A: Alertness – be alert to what is spoken and what is not spoken
B: Be a listener – do as little talking as possible
C: Clarification – give indication when you understand and ask for clarification when you do not
D: Decision making – Do not make decisions for the student, help them explore alternatives
E: Empathy – exhibit appropriate responses to show empathy and concern
F: Follow-up – follow up to a students request for information and meeting
again
G: Genuineness – be yourself and express yourself when appropriate
H: Help – help the student focus on the real problems in a situation
I: Individuality – remember that all individuals differ in how they feel and how they perceive
J: Judgement – avoid judgmental responses of shock, surprise or humor unless appropriate
K: Keep interventions short – keep interventions within an hour, schedule a time to talk again
L: Limits – know your limits, know when a problem is serious and a referral is necessary
M: Maintain confidentiality – do not discuss a resident’s problems with other residents.
N: Never take notes – note taking is perceived as impersonal and pretentious, unless you intend to assure to follow up on a specific request for the student
O: Objectivity – remain objective and avoid biases that might interfere in your relationship
P: Patience – be patient, let the student draw there own conclusions about how they feel
Q: Questioning – questioning should be open ended, exploratory, and only when necessary
R: Referral information- keep information available on campus counseling and support services for potential referrals
S: Sharing – share your reactions and feeling when appropriate
T: Trust – many have the tendency to try to establish trust through sharing common experiences, but maintaining focus on your student and what they are feeling may be a better approach
U: Understanding – try to understand the feelings behind what the student is saying
V: aVoid – Avoid inappropriate reactions to surprising statements, do not overreact
W: Wisdom – It is wiser to refer a student when a relationship is no longer productive or healthy
X: eXplore alternatives – Help you students examine all options and reach their own conclusions
Y: You are a student first – Define boundaries with your residents, express when it appropriate and not appropriate to discuss and explore non-crisis problems, schedule open door times when necessary
Z: analyZing – Avoid analyzing how a student feels, focus on the students experience, how they feel and let them draw their own conclusions