1. Jhpiego in partnership with Save the Children, Constella Futures, The Academy for Educational Development, The American College of Nurse-Midwives and IMA World Health Session 4 How to Be a Good Counselor Counseling Couples and Men

2. 2 Counseling: Key points  Earn the family’s trust  Use a private, quiet place  Talk together to help the mother make up her own mind  Let go of your own beliefs and feelings when counseling

3. 3 Counseling: Key points (cont.)  Use active listening  Use silence  Use open questions (not ones that can be answered “yes” or “no”)  Use simple words as well as pictures and objects to explain

4. 4 Counseling: Key points (cont.)  Repeat back what you think you hear  Encourage the mother to ask any questions she might have  Respect mother’s/family’s rights and beliefs

5. 5 Counseling: Key points (cont.)  Give only needed guidance  Give correct information  Give praise and encouragement

6. 6 Two role plays  Now we will have some role plays

7. 7 Counseling men and couples Photo credit: Angela Nash Mercado

8. 8 REMEMBER  Important to counsel the couple together so both understand and agree on a FP method.  The CHW must feel comfortable in front of men about PPFP and the subject of sex.  The CHW can use her counseling skills to help make it easier for couples to talk about the uneasy subject of sex and PPFP.  A couple’s early knowledge of PPFP can help prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

9. 9 What are we learning?  Today you learned the important ways to counsel women/couples so they can trust you and understand you.  Tomorrow you will learn the messages and how to discuss them so mothers can space their pregnancies.