II . A Counseling Skills Experiment As with all new skills , time and practice make a difference . The micro-skills used in counseling are no different . Practicing skills even in social conversation , offers insight into the effects of applying these skills so that you can use them intentionally in counseling . Intentionally use one of this week 's micro-skills ( attending skills , encouragers , reflection of content , or reflection of feelings ) in a social conversation with a friend or co-worker . In 3 or 4 paragraphs describe what happened and identify the impact that using this micro-skill had upon the interaction . Be specific .