Week 2 - Interpersonal Skills
Elements of Opening
Greeting and introduction:
Creates a welcoming atmosphere and builds rapport
How:
Friendly smile
Use their name
Appropriate eye contact
Introduce yourself
Explain purpose and goals of session if needed
Begin establishing rapport:
Builds trust and comfort
How:
Open body language
Open ended questions
Active listening
Setting, tone and structure:
Review, boundaries and confidentiality
Set expectations around tone, for example, “Feel free to ask questions as we go along”
Explain structure/agenda
Reduces uncertainty and increases focus and efficiency
Set goals and invite the person to share their expectations
