Empathetic Listening In Social Work

As outlined in the tutorial slides, establishing a relationship with your client is an essential aspect of building a safe and welcoming environment in a social work interview. This involves genuineness, empathy and understanding, as well as respect. In the interview that I conducted, I specifically focussed my attention on empathetic listening as my communication device in establishing a relationship with my client. Kelly (1970) defines empathetic listening as the ability to verbally and nonverbally communicate an interest in the client’s needs (McComb & Jablin 1984, p. 354). According to McComb and Jablin, major verbal communicators associated with empathy include (1) the use of silence, (2) verbal encouragers and (3) restatements of client’s

356). McComb and Jablin claim that verbal encouragers are “short acknowledgements of understanding” interjected throughout the interview (McComb and Jablin 1967, p. 356). Moffatt (1979) highlights how phrases such as “Mm-hmm”, “Ah”, “Right”, or “Yes” are effective verbal encouragers, as they communicate that you have understood, but are allowing them to continue without interruption (Moffatt 1979, p. 91). According to (textbook), it is common for clients to find it difficult to share and explore their concerns, and therefore suggests that it is helpful for the interviewer to offer verbal encouragers to assure the client of your genuine empathy for their story. This is further explored by Miller, Stiff and Ellis (1988), where they link empathy to communicative responsiveness (Miller, Stiff & Ellis 1988, p. 255). However, (textbook) also indicates that excessive use of communicative tool could come across as a robotic response, indicating that in fact the interviewer was not listening. Throughout my own interview that I conducted, I used many verbal encouragers. At the time, this is what came naturally to me as this is how I usually communicate empathy. However, after reading that too much of this could have a negative connotation, I am now concerned that I may have over-used this communicative tool. This is something that I need to work on, as it is my

This is evident through McComb and Jablin’s 1984 research paper, focussing on how empathy can reduce client anxiety and enhance the relationship between social worker and client. This relationship is essential for creating a safe and welcoming environment, for the client to feel able to share their needs. In writing this reflection, certain areas that I can improve on, in regards to interviewing as a social worker, have been made clear to me. I must utilise moderated silence, as well as to incorporate the communicative tool of restating the client’s answers in order to establish an empathetic relationship with the client. I must also be careful to not use verbal encouragers excessively, as it can sometimes have the opposite effect of encouragement. These are some techniques that I need to work on, as it is my aim to construct a safe and welcoming interviewing environment through establishing a positive and empathetic relationship with my