DeWayne J. Kurpius

Consultation Interventions Successes, Failures, and Proposals

Intervening with an intervention is to enter into a human or organizational system of relationships for the purpose of making a helpful difference. If done properly, interventions can transform deficits into assets, initiate influence in the proper places, and create a climate for creative problem solving. Selecting the proper intervention is preceded by understanding the problem context, completing an accurate diagnosis, including the assessment of system variables that will support or hinder a given intervention, taking ownership of the problem, and determining consultee client readiness. Intervention failures are caused by too much or too little diagnosis, by setting goals impossible to reach, or by implementing the wrong intervention. In addition, because of the intricacies of selecting and implementing the proper intervention, it is essential that the consultants definition of consultation be articulated to the consultee.

Clinician communication associated with diabetic patients' comprehension of their therapeutic regimen

The purpose of this study was to identify the types of statements used by medical and nursing clinicians in encounters with diabetic outpatients that are associated with accurate comprehension of their therapeutic regimen. Encounters between 19 clinicians and 29 patients followed in an urban diabetes clinic were examined. Statements made by clinicians were classified by trained observers according to an 11-category observation scheme. Immediately after the encounters, each patient was interviewed and asked to recall his or her regimen as just discussed. Recall was verified by review of a videotape of the encounter. By use of multiple discriminant analysis, a combination of three types of statements by clinicians was found to predict high (better than 80%) comprehension by patients: demonstrating respect, sharing current clinical data, and acknowledging patient statements (inversely). Insofar as patient comprehension of the diabetic regimen is a prerequisite for compliance with that regimen, this study suggests that the chances for therapeutic success are increased when the interaction of clinician and patient takes a certain tone. Most importantly, the clinician should be informative. Current laboratory and physical findings should be shared with the patient in order to make more obvious the successes and failures of recent attempts at compliance. As suggested in previous research, this information should have its strongest effect when conveyed in a nonthreatening manner.

Cognitive Flow Model for Training Couples Counselors.

Supervision and training of couples counselors is relatively new in university settings. Counselor training programs have tended to focus on a behavioral approach to what the counselor does in session. On the basis of research, the counselors cognitiveflow (i.e., what they are thinking) during the counseling session seems to be at least as important to the effectiveness of the therapeutic work. This article presents the stages of counselors cognitiveflow based on research along with associated techniques that can be used by supervisors of any theoretical orientation to teach supervisees working with couples to be aware of and modify thezr thought processes in sessions.

Conceptualizing group process consultation as an od intervention

Abstract Group consultation has become an important intervention for the OD consultant. Although most of the basic leadership skills needed for group counseling are the same as those used in group consultation, there is a difference: The purpose of group consulting is to define and solve work-related problems, whereas group counseling tends to focus more on the personal concerns of members. Consequently, the concepts influencing the group consulting process are more social-psychological and organizational in nature. Yet, although the focus is different, many of the common stages of group development occurring in counseling groups also appear during group consultation.