Passing your National Licensing Exam
Getting licensed can open up incredible opportunities, but the exam can seem daunting. Our podcasts make passing more achievable and even fun. Dr Hutchinson and Stacy’s energy and passion for this content will get you motivated and confident.
We break things down in understandable ways - no stuffiness or complexity and focus on the critical parts you need so your valuable study time counts. You’ll come away feeling like, “I can do this!” Whether it’s nailing down diagnoses, theoretical approaches, or applying ethics in challenging situations, we help you get into a licensed mindset. Knowledge domains we cover in these podcasts include:
Professional Practice and Ethics
Intake, Assessment, & Diagnosis
Areas of Clinical Focus
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Counseling Skills and Interventions
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And, of course, the DSM-5-TR.
If you listen, you might surprise yourself at how much you absorb and enjoy it along the way. Take that first step – you’ll gain confidence and valuable skills and feel confident getting ready for your licensing exam!
Passing your National Licensing Exam
Microskills: Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing in Counseling Practice
CounselingExam
How often have you found yourself caught between paraphrasing and summarizing, unsure of the fine line that differentiates them? Don't fret! Stacy Frost and Dr. Linton Hutchinson are here to sweep away confusion and shed light on these two essential counseling skills in a way you've never encountered before. As hosts of Licensure Exams, they masterfully unpack the intricacies of paraphrasing and summarizing, demonstrating how paraphrasing involves capturing the crux of a client's specific message, while summarizing is about compacting the main points, problems, or themes over a session, or multiple sessions.
As Stacy and Linton weave their unique perspectives into this enlightening conversation, you'll learn how effective paraphrasing can demonstrate understanding of a client's sentiment, and summarizing can aptly encapsulate an entire session into key points. Get ready to challenge yourself in an interactive session where they play a game of identifying whether a statement is a paraphrase or a summary. Plus, there's a contest for the listeners, with the first to correctly respond to a Facebook post winning a personal Zoom call with them. By the time you're done with this episode, you'll not only understand paraphrasing and summarizing like never before, but also be fully prepped to employ these skills in your practice. Ready to take your counseling skills up a notch? Tune in now!
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This podcast is not associated with the NBCC, AMFTRB, ASW, ANCC, NASP, NAADAC, CCMC, NCPG, CRCC, or any state or governmental agency responsible for licensure.
Hey, there you incredible therapists. Welcome to our podcast here at Licensure Exams. I'm Stacey Frost and I'm with my co-host, the man, the Mystery, the Legend.
Linton:Dr Linton Hutchinson hey.
Stacy:Linton.
Linton:Hi from hot and sunny Florida. Today we're talking about the differences between paraphrasing and summarizing two very important counseling skills that you will probably need for the exam. You'll be tested on a variety of skills and these two are often confused because they share some similarities.
Stacy:Exactly and there are also some subtle differences. But before we get into that, let's start by defining each. So paraphrasing is the restatement of a specific message or an idea that has been expressed by the client, and the goal is to capture the essence of the client's statement, using different words but retaining the original meaning.
Linton:Right and summarization is a condensed version of a larger piece of information that they've given you, so it may span the entire session or even multiple sessions, and it's used by you to capture the main points, issues or themes discussed over a period of time.
Stacy:Right. So paraphrasing and summarizing are similar in that they both involve repeating or restating a client's thoughts and feelings, but they're different in that paraphrasing is about restating a specific message or idea expressed by the client, while summarizing involves condensing several ideas that have been expressed by the client.
Linton:Yeah, that's right, Stacey. Well, I guess it's time to provide everyone with a couple of good examples.
Stacy:Let's say, a client tells you I feel like I'm stuck in a dead-end job and it's really taking a toll on my mental health.
Linton:Okay, so paraphrasing this could sound something like you're trapped and your current career is affecting your well-being.
Stacy:Yeah, good one. So with that statement, you've taken the client's sentiment and rephrased it, demonstrating your understanding of what they're trying to communicate to you. Now let's contrast this with a summarization.
Linton:At the end of the session, you might say something like you've discussed your feelings of stagnation in your job and how this is negatively impacting your mental health. With that, you've condensed the conversation from the entire session by focusing on the main points of discussion where number one the client's feeling of stagnation in their job and two, how it's impacting their mental health. Your summarization tells the client that you understand what's been discussed with them in the session.
Stacy:Yep. Thank you very much, Linton, for summarizing that so clearly.
Linton:Right. Well, here's another example.
Stacy:During the beginning of the session, your client says I'm feeling really overwhelmed by all the expectations that I have for myself these days. I just don't feel like I can keep up.
Linton:Well, you could respond by saying it sounds like you're feeling a lot of pressure from your own expectations and that it's really difficult for you to deal with the stress. What does that sound like to you, stacy? Is it a paraphrase or is it a summarization?
Stacy:Well, this one is a little tricky, but I'm leaning toward a paraphrase.
Linton:Yes, Stacy, and why is that?
Stacy:Well, the response focuses on a specific statement that the client made. You, as a therapist, are restating it in different words, while still capturing that main point they're trying to make. You're not condensing multiple conversations or a lot of different ideas, like a summarization would.
Linton:If this was an episode of Wheel of Fortune, I'd ring a bell at this point.
Stacy:I used to watch that show all the time with my grandma. That and Jeopardy Good ones, all right. So yay, I get to move on to the next round. You got any more examples, lyndon?
Linton:Sure, how about this one?
Stacy:A client says I don't know if I can trust my boyfriend. He lied to me last week.
Linton:Well, you could respond to him by saying it seems like you're finding it difficult to trust your boyfriend after being misled. Is that a paraphrase or a summarization?
Stacy:Well, that one also sounds like a paraphrase. You've captured the real essence there of what the client said and you expressed it back to them in different words.
Linton:You got it All right, let's try this one.
Stacy:The client says to you I'm not sure how to handle this conflict with my sister. We've been arguing a lot lately and it's really just been getting worse and I don't know what to do. She never listens to me, no matter how hard I try to get her to listen. My parents are always taking her side, so nothing ever changes.
Linton:So let's say that you continue talking about this issue with the client and at the end of the session you say we've discussed your conflict with your sister and how it's escalating, as well as the fact that neither of you are being heard. Your parents always seem to take her side, which has made the situation even more frustrating for you.
Stacy:Okay, so this one pretty clearly to me seems like a summarization. You've got these multiple conversations that you've talked about during the session and ideas that you both discussed, and now you're presenting the client with a really condensed version of all those points.
Linton:Right Using. This is just a really great way to provide closure for the client on all the important topics that you covered during the session.
Stacy:Exactly so, linton. I got the answers right. Is there a prize?
Linton:Yeah, absolutely, but the prize isn't for you, stacey, you're already the prize.
Stacy:Aww, all right. Well, that sounds good to me. Let's go ahead and pay it forward then. So the first person to respond to this post on Facebook outlining the differences between paraphrasing and summarizing, like we've talked about in this episode, is going to get a Zoom call with me and Linton, and we'll answer any questions that you might have as you are studying for your exam.
Linton:Nice.
Stacy:All right. So, to recap, we talked about paraphrasing and summarizing. Paraphrasing is about restating a specific message from the client with slightly different words, while summarizing is about condensing multiple conversations or ideas in order to capture the main points discussed.
Linton:Well, I think that's about all we have for today. Thanks for joining us and make sure to tune in next time, Until we meet again, remember it's in there.
