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Remember, non-directive responding is very much like Stage 1-Rapport building, with active use of reflection, open-ended questions, ear contact, trust-building. Directive responding is used in emergency situations, with active use of emergency assessment, closed-ended questions, and a plan of action.

Decide how you would respond to the following situations. Try to anticipate any problems that might arise in dealing with such issues, including management of your own feelings.

  You receive a call from a young male whose initial comments seem to indicate extreme shyness and sensitivity. He states he feels very awkward around girls and is sexually inexperienced. He asks several informational type questions concerning female sexuality. Gradually you become aware that the caller is breathing more repeatedly and seems distracted. You suspect he is masturbating.

Directive or Non-directive

What would you do?   A 17-year old male, angry with a teacher who he feels humiliated him in front of his classmates, calls to say he's planted a bomb in the high school gymnasium.

Directive or Non-directive

What would you do?   A young girl whose presenting problem is a suspected unwanted pregnancy reveals the father of the baby may be her brother. She refused to give any identifying information.

Directive or Non-directive

What would you do?   A woman calls to say she is certain that her neighbors are physically abusing their children. She is a widow living alone and is fearful of any repercussions if she attempts to intervene by herself or if she reports it to the police.

Directive or Non-directive

What would you do?   The past two calls you have answered have been from the same person—an adult female named Mary who wants to talk about her divorce that happened five years ago. At least one other co-worker on your shift has taken a call today from the same woman. She seems totally uninterested in doing anything about her problems of loneliness and depression but readily agrees to free the line when confronted with the (“Oh, of course—I’m just wasting your time.”) The phone rings again and it is Mary.

Directive or Non-directive   Volunteer Manual/Section 3/REV 07/07/14