ABSTRACT
This chapter begins the process of learning active listening skills. Fornovice therapists, the most important person to study is Carl Rogers. Rogers is most known for proposing that therapists must enact three core conditions: therapist congruence, unconditional positive regard, and accurate empathic understanding. Throughout the course of therapy, and each individual session, therapist and client may traverse many rooms. A door opener is an inquiry to begin to explore one client issue/concern. A door opener can be generic or specific. A generic door opener allows the client to open the door that is most pertinent for them in the moment. Specific door openers use previous knowledge or current client behaviors to focus on specific rooms and issues. Once a door is opened into a client issue, the therapist doesn't need to do much to keep that conversation going. To do so, therapists use minimal encouragers—statements or behaviors that send a message to the client to keep talking.
