Stage

Purpose

Skills

Contacting

Establishing rapport
Relationship-building

Listening
Attending
Matching
Questioning
Mirroring

R

Committing

Agreeing boundaries, and contract
Establishing an initial outcome
Establishing mutual responsibility
Gaining commitment for change

Questioning
Checking
Negotiating
Contracting

A

Clarifying

Creating safety to allow disclosure
Enabling individual to gain greater understanding of their dilemma
Understanding the implications and effects of difficulties
Identifying issues
Listening for themes

Reflecting
Paraphrasing
Open questions
Restating
Prompting
Summarising

P

Challenging

Identifying the impasse
Identifying themes or patterns
Encouraging individual to consider options
Supporting through discharge

Focusing
Defining
Confronting
Immediacy
Concreteness

P

Choosing

Opening new perspectives
Widening options
Anticipating consequences
Helping move towards change

Problem-solving Contracting

O

Changing

Enabling the individual to take charge, learn and manage
the change process
Bringing action into the world
Monitoring and evaluating results and managing consequences

Goal-setting
Action-planning Rehearsing
Homework

R

Closing

Bringing the work and relationship to a close
Reviewing and evaluating the work done together
Saying ’good-byes’ and parting

Respect
Genuineness
Managing endings

T