Active listening is an essential skill in counseling, but it is by no means sufficient. Once we get the client’s story, we need to move them to action. After all, that is what clients are looking for, right?
In this two-part series, I will outline various ways of moving clients to action. In this post I will discuss Logical Consequences.
Logical Consequences are particularly helpful when the client is undecided about what action to take. Exploring logical consequences is one way to help the client think through their options in a thoughtful and intentional manner. What the counselor does is explore the alternatives with the client, including specific and concrete consequences that would follow logically from each alternative. For example, the counselor would say something like, “If you do this…then…will probably happen.”
First, the counselor needs to listen to the client’s story; what their perception is about their situation. Next, the counselor helps the client generate all possible alternatives without evaluation or judgement. Then, both positive and negative consequences are identified by the client (with facilitation from the counselor). After that, the counselor will summarize the options and consequences, and then invite the client to make a decision, ie. “which of those sounds like the most viable option for you?” or “What do we need to do to prepare you to make a decision? Do we need to role play? Use the empty chair technique?”
The role of emotions in logical consequences should not be ignored. In order for clients to make decisions, they must feel good about them. A particular decision could be a very healthy and wise choice, but if the client has negative emotions, such as fear, it is unlikely he or she will follow through. This can present a very frustrating situation for both the counselor and client. It may help to consider that even positive choices can have negative ramifications, and we must prepare clients for this. Thus, when asking clients to imagine various scenarios based on their various options, anticipating their emotions is also important.
The benefits of logical consequences are that the client is very involved in the decision-making process. As a counselor, you never want to tell clients what to do. It is of utmost importance that clients make their own decisions. The job of the counselor is to guide them through the decision making process; provide a framework that will act as a road map for the client. The other benefit is an increased awareness of consequences, leading to more responsible and intentional behavior on the part of the client.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
*Source: Essentials of Intentional Interviewing by Allen E. Ivey, Mary Bradford Ivey and Carlos P. Zalaquett
