Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process Practice-Based Skills, Second Edition

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Instructor Note

• This exercise could be done as part of a journal, as a small reflection paper, or
  verbally with a dyad partner.


• Students should be encouraged to choose examples carefully so they do not inad-
  vertently disclose more than they intended.

Exercise 2

Using the following list of feeling words, generate four or five synonyms for each:

Happy Anxious Embarrassed

Sad Uncertain Withdrawn

Angry Responsible Hopeless

Scared Reluctant Rejected

Confused Torn Uncomfortable

Example Interested: curious, engaged, involved, invested

Exercise 3

Using the following list of mild intensity feeling words, generate feelings that are at
the moderate and strong intensity levels for each one.

Mild intensity Moderate intensity Strong intensity

Confused

Sorry

Nervous

Dissatisfied

Hesitant

Uncomfortable

Irritated

Glad

Example Mild = puzzled; moderate = surprised; strong = amazed.

Exercise 4

Use the following patient description to construct a dialogue between the genetic
counselor and the patient in which the genetic counselor uses only primary empathy
responses. Formulate eight patient statements and eight counselor statements. [Hint:

4 Listening to Patients: Primary Empathy Skills