Skills for Working with Distressed and Angry clients

This is not training to become a counsellor. Participants develop the skills to provide front line support to clients, in a time efficient way, so that you (and they) can then focus on the task of assessing the situation and providing appropriate legal advice or representation.

Most lawyers and their support staff have encountered times when clients:

• Have a long story to tell and are reluctant to respond to your focused questions
• Are intensely emotional or angry about their circumstances
• Can’t seem to hear the advice you are giving them
• Can’t seem to process their choices in a logical way

Most lawyers have also noticed that there are times when their colleagues or support staff are struggling to cope with the emotional load after listening to distressed clients.

Sometimes, you may also find yourself struggling.

• The neurobiology of the stress response
• What factors impact the rational cognitive capacity of distressed clients
• The accidental counsellor skillset
• How to diffuse escalating levels of anger
• How to respond to threats of self-harm or initiate the conversation when you are concerned about the safety of a client or colleague
• How to identify the signs of burnout or vicarious trauma
• Strategies for self care

Our trainers are experienced counsellors and mediators. We will demonstrate the accidental counsellor skillset using a range of relevant scenarios.

A half-day workshop provides an overview of the theoretical background to the stress response and effective listening and emotional regulation techniques.

A full day workshop provides additional time for course participants to engage in skills practice and receive feedback from experienced practitioners. This ensures that participants can apply theoretical principles to practice and embed the new skills in their future interactions with clients.

A final option of 2 days is also available. This is designed to give staff additional experience with a variety of contexts through additional role-play and coaching scenarios. This additional practice will allow a deeper level of familiarity with the techniques and skills ensuring that these can be employed effectively in daily life.

Call or email the team and we’ll discuss you situation and give you some firm options for delivery.

The course can be held on your site, saving time and costs of travel. Alternatively, the training can be held in one of our modern, air-conditioned venues. Catering can also be organised if needed.

We have trainers ready to deliver this course as early as 2 weeks from the date of enquiry.

One of experienced trainers will come and deliver a training for your team.

You can choose the topic that will best meet your interests/needs from the following:

1) Neurobiology of the stress response
2) Ways to help clients calm themselves down when distressed
3) Rrrresponding to threats of suicide and self-harm
4) Identifying signs of burnout and trauma and how to look after yourself

Certificates of attendance provided.

Price: $345 (plus GST)

• Thorough overview of all content.
• Opportunity for real skills practice with feedback from experienced trainers
• Printed materials provided to all participants
• Can be held in your office or one of our modern, air-conditioned training rooms
• Catering can be provided

Certificates of attendance provided.

Price: $1650 (plus GST)

• Thorough overview of all content.
• Additional, specific content to focus on particular client presentations (e.g. mental health issues, suidal ideation, family violence, child protections issues)
• Extensive role-play scenarios with feedback provided to cement learning
• Printed materials provided to all participants
• Can be held in your office or one of our modern, air-conditioned training rooms
• Catering can be provided

Certificates of attendance provided.

Price: $2650 (plus GST)