The Ultimate Consultation Guide
One great SCA consultation, taken apart phase by phase. Click any stage to see the move that earns the marks, the phrasebook that delivers it, and the trap that quietly sinks candidates. Built around the three things examiners actually grade — not a script to recite.
⏱️ Click a phase below — or jump from the timeline above.
🧵 The golden thread that runs through all of it
The structure is the skeleton; the marks live in the connective tissue. Across every phase you are doing three things at once — gathering data, building rapport, and moving toward a shared plan. The strongest candidates weave ICE, cues and safety from the first minute rather than bolting them on as boxes at the end. If a phase ever feels mechanical, you've dropped the thread — come back to the person in front of you.