Difficult conversation skills
Whether online or in person, knowing the right support to call upon is important, but how you respond to the student’s distress in the moment can make a difference too. Having these kinds of conversations doesn’t come easily to everyone. You might be thinking “I might make it worse” or “What if they get upset?” or “I don’t have time for this”. Keeping the following points in mind will help.
- Stay calm – as hard as it can be, when someone is distressed it’s important we offer a calm response. If we become emotional ourselves, the situation is likely to escalate.
- Listen & validate – show you’ve heard what the student has told you by summarising what they’ve said. This also assists in moving towards a conversation about their options because it’s clear you’ve heard the importance of the issue to them.
- Explore options – try not to take control, but work alongside the student to explore their support options. There may be different supports online to in-person and if in doubt contact *Learning Institution* staff line to help with options
Tips for responding online
As well as the skills discussed above there are a few extra things to consider when responding to a distressed student online:
- Reduce the audience – Try to chat with the person individually. Suggest you speak in the ‘sandbox’ or contact students by individual chat or phone.
- Start with strengths and supports – When discussing options, start with the student’s own strengths and supports and then talk about the supports available at *Learning Institution* and beyond.
- When safety is in doubt, ask – Being online it can be hard to know about student safety. If unsure, ask.
- Check in – Before you end a difficult conversation, state the plan for action and set a time to see how they went with that plan. This is particularly important in an online environment as a lack of casual contact may leave you feeling worried.
Whether face to face or online, remember that if you are unsure how to assist the student always contact *Learning Institution* staff line via phone *phone number* or email *email address*. For more information visit *website wellbeing page*.
