Tips & Strategies

Questions that do not invite yes/no or other short answers.

• Examples: "Tell me about your smoking since our last visit; How did your child’s doctor’s visit go?”

Statements supporting the person and their change behaviors

• Examples: ”you are dedicated to your children, you are working hard to find a job, you are trying your hardest”

Simple statements that convey "I heard what you just said," "I understand what you are saying," or "I'm trying to understand"

• Simple: Demonstrate listening by repeating or slightly rephrasing caregiver statements
  • Example:
    • Caregiver: “I just don’t know what more I can do”
    • Home visitor: “You are not sure what else you can try”
• Complex: 
  • Emotion-focused: Acknowledging the person’s emotions
    • Example:
      • Caregiver: “I just don’t know what more I can do, I am so tired of it”
      • Home visitor: “You feel frustrated with how things are going”
  • Double-sided: Capturing both sides of a speaker’s ambivalence
    • Example:
    • • Caregiver: “Even if I want to, I just don’t know what more I can do”
    • • Home visitor: “You have tried a lot already that has not worked, but you want to feel better"
  • Amplified: Reflecting emphasizing the more exaggerated aspect of statement
    • Example:
      • Caregiver: "I cannot talk to my Mom about not smoking in her own house"
      • Home visitor: "Sounds like it would be impossible to talk about smoking with your mother"​

Emotion Focused Reflection 

 Double-sided Reflection 

 Complex Reflection

Linking together and reinforcing caregiver statements

• Collecting: Short summaries that gather recently discussed themes
  • Example:
  • • Home visitor: “We have been talking about how you have been feeling and you are not sure how to start finding a job, but you have some reasons for looking, like being able to bring more money home to take care of your children”
• Transitional: Announcing a shift from one focus to another
   
• Example:
  • Home visitor: “We have talked about your plans to attend the upcoming socialization; Let’s talk a bit about your efforts toward attending those parenting classes we discussed.”