Online Relationships And Communication Counselling Course

There are many and varied reasons why relationships breakdown and irreconcilable differences is one of them. This occurs when two people differ in their beliefs and values and neither are willing to accept that the other person holds a different viewpoint. While agreeing to disagree would be a type of win-win in this situation, the way in which the difference is communicated and hence managed is often destructive. For example, one may continue to force the other to accept their position, through verbal attacks, or may give the ‘silent treatment’, not speaking to the other. When communication subsides into physical, verbal or emotional abuse (name calling, personal attacks, hitting, yelling, punching, pushing, verbal tirades, destroying personal items), the relationship is most often irretrievable. In fact, research has shown that once a poor or destructive communication cycle is established, it is rare that a reversal can take place as quite often, respect and trust is diminished to very low levels, and may take years of learning new skills to rebuild.

Increase your understanding of the role communication plays in creating, maintaining or destroying relationships, and develop your ability to assist others to improve their communication in relationships.

There are 6 lessons in this course:

1. Communication in Emerging Relationships
   • Introduction
   • Problems in relationships
   • Stages in relationships
   • Interpersonal communication
   • The communication process
   • Principles of communication
   • Communication filtered through perceptions
   • Verbal communication
   • Non verbal communication
   • Communication responsibility
   • Ineffective communication
   • Signs of relationship breakdownEffective communication
   • Abuse and violence in relationships
2. Self-Awareness and Communication Goals
   • Introduction
   • Negative communication
   • Self awareness
   • Setting the stage for change
   • Good communication is thoughtful
   • Intent
   • Awareness
   • Recognising reactive patterns
   • Relationship goals
3. Communication Patterns in Relationships
   • Negative patterns of communication
   • Aggressive patterns
   • Victim patterns
   • Avoidance patterns
   • Thought, feeling and action cycle
   • Thoughts and feelings differentiated
   • Emotions (feelings)
   • Patterns of thought
   • Behaviour (Actions)
   • Action skills
   • Communicating intent
4. Influences on Relating Behaviour and PBL.
   • Influences on communication
   • Environmental influences; family, culture, social, other
   • Global factors
   • Communicating and changing interpersonal needs
   • Changing expectations and needs
   • Adult psychological development
   • Erikson's psycho social stages
   • PBL to create and plan a counselling intervention for a couple who are experiencing relationship difficulties.
5. Communication Techniques and Skills
   • Introduction
   • Triads
   • Listening
   • Paraphrasing
   • Reflective responses; emotions
   • Reflective responses; content
   • Guidelines to prevent inauthentic listening
   • Open questions
   • Message statements or requests
   • Self disclosure
   • Encouraging clients to learn communication
6. Maintaining Relationships
   • Introduction
   • Kinds of, and stages in relationships
   • Factors to help maintain relationships
   • Agreements or contracts
   • Praise and gifts for service
   • Relationship nurturing communication
   • Straight talk

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims:

• Explore the establishment of positive communication in emergent relationships and the various factors that influence relational processes;
• Examine perceptions of ourselves and how this affects our communication and influences our communication goals;
• To identify and examine patterns of communication in close relationships and consider the functions of thoughts, feelings and actions and how they inform our communication responses;
• Recognise the role of third party influences when communicating in relationships and the changing needs in a persons lifetime that affect their communication;
• Listen with improved empathy and respond accordingly;
• To understand constructive and destructive methods of maintaining relationships.

For more information on this course, please request your free course information pack.