OARS communication skills

Open-ended inquiry

The acronym OARS summarizes the technical micro-skills essential to the practice.

The first is the use of Open-Ended Questions. Unlike closed questions that invite "yes" or "no" answers and stop the flow of information, open-ended questions invite narrative and deep exploration.

They allow us to understand the individual's internal perspective. For example, instead of asking "Are you feeling anxious about the new job?", which limits the response, one would ask "How would you describe your emotional experience of this new challenge?".

This cedes control of the conversation to the individual, allowing them to highlight what is important to them and revealing crucial information about their motivations and barriers that a closed-ended questionnaire would never uncover.

Affirmations and recognition of strengths

Affirmations are statements that acknowledge and validate the individual's efforts, strengths and values.

They are not simply empty praise or generic accolades, but specific observations about positive behaviors or inner qualities.

If someone has managed to attend a session despite having severe social anxiety, an effective statement would be, "It took a lot of courage to come today despite the fear you felt; it shows your commitment to yourself."

These interventions build self-efficacy (belief in one's own ability) and strengthen the therapeutic alliance, showing the individual that he or she is viewed with an appreciative gaze and not just a clinical or corrective one.

Reflective Listening and the Art of Summarizing

Reflective Listening and Summarizing are the tools that demonstrate empathy and guide the process.

Reflection involves giving back to the individual what they have said, but processed, to verify understanding and deepen meaning. It can be simple reflection (repeating) or complex (inferring the underlying meaning).

If someone says "I am fed up with everything," a complex reflection would be "You feel you have reached the limit of your strength and need a radical change."

This makes the person feel deeply heard and encourages them to elaborate further.

Summaries, on the other hand, are periodic recollections of what was discussed, used to group ideas, highlight ambivalence or transition to the action plan.

They act as a "bouquet of