Silent Sessions

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"The training was very fun, lively and useful. I found the whole style perfect for my learning style. I really enjoyed all aspects of the training and particularly the practical tasks, i.e. The Silent Session - which I have raved about to my colleagues!"
Rachel McManus, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Sheffiled Hallam University, Sheffield

The Silent Session (e.murphy ’06)

Eileen Murphy devised the Silent Session specifically for working with resistant clients, those referred through Statutory Orders and for those who did not wish to disclose.

  

In the knowledge that strengths based and future focused approaches are a positive, non-harmful intervention and, as an attempt to provide resistant clients with some intervention rather than have to close the meeting because of a lack of  commitment to the session, Eileen offered the Silent Session.

 

It soon because clear that the result of offering the Silent Session was often that people began “trusting” the session and had more confidence to respond verbally.  Some part of this, of course, is due to the fact that it is evident to the client by the offer of a “silent session” that the facilitator is not seeking to judge or to analyse but is obviously focused on helping.

 

It is proving an extremely helpful resource for people to think things through privately without sharing any element of their difficulties they may wish to work on but not necessarily discuss.

 

Where it was clear that the client was referred against their will or did not want to co-operate or simply did not trust the process, Eileen would introduce the session as “I would like to run this session as a Silent Session. I do not want you to answer out loud unless you want to - otherwise I need you to listen to the question and answer it out loud in your head”. 
 

Although Eileen initially had concerns about risk-assessment where the client group were extremely vulnerable or had mental health disorders, she realised that often clients may say one thing but think another so the facilitator could never be 100% certain that anything was the truth when the client responded verbally.  However when she asked questions around safety, she would phrase it: “On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is you do not feel safe  and 10 indicates that you feel safe and are not anxious about your well-being at this time –  I would be grateful to hear this number so when you answer this question either verbally, or out loud in your head, could you also indicate the number with your fingers at the same time”

 

If one was to protest that the client could withhold the truth on this – then Eileen would agree but she makes the point, often, that everyone would also have to agree that even when they verbalise their responses, clients could withhold the truth.   Eileen therefore maintains that neither method is full proof on ensuring safety outside of the Worker’s own risk assessment skills.  Eileen’s priority is always the safety of the client and the visuals of the Examine, Repair & Move On Approach provide further opportunities to ensure that every client is heard.

For further details about our Solution Focused Approach introductory and bespoke training courses, please contact us at:  info@brief-therapy-uk.com  or Tel 0208 947 8093 or 07779 242 289.