>...you will very likely expereicne it at >some point too. A client will totally misinterpret, hear differently, or >report to someone else something totally different than what you actually >said or did. Here's my social work background coming through. There is often a big difference between what comes out of the speaker's mouth and what goes into the the listener's ears. Words have many meanings and they are always sifted through the speaker's and the listener's mind as they are said and heard. I have found it helpful to have the client repeat in his or her own words what I said to make sure we are all on the same page and something hasn't been misunderstood. Usually I do this at the end of the session (although it can be in the middle, too, if things are complicated) and I have sometimes found it very revealing how my words are understood by the other person. It has helped me clarify my speech in general and in an individual situation, it allows things to be clarified before I leave. I do a similar thing when I am meeting with colleagues, by phone or in person. I always send a follow up note, usually by email, reviewing the session. Then I ask the other participant(s) in the conversation if their understanding was the same, or if I misinterpreted something. People have found this helpful for two reasons: They get to make sure we are all on the same page and can clarify misunderstandings before there are problems. Also, everyone has a record of the conversation. It only takes a few minutes to do this and it can save much aggravation and backtracking to fix misunderstandings. BTW, this works with my kids too. When I have the feeling they are spacing me off when I ask them to do something, I ask them to repeat it. It's sometimes amusing how they say it back to me, and I know whether they "got it" or not. Happy Thanksgiving to all. Naomi Bar-Yam *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html