your kid not just safe and healthy, but passionately engaged--suddenly feel nearly impossible to execute. The good news is that effective communication can be cultivated, learned, and taught. And as you get better at this, so will your kids. William Stixrud, Ph.D., and Ned Johnson have 60 years combined experience talking to kids one-on-one, and the most common question they get when out speaking to parents and educators is: What do you say? While many adults understand the importance and power of the philosophies behind the books that dominate the parenting bestseller list, parents are often left wondering how to put those concepts into action. In What Do You Say?, Johnson and Stixrud show how to engage in respectful and effective dialogue, beginning with defining and demonstrating the basic principles of listening and speaking. Then they show new ways to handle specific, thorny topics of the sort that usually end in parent/kid standoffs: delivering constructive feedback to kids; discussing boundaries around technology; explaining sleep and their brains; the anxiety of current events; and family problem-solving. What Do You Say? is a manual and map that will immediately transform parents' ability to navigate complex terrain and train their minds and hearts to communicate ever more successfully.

Do you remember a time when you used the right words at the right moment, and they made all the difference? With the aim of helping you repeat that experience every day, this book provides hundreds of examples of what we call “Best Practice Language” (BPL), a research-based technique designed to help teachers use words to improve student behavior – in the classroom and beyond. In their years of working at the K-12 levels, educators Hal Holloman and Peggy H. Yates have identified the exact phrases and key words you can use to handle: recurring disruptions, inappropriate outbursts, and students’ low self-confidence, among other classroom realities. BPL will enable you to: Set your expectations clearly on the first day of school Prevent and resolve conflicts between students Create a safe haven for shy, apprehensive students Establish meaningful relationships with students built on trust Help students foster a respect for themselves, their peers, and for adults Maintain a positive classroom environment that encourages personal responsibility Whether you're a new teacher, a veteran teacher, a pre-service teacher, or school administrator, the tools in this book will help you use words effectively, in ways that resonate with students and provide them with clear and promising direction.

A professor emeritus of business at Stanford University has found only one consistently common trait among successful MBA graduates - great conversation skills. With this book, Susan Roane shows how to improve conversation skills for business.

Health care professionals, clergy, chaplains, social workers, and others who counsel people in medical crisis often find themselves faced with deeply painful questions: Why is this happening to me? Am I dying? Why should I live? I'm just a burden to others. Here is a workbook that suggests healing verbal responses to such expressions of spiritual pain. The accompanying DVD helps reinforce the lessons and exercises that integrate psychology, psychiatry, pastoral counseling, nursing, chaplaincy, and spiritual direction for whole person care. The author, an internationally recognized expert in spiritual caregiving, points out that wanting to help is one motivation for learning these skills, but there are also evidence-based reasons: helping patients express their innermost feelings promotes spiritual healing; spiritual health is related to physical and emotional health; spiritual coping helps patients accept and deal with their illness; and patients tend to want their health care professionals to know about their spirituality. Lessons, tips, and exercises teach how to listen effectively, with guidelines for detecting and understanding the spiritual needs embedded in patients' conversations. Suggestions are provided for verbal responses to patients who express spiritual distress, including tips for building rapport, using self-disclosure, and praying with patients. A FAQ section deals with frequently asked questions and miscellaneous information, such as: What do I do when a patient talks on and on and I have to leave? How do I answer a "why" question? What do I say to a patient who believes a miracle will happen to cure them? What if I'm not religious? How can I talk about it? By practicing and using these healing techniques, Taylor explains, healthcare professionals will be able to provide patients responses to their questions that allow them to become intellectually, emotionally, and physically aware of their spirituality so they can experience life more fully.

A significant problem experienced by some GPs and many trainees and other primary care health professionals is the challenge of completing a useful and safe consultation with patients with mental health problems within the constraints of a standard-length appointment. These challenges may arise from a lack of specific expertise in this area, poor training in the relevant skills and, perhaps, the attitude that there is not much that the primary care practitioner can do to help. This new book focuses on enhancing the repertoire of communication skills available for mental health consultation, providing a range of tools and techniques drawn from accepted models, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), transactional analysis (TA), motivational interviewing and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), illustrating how to apply these within a typical 10- to 12-minute primary care consultation. Key features: enhances the repertoire of communication and consultation skills for primary care practitioners working in mental health consultations summaries and quick take-home points aid rapid reference in the time-constrained consultation setting whether in person or virtual offers worked-through model consultations with a variety of patients, showing how to apply the tools and techniques described demonstrates how such consultations can be completed safely and effectively within a normal consultation time frame Essential reading for all primary care practitioners in training and in practice, the book equips readers with the confidence and knowledge to provide excellent mental health care for their patients.