Made for Counselors
Keep Ownership With the Person: Conversation Language Kit
Also useful for: Mental Health Counselors
Create a practical set of adaptable phrases for challenging counseling conversations. The kit helps you respond in the moment without taking over the person's meaning, choices, or next move.
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Use this when
Use this before a conversation that may involve hesitation, disagreement, sensitive information, competing options, a firm limit, or a decision the person needs to own. You can also use it after a conversation to revise wording that felt unclear, rushed, or too directive.
You'll need
- Conversation situation
- Person's focus
- Conversation purpose
- Person's language
- Uncertainties
- Limits and risk
- Preferred tone
You'll get
- Language for all nine core conversation functions
- Clear identification of what belongs to the person and what belongs to you
- Alternate wording for silence, disagreement, requests for advice, and requests for more time
- Every phrase checked for pressure, assumptions, unclear limits, and unsupported promises
- Knowledge of when ordinary conversation language must give way to an established safety or reporting process.
By the end of this playbook
You will have:
- Language for all nine core conversation functions
- Clear identification of what belongs to the person and what belongs to you
- Alternate wording for silence, disagreement, requests for advice, and requests for more time
- Every phrase checked for pressure, assumptions, unclear limits, and unsupported promises
- Knowledge of when ordinary conversation language must give way to an established safety or reporting process.
Sample
This is sample data, not your prompt. Pro unlocks this higher-stakes Playbook. On Free Playbooks you can still copy the assembled prompt into any AI.
Sample input
Situation: I'm meeting with someone who feels pressured to enroll in a training program chosen by family members. Person's focus: I think the person wants help comparing the program with other options but is worried about disappointing family. Purpose: I want to clarify the choices and help the person name a next step. Person's language: "I don't want to let everyone down" and "I wish someone would just tell me what to do." Uncertainties: The deadline, total cost, and other program options are unclear. Limits and risk: I can help organize questions and resources, but I can't choose or endorse a program. No immediate safety concern is known. Tone: Warm and steady
Sample assembled prompt
OWNERSHIP ANCHOR The person owns: what... I own: keeping the conversation clear,... ASKING PERMISSION "Would it be all... Listen for next: Whether the person... REFLECTING MEANING "Part of you may... Am I understanding that, or is... Listen for next: Correction, stronger priorities,... OFFERING INFORMATION "I have some information... Would that be useful now, or... Listen for next: Permission, refusal, or... HANDLING A REQUEST FOR A DIRECT... Would it help to start with... I can help you compare the... Given those two priorities, what feels...