Family counseling is a powerful modality for working with parents and children on a myriad of issues. Many families enter counseling with ineffective communication patterns. A common ineffective pattern counselors may encounter includes an over-talker who monopolizes the limited amount of airtime each session. The counselor must have a variety of techniques that could assist the family in redistributing airtime as equitable airtime is beneficial to the family in achieving counseling goals. This article provides five varied techniques for assisting the counselor in structuring the session to equity of airtime while also increasing awareness of communication patterns between family members.

Keywords: monopolizers, family counseling, airtime, techniques