Listening Skills to Support People with Mental Health Challenges. Are You Witnessing or Assessing?
In this video and podcast Alan talks about the distinction between listening to people who feel vulnerable in order to 'witness' their personal difficulties, possibly mental health challenges, and listening in order to 'assess' them for some further action such as signposting, diagnosing or prescribing.
Both types of listening are important but it's also important for the person being listened to, to understand which they are to experience. There is sometimes a risk that being listened to in order to be 'assessed' can lead people to feel they are losing control of their situation and they are being 'told' or directed to do something as a consequence of their difficulty, and sensitivity to this possibility is important.
Listening as 'witnessing' is providing a respectful 'space' in which they can share their sense of vulnerability or despair or worries without any risk of it being 'taken over' but simply with the intention of giving that person a chance to 'be with themselves' and their difficulties with the support of someone being with them, alongside them but not intervening in any way.
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section.
Alan Sharland has been a Mediator and Conflict Coach for over 27 years working in a wide range of dispute situations including neighbour disputes, workplace disputes, complaints (NHS, Special Educational Needs, University Student), group disputes and others.
He was Director of a community mediation service in West London for 11 years and now runs CAOS Conflict Management. https://www.caos-conflict-management.co.uk
Connect with Alan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alansharland
Train in the CAOS Model of Mediation: https://www.caos-conflict-management.co.uk/mediation-training-course.html
Train in the CAOS Model of Conflict Coaching: https://www.caos-conflict-management.co.uk/conflict-coaching-training.html
Check out and like the Communication and Conflict Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/communicationandconflict/
Visit the Communication and Conflict website: https://www.communicationandconflict.com
Books and ebooks:
How to Resolve Bullying in the Workplace: Stepping Out of the Circle of Blame to Create an Effective Outcome for All https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Resolve-Bullying-Workplace-Effective/dp/1511941316
A Guide To Effective Communication for Conflict Resolution - How Mindful Communication Supports Growth Through Conflict. Purchase the book at this link on amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1790335221
CREDITS Outro Music:
Gently onwards, youtube free music library