We usually manage to have our bodily issues treated medically, with no problems whatsoever. However, when it comes to problems related to our mind, we are bound to face a difficult battle. Namely, we know little about our own mind and many things happening inside of our head are a mystery yet to be solved.
Nevertheless, therapeutic communication has shown great effectiveness when it comes to helping people overcome phobias or certain issues in life. Therapeutic communication therapists, therefore, guide people with mental problems back onto the right path, making them overcome their issues with confidence and abundance of will-power.
Definition of Therapeutic Communication
Talking can help people deal with their problems. This factor is the main tool of therapeutic communication. Thus, through communication and support, psychotherapists manage to help people overcome depression, negativity, emptiness or any other discouraging emotions which can interfere with one's existence. The main job of this kind of therapist is to find the exact cause of the problem through guided therapeutic communication and treat it. Therefore, there needs to be a strong bond of trust created between the therapist and the patient.
Therapeutic communication practitioners have an important task ahead of them. They need to remain supportive throughout the treatment, using many skills in order to help people overcome their problems. Also, they need to be non-judgmental and objective, while at the same time having sufficient amount of empathy in order to understand their patients.
Each patient is bound to have his/her own self-defense systems which the therapist needs to bypass or reach through. Moreover, during health care of some patients who have, for example, survived tragic events, ending up in their deformity or debilitation, therapists and staff need to be as positive as possible, encouraging these people and helping them go through this hard stage of life. There are many techniques which can be used for these, and similar purposes.
Therapeutic Communication Techniques
Every therapeutic communication therapist needs to have the following techniques in mind and use them during treatments. Firstly, the patient comes first and deserves your undivided attention and support. So, you need to listen carefully and give positive, supportive feedback, if necessary.
Secondly, a technique called reflecting thoughts can be used. Here, the therapist repeats something that the patients has said, but from a different perspective, providing the patient with a more profound insight.
Thirdly, sharing and encouraging interaction is a crucial technique for this kind of therapy. You need to speak about your own experiences, encouraging the patient to open as well. Once you get enough data through communication, you can use the direct questioning and problem solving technique to analyze the problem and work on the solution.
Finally, the therapist needs to pay attention to certain inconsistencies in the patient's feedback or sharing, since this signifies problems. The patient needs to be motivated towards changing and improving and it is the therapist's job to do this successfully.
- www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/pdf/audience/audienceinsight_culturalinsights.pdf
- www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-communication
- Photo courtesy of United Way London & Middlesex by Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/39345719@N06/3632768458/
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