Therapeutic Communication Techniques

using silence
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Terms in this set (28)
using silence
Gives the client the opportunity to collect and organize thoughts, to think through a point, or to consider introducing a topic of greater concern than the one being discussed.
accepting
conveys an attitude of reception and regard

"yes, I understand what you said" eye contact, nodding
giving recognition
acknowledging, indicating awareness

"hello mr.jones, I notices that you made a ceramic ash tray in OT"

"I see you made your bed"
offering self
making oneself available

"ill stay with you awhile"

"how are you feeling today?"

"im interested in hearing your thoughts about the group you just attended"
giving broad openings
allows client to select the topic

"what would you like to talk about today"

"is there anything you want to discuss"
offering general leads
encourages client to continue

"go on"

"and after that?"
placing the event in time or sequence
clarifies the relationship of events in time

"what happened first?"

"what happened next?"

"was this before or after..."

"when did this happen?"
making observations
verbalizing what is observed or perceived

"you appear sad today"

"I notice you are pacing a lot"

"I notice when I ask you about suicide you change the subject"
Encouraging description of perceptions
asking client to verbalize what is being perceived

"tell me more about the voice you are hearing"

"what was it that increased your agitation during the group activity"

"are the voices you hear directing you to take some action"
Encouraging comparison
asking client to compare similarities and differences in ideas, experiences, or interpersonal relationships

"was this episode similar to.."

"how does this compare with the time when..."

"what was your response that last time this situation occurred"
restatingThe technique used to let a patient know how you interpreted the message he or she is communicating "you have trouble concentrating" "you are afraid you will fail this new position"reflectinglistening that helps the person speaking hear and think about the words just spoken "what do you think you should do" "so you are feeling angry at your boss"focusingcentering a client's thinking and feelings on the situation causing a problem and assisting the person in choosing the behavior or adjustment to solve the problem "tell me more about this specific point"exploringdelving further into a subject, idea, experience, or relationship "please explain that situation in more detail" "tell me more about that particular situation" "tell me more about those feelings"seeking clarification and validationstriving to explain what is vague and searching for mutual understanding "im not sure I understand. would you please explain" "tell me if my understanding agrees with yours" "do I understand you correctly that you said..."presenting realityclarifying misconceptions that client may be expressing "I understand that the voices seem real to you, but I do not hear any" "I dont see anyone else in the room besides you and me"voicing doubtexpressing uncertainty as to the reality of client's perception "it is difficult to believe that the president would be listening to all your phone calls" "that seems doubtful to me" "I find it hard to believe..."verbalizing the impliedputting into words what client has only implied Pt: "I dont know where to begin" Nurse: "so it feels overwhelming to think about sharing the details of this experience"Attempting to translate words into feelingsputting into words the feelings the client has expressed only indirectly Pt: "im just an empty pit" Nurse: "it sounds like you are feeling hopeless, is that right"formulating a plan of actionstriving to prevent anger or anxiety escalating to unmanageable level when stressor recurs "what could you do differently if you are faced with this situation in the future" "what is one thing you can use to decrease your anxiety instead of using alcohol"verbal communicationVocabulary Denotative and connotative meaning Pacing Intonation Clarity and brevity Timing and relevancenon-verbal communicationappearance, posture, arm position, gait, facial expression, eye contact, gestures, sounds, territoriality, personal space, silencetherapeutic communicationclient centered, purposeful, goal directed, attend to thoughts and needs, express empathy and genuine, obtain information, promote healthy behaviors, create interpersonal relationships, evaluate progress towards goalsElements of a therapeutic relationshiprapport, genuineness, respect, unconditional positive regard, trust be authentic - honestyplanningminimize distractions, provide privacy, identify agreed-outcomes, set priorities, plan enough time for interventionsimplementationspeak to someone more than once during your shift speak to the contact person establish trusting relationship suing empathy, problem solving, and hopeclarifyingrestate, reflect, paraphrase, explore promote converstation go after the EMOTION of the statementbarriersprobing, personal opinions, false reassurance, minimize feelings, changing the topic, asking why questions, giving approval, excessive questioning, value judgements