Listening Response

When to Use
Summaries
• Brammer (1973)
– ―Warm up‖ the client
– Focusing scattered thoughts and feelings
– Close the discussion of a particular theme
– Prompt the client to explore a theme more
thoroughly.
• Times when summaries prove particularly useful:
– The beginning of a new session,
– When session is going nowhere,
– When client needs a new perspective.
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Brammer, L. 1973, The helping relationship: Process and skills. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.