Double Question, Metaphorical Paraphrases

The Metaphorical Paraphrase

Interviewers can use metaphor or analogy to capture the central message in a client’s communication. For instance, often clients come to a professional interviewer because Basic Attending, Listening, and Action Skills 65they are feeling stuck, not making progress in terms of personal growth or problem resolution. In such a case, an interviewer might re?ect, “So it seems like you’re spinning your wheels” or “Dealing with this has been a real uphill battle.” Although metaphorical paraphrases might be best suited to kinesthetically oriented clients, many clients respond well to them, perhaps because so much of an experience is captured in so few words. Additional examples follow: Client 1: “My sister is so picky. We share a room and she’s always bugging me about picking up my clothes, straightening up my dresser, and everything else, too. She scrutinizes every move I make and criticizes me every chance she gets.” Interviewer 1: “It’s like you’re in the army and she’s your drill sergeant.” Client 2: “I’m prepared for some breakdowns along the way.” Interviewer 2: “You don’t expect it will be smooth sailing.” Clari?cation Several forms of clari?cation have the same purpose: to make clear for yourself and the client the precise nature of what has been said. The ?rst form of clari?cation consists of a restatement of what the client said and a closed question, in either order. Rogers was a master at clari?cation: If I’m getting it right . . . what makes it hurt most of all is that when he tells you you’re no good, well shucks, that’s what you’ve always felt about yourself. Is that the meaning of what you’re saying? The second form of clari?cation consists of a restatement imbedded in a double question. A double question is an either/or question including two or more choices of response for the client. For example:

• “Do you dislike being called on in class-or is it something else?”

• “Did you get in the argument with your husband before or after you went to the

movie?” Using clari?cation along with a double question allows interviewers to take more control of what clients say during an interview. In a sense, interviewers try to guess a client’s potential response by providing possible choices, similar to the multiple choice test format.