• Encoding - put thoughts into words
• Transmitting - sending out the message
• Decoding - Understanding the message
• Barriers - interfering the ability of the listener in hearing the message e.g. background noises, distractions in the environment, or distractions within the persons (such as thoughts)

• Checkouts - seeking clarifications of message (techniques in paraphrasing, reframing)
• Feedback - providing response to the message (on cognitive level or emotional level - including empathetic response)

1. Human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings that the things have for them. (not because they "are" but because they "mean to be" or are defined.).
2. Meaning arises in the process of interaction between people. (Meanings are social products, not intrinsic to the object, nor a simple accretion by the individual's psyche.)
3. Meaning is not automatically applied but modified through self-communicative interpretation process.
4. Meaning of objects (physical, social & abstract) are social creations (meaning of objects for a person arises from how they are defined by to him by others with whom he interacts. (This is a rather extreme position. It is definitely true for social and abstract objects. It is probably only partially true for physical objects.)
5. We see ourselves through the way in which others see or define us.

• I am OK and you are OK - win-win
• I am OK and you are not OK - win-lose
• I am not OK and you are OK - miserable sick role
• I am not OK and you are not OK - pessimism

Three states - Adult, Parent, Child

• Adult state - treating each other as equal
• Parent - I know better and you have to listen
• Child - I am nice and you should treat me better

• Congruence - adult to adult, parent-child
• Dissonance - parent/child to adult, competing for being the parent or the child.

• Testing out behaviours from clients - For most clients, their knowledge of social worker or the social work process is minimal. They do not know how to interact with social workers. Their initial behaviour may just want to test out what the social worker is or whether the social worker is what they initially understand.
• Uncertainty and risk - seeking help (e.g. Counseling) is a high-risk activity for many people. It can also mean a loss of self-esteem. Positive framing of the situation and help clients to identify their strengths as beginning of the process is very important.
• Start where the clients - Do whatever the client is ready or almost ready to do, do not push.
• Aware of cultural difference and difference in frame of reference.
• Presenting problem - clients come with a problem defined in their own ways or problems that are more tangible, such as financial, housing or education problem of their children, etc. Work on the presenting problem as long as it is legitimate.
• Partialization - identify focus of attention, mainly something that can be easily to work on first, starting with success is important. (Concepts of successive approximation and shaping are relevant here)
• Common ground - come to agreement in problem definition and objective. Arriving at service agreement.