Title: Steps in counselling
Course: Level 3 - Family Planning > Section: Family planning counselling

REDI are a useful memory aid to help us to remember the essential steps in the counselling process and to add structure to complex activity. It can be adapted to meet each client's needs.

Many steps in REDI and GATHER overlap. Rapport building corresponds to Greet, with elements of Ask/Assess. Exploration incorporates Ask/Assess and Tell. Decision making includes the Help step and also features of Ask/Assess and Tell. Implementing the decision includes Help, Explain, and Return Visit

Phases and Steps of REDI

- R= Rapport building.
- E= Exploration.
- D= Decision making.
- I= Implementing the decision.

Step 1. Rapport Building

- Greet the client with respect.
- Make an introduction.
- Assure the confidentiality and privacy.
- Explain the need to discuss sensitive and personal issues.

Step 2: Exploration

Explore in depth the client's reason for the visit:

For new clients:

- Explore client's future RH-related plans, current situation, and past experience.
- Explore client's reproductive history and goals, while explaining healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy.
- Explore issues related to sexuality.
- Explore client's history of STIs, including HIV.
- Explain STI risk and dual protection, and help the client perceive his or her risk for contracting and transmitting STIs.
- Focus your discussion on the method(s) of interest to the client: discuss the client's preferred method, if any, or relevant FP options if no method is preferred, give information as needed, and correct misconceptions.
- Rule out pregnancy and explore factors related to monthly bleeding, any recent pregnancy and medical conditions.

For returning clients:

- Explore the client's satisfaction with the current method used. Confirm if clients were given all the options while they made the decision. If not, tell all the available options.
- Confirm correct method use.
- Ask the client about changes in his or her life (i.e., plans about having children, STI risk and status,
- For dissatisfied clients only: explore the reasons for the client's dissatisfaction or the problems, including the issue, causes, and possible solutions such as switching methods as well as other options.

Step 3: Decision-Making

- Identify the decisions the client needs to confirm or make (for satisfied clients, check if the client needs other services.
- Explore relevant options for each decision.
- Help the client weighs the benefits, disadvantages, and consequences of each option.
- Encourage the client to make his or her decision.

Step 4: Implementing the Decision

- Assist the client in making a concrete and specific plan for carrying out the decision(s) (obtaining and using the FP method chosen, risk reduction for STIs, dual protection, and so on).
- Have the client develop skills to use his or her preferred method and condom.
- Identify barriers that the client might face in implementing his or her decision.
- Develop strategies to overcome the barriers.
- Make a plan for follow-up and/or provide referrals as needed.