Essential Relational Skills

Description: This interactive, online class is designed to provide participants with fundamental relational tools for optimizing social or therapeutic relationships.  The course consists almost entirely of interactive relational exercises to maximize actual skill learning.

Objectives: By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the role of safety in a therapeutic setting.
• Be more aware of what makes it personally challenging to be present with another.
• Stay focused on the present moment in the midst of distracting thoughts.
• Distinguish between observations and imaginations.
• Be more comfortable with listening to a speaker without intervening.
• Track another person's psychobiological shifts.
• Keep half of their attention on their own psychobiological condition while keeping half of their attention on another.
• Describe the social-emotional value of mirroring.
• Utilize echo reflecting as a communication tool.
• Define attunement and resonance.
• Mirror a client’s breathing or sighs.
• Generate effective Contact Statements in response to what another says.