Presented by: Mae Caberte

BSN3-3 Group 11
 Therapeutic communication is defined as the
face-to-face process of interacting that
focuses on advancing the physical and
emotional well-being of a patient.  

 The distinguishing aspect of therapeutic

communication is its application to long-term
communication interactions. This kind of
communication has three general
purposes: collecting information to
determine illness, assessing and modifying
behavior, and providing health education.
 Listening is one of the most difficult skills
to master.  It requires you to maintain an
open mind, eliminate both internal and
external noise and distractions, and channel
attention to all verbal and nonverbal
messages.  Listening involves the ability to
recognize pitch and tone of voice, evaluate
vocabulary and choice of words, and
recognize hesitancy or intensity of speech as
part of the total communication attempt.
Therapeutic communication
begins with the nurse showing
respect for the patient and
family members and
recognizing that
communication includes not
only verbal responses but also
nonverbal expressions, such
as tone of voice, body
language and facial
expression. The nurse must
listen and observe carefully
and use communication
techniques that promote
better communication in order
to understand the needs and
feelings of the patient.
 Offering Self
-making self-available and showing interest
and concern.
-“I will walk with you”

 Active listening
-paying close attention to what the patient is
saying by observing both verbal and non-
verbal cues.
-Maintaining eye contact and making verbal
remarks to clarify and encourage further
communication.
 Exploring
-“Tell me more about your son.”

 Giving broad openings

-What do you want to talk about today?

 Silence
-Planned absence of verbal remarks to allow
patient and nurse to think over what is being
discussed and to say more.

 Stating the observed

-verbalizing what is observed in the patient to, for
validation and to encourage discussion
-“You sound angry”
 Summarizing
-reviewing the main points of discussions and
making appropriate conclusions.
-“During this meeting, we discussed about what
you will do when you feel the urge to hurt your
self again and this include…”

 Placing the event in time or sequence

-asking for relationship among events.
-“When do you begin to experience this ticks?
Before or after you entered grade school?”

 Voicing doubt
-voicing uncertainty about the reality of patient’s
statements, perceptions and conclusions.
-“I find it hard to believe…”
 Encouraging descriptions of perceptions
-asking the patients to describe feelings,
perceptions and views of their situations.
-“What are these voices telling you to do?”

 Presenting reality or confronting

-stating what is real and what is not without
arguing with the patient.
 “I am Mae, your nurse, and this is a hospital and
not a beach resort.”

 Seeking clarification
-asking patient to restate, elaborate, or give
examples of ideas or feelings to seek
clarification of what is unclear.
-“I don’t think I understand what you are saying”.
 Verbalizing the implied
-rephrasing patient’s words to highlight an
underlying message to clarify statements.
-Patient: I wont be bothering you anymore soon.
-Nurse: Are you thinking of killing yourself?

 Reflecting
-throwing back the patient’s statement in a form
of question helps the patient identify feelings.

 Restating
-repeating the exact words of patients to remind
them of what they said and to let them know
they are heard.
- Patient: I can’t sleep. I stay awake all night.
- Nurse: You can’t sleep at night?
 General leads
- using neutral expressions to encourage patients to
continue talking.

 Empathy
-recognizing and acknowledging patient’s feelings.

 Focusing
-pursuing a topic until its meaning or importance is
clear.
-“Let us talk more about your best friend in college”

 Interpreting
-providing a view of the meaning or importance of
something.
-Patient: I always take this towel wherever I go.
-Nurse: That towel must always be with you.
 Encouraging evaluation
-asking for patients views of the meaning or
importance of something.

 Giving information
-providing information that will help patients
make better choices.

 Feedback
-pointing out specific behaviors and giving
impressions of reactions.
-“I see you combed your hair today”.

 Reinforcement
-giving feedback on positive behaviors.
“To effectively communicate, we must realize
that we are all different in the way we
perceive the world and use this
understanding as a guide to our
communication with others.”

Anthony Robinns