example the nature of counseling
Answers
Excellent listening skills mean more than just hearing the client speak. That means you really need to go deep into their words and listen for things that signal danger flags (suicidal or homicidal ideation, for example), or even things they say that are inconsistent (talking about being furious while smiling, etc.). You are listening to what they say and what they don't say. People come to you for things they want to talk about, but it's your job to listen so you can get them to talk about the things that are really at the core of bothering them.
Respect your clients. This ties in directly to being flexible. For example, I am just about as liberal as they come, but some of my patients at the hospital had different opinions and some rude and cruel things to say about people who shared my viewpoints. Guess what? Too bad for me. Because therapy isn't about me. It's about the patient. So you learn in a hurry to not care about what they just said, but to care about why they just said it. Work with the person, and follow them to where they're going with what they're saying, and most of the time, you'll get an understanding of what they're so angry about. Do they feel violated? Diminished? Invalidated? Work with their words and respect their feelings, and you'll earn trust.