Competition. Enter the draw to win FREE registration

January 2, 2010 by Megan · Leave a Comment 

Only six days until the launch of the peer supervision and job recruitment forum for human service professionals.

People who join up BEFORE the launch on Jan 8 at 6pm (Brisbane EST) are in the running to win one of three FREE registration packs:

  • a monthly subscription valued at $29.55 (Aust),

  • a yearly subscription valued at $299.95 (Aust), or

  • a monthly organisational subscription valued at $119.80 (Aust).

Please forward this to all your friends and contacts in the human services (foster carers, social workers, community workers, youth workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, teachers, nurses, health workers, etc). They too will be in the running to win if they first register on or before January 8, 2010 (winners will have their first subscription refunded to them).
Register here: http://www.imaginif.com.au/become-a-member-of-our-peer-supervision-and-recruitment-agency/
Launch is at 6pm EST January 8. Draw for the winner of the FREE registration packs will occur during the launch. Winner does not have to be present to win….just check your pay pal account to see if your subscription has been refunded.
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Freud’s contribution to the bedroom and my Freudian slips

November 18, 2009 by Megan · 1 Comment 

Are you a Freudian Slipper? I sure know that I suffer from foot and mouth disease – every time I open my mouth I put my foot in it! But regardless of my personal inadequacies, I overcompensate with my Freudian humour. How’s this for a slip up:

Freudian Slippers

Freudian Slippers available from the Freud Museum.
The perfect Christmas gift for the therapist in your life.

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How to build rapport and actively listen to someone

August 8, 2009 by Megan · 1 Comment 

Have you ever wanted to talk to someone and spent ages going over what you should say, how you should say it, and where you should say it? If yes you are attempting to set up rapport with another person.

Rapport is :

one of the most important features or characteristics of unconscious human interaction. It is commonality of perspective: being “in sync” with, or being “on the same wavelength” as the person with whom you are talking. From Wikipedia

Building quick rapport is about being a good listener, but, a good listener listens not just with their ears but with their ears, their eyes and their knowledge.  A good listener listens to body language and takes into account where the other person may have come from and what their experiences may have been (psychological noise). Further, a good listener puts aside their own assumptions, values, judgements and wants (your own psychological noise)

There is a very basic counselling technique called Active Listening. Active listening uses three steps and makes use of all the listening senses: ears, eyes, thoughts, values and understandings. Active listening is made super easy by utilising a simple way of effective attending called SOLER. Both active listening and effective attending (SOLER) are explained below.

Active Listening:

  1. “Being there” skills to show that you are listening: SOLER (see below for the SOLER steps)
  2. Be aware of and minimise your own psychological noise (your self talk: assumptions/self talk/beliefs/sensitivities), the thiongs that stop you from being a good listener (for me it is often smell…I find it difficult to actively listen when the other person stinks).
  3. Recognise and understand the psychological noise (socio/geo/political context) of the other person. What might be their triggers, their background, their way of surviving in the world?

SOLER (effective attending):

S Sit Square on (face the other person or be in a position where you can at least look at the other person)

O Open body language says you want to and are ready to talk.

L Lean slightly forward. Check out how young lovers talk to each other over a table at a coffee shop – they lean toward each other, telling each other they are interested.

E Eye contact is a sign to tell people you are talking and deeply listening to them.

R Relax.  Relaxed body language is far more likely to encourage someone to talk with you than an uptight, I’m busy, body.

Do you think you are a good listener? Good listening, active listening, is hard work because it uses much more than just our ears. The reason we have two ears and just one mouth is because it is twice as hard to listen than it is to speak! Remember that next time you are pretending to listen to someone.

Here’s some short articles that may help make you a better listener and friend:

Building rapport with people
The elements of active listening for child safety
Psychological Noise

Use this article as a training handout: How to build rapport and effectively attend

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Resources for workers: youth workers, social workers, psychologists, teachers, foster carers

June 22, 2009 by Megan · Leave a Comment 

Many requests for bringing back the list of professional resources has resulted in the page being displayed again: Resources for workers. I am using many of the short articles on trauma, brain development and attachment in my daily dealings with youth workers, foster carers and other professionals. Easy to use and understand, I hope they help you in your work too.

FREE for the taking, I only ask that when using my work (any articles written by Megan Bayliss), you give credit back to the Imaginif website.

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Child counselling

June 17, 2009 by Megan · Leave a Comment 

What happens in child counselling? Because of confidentiality many parents remain unaware of what the child counsellor is doing and why they are doing it.

In 10 steps to counselling children, I have set out the steps that many child therapists take in helping a child to integrate painful issues or to establish change behaviours. Helpful to both parents and counsellors looking for clear models of child therapy work, the 10 step model is a recipe and method for you to use and refer to again and again.

Child counselling helps repair damage. Don’t just fix your broken DVD or car, fix your kids too!

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