Did your graduate school program prepare you for the times you have to essentially offer counseling to your students? My grad program touched on counseling in stuttering class and that was it. Over the years I’ve had to look up counseling information and take professional development to learn the rest. Even more interesting is the idea that we can convey information to students with our body language that is akin to counseling them – we can make them more comfortable without even using verbal communication! In fact, if you don’t know some of the tips I share in this video, you may be sending “unwelcoming” messages to students you work with right now! Watch and learn!
Therapist Body Language
Non-verbal body language, such as eye contact, posture, and gestures, can provide invaluable insight into a client’s feelings, thoughts, and reactions during a therapy session. Counselors often incorporate non-verbal cues into their therapy sessions to help clients feel seen, heard, and understood. Examples of non-verbal body language counseling strategies include maintaining open, relaxed body postures; maintaining eye contact; mirroring the client’s body language; and using touch to create a connection with the client in appropriate circumstances.
By leveraging the power of non-verbal communication and listening with both body and words, therapists can show compassion, provide support, and develop meaningful connections with their clients.
Learn more about counseling skills needed in speech therapy in this blog post: 8 Counseling Techniques for Speech-Language Pathologists