Therapeutic Communication Techniques

If you thought that communication was just limited to workspace and day-to-day dealings, you will be surprised to know that communication, today, has been extended for therapeutic use as well, to reinforce nurse-patient relationship. Therapeutic communication technique, medically seen as an ice-breaker between nurse and patient, actually serves to push down the barricade of culture and gender and establish a connection and that helps in dealing with a situation, where empathy is what a patient looks for. While maladies of the body are easy to heal, the complications of mind are never really simple to tackle or deal with. Tacking together pieces of shattered mind needs expert help and here comes in the importance of therapeutic communication. Dealing with setbacks, breakdowns, failures, loss and misery can often send one’s mind down the tunnel, demanding a strong willpower to bounce back to normal self. The challenge of the technique is to help a patient open up and confront his/her concerns and challenges with confidence. Below are mentioned some effective techniques for effective therapeutic communication. Read on to know more.

Techniques & Skills For Therapeutic Communication

It is crucial to ramp up the comfort level between you and your patient before you get on. Lending the person an attentive ear and empathizing with him/her can actually help your patient ease up. It’s essential to exhibit genuine interest and concern for your patients to help them unbolt. Non-verbal gestures such as a healing touch, an understanding nod and something as simple as a sympathizing eye contact, can be extremely motivating.
Reflection is the key to many issues and it is indeed one of the best therapeutic techniques in terms of medical history. You can channelize communication by making your patient ponder or reflect on his own, thoughts, ideas or actions, but in a subtle manner. In this technique, a patient is usually made to reflect about the whole incidence or conversation again, but from another standpoint.
Interaction is one of the key aspects of therapeutic technique. You can easily deal with an emotionally charged moment with a quick and agreeable interaction. But for that you may, at times, need up to open up your own closet to build trust and comfort. Sharing your own experiences can often help break the ice and assist in treatment.
One-to-one interaction is a direct technique that warrants a straightforward interaction between two parties and can help in diagnosis and treatment. The doctor may often dig for facts and information through various questions, thereby arriving at probable diagnosis and possible suggestions. However, this technique may not always work, as with more difficult patients, you need to go more subtly.
Conversation may be the ice-breaker in most cases but in case of therapeutic treatments, it is the passageway for the therapists to delve into the depth of the matter. A therapist should be able to categorize the discrepancies and incongruities of the patient and also make a keen note of all behavioral patterns and habits. Then, he should emphatically convince the patients to change their ways.

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