Therapeutic Communication Techniques
To encourage the expression of feelings and ideas
Active Listening– Being attentive to what the client is saying,
verbally and non-verbally. Sit facing the client, open posture, lean
toward the client, eye contact, and relax.
Sharing Observations– Making observations by commenting on
how the other person looks, sounds, or acts. Example:” you look
tired” or “I haven’t seen you eating anything today”.
Sharing Empathy– The ability to understand and accept another
person’s reality, to accurately perceive feelings, and to communicate
understanding. Example “It must be very frustrating to know what
you want and not be able to do it”.
Sharing Hope– Communicating a “sense of possibility” to others.
Encouragement when appropriate and positive feedback. Example “I
believe you will find a way to face your situation, because I have seen
your courage in the past”.
Sharing Humor– Contributes to feelings of togetherness, closeness
and friendliness. Promotes positive communication in the following
ways; prevention, perception, perspective.
Sharing Feelings– Nurses can help clients express emotions by
making observations, acknowledging feelings, and encouraging
communication, giving permission to express “negative” feelings and
modeling healthy anger.
Using Touch– Most potent form of communication. Comfort touch
such as holding a hand, is especially important for vulnerable clients
who are experiencing severe illness.
Silence– Time for the nurse and client to observe one another, sort
out feelings, think of how to say things, and consider what has been
verbally communicated. The nurse should allow the client to break
the silence.
, Providing Information– Relevant information is important to make
decisions, experience less anxiety, and feel safe and secure.
Example “Susie is getting an echocardiogram right now which is a
test that uses painless sound waves to create a moving picture of her
heart structures and valves and should tell us what is causing her
murmur”.
Clarifying– To check whether understanding is accurate, or to better
understand, the nurse restates an unclear or ambiguous message to
clarify the sender’s meaning. “I’m not sure I understand what you
mean by ‘sicker than usual’, what is different now?”
Focusing– Taking notice of a single idea expressed or even a single
word. An example is “On a scale of 0 to 10 tell me the level of the
pain you are experiencing in your great toe right now.”
Paraphrasing– Restating another’s message more briefly using
one’s own words. It consists of repeating in fewer and fresher words
the essential ideas of the client. For example the client says “I can’t
focus. My mind keeps wandering.” The student nurse says,” You’re
having difficulty concentrating?”
Asking Relevant Questions– To seek information needed for
decision making. Asking only one question at a time and fully
exploring one topic before moving to another area. Open-ended
questions allows for taking the conversational lead and introducing
pertinent information about a topic. For example “What is your
biggest problem at the moment?” or “How has your pain affected your
life at home?”
Summarizing– Pulls together information for documentation. Gives a
client a sense you understand. It is a concise review of key aspects of
an interaction. Summarizing brings a sense of closure. Example “It is
my understanding that your arm pain is a level 1 since you’ve taken a
Vicodin one hour ago. Taking your pain medication before physical
therapy seems to help you complete the activities the doctor wants
you to do for your rehabilitation. Is this correct?” Client responds “Yes
It really helps to take the medicine before I do my physical therapy
because it helps reduce the pain in my arm.”
To encourage the expression of feelings and ideas
Active Listening– Being attentive to what the client is saying,
verbally and non-verbally. Sit facing the client, open posture, lean
toward the client, eye contact, and relax.
Sharing Observations– Making observations by commenting on
how the other person looks, sounds, or acts. Example:” you look
tired” or “I haven’t seen you eating anything today”.
Sharing Empathy– The ability to understand and accept another
person’s reality, to accurately perceive feelings, and to communicate
understanding. Example “It must be very frustrating to know what
you want and not be able to do it”.
Sharing Hope– Communicating a “sense of possibility” to others.
Encouragement when appropriate and positive feedback. Example “I
believe you will find a way to face your situation, because I have seen
your courage in the past”.
Sharing Humor– Contributes to feelings of togetherness, closeness
and friendliness. Promotes positive communication in the following
ways; prevention, perception, perspective.
Sharing Feelings– Nurses can help clients express emotions by
making observations, acknowledging feelings, and encouraging
communication, giving permission to express “negative” feelings and
modeling healthy anger.
Using Touch– Most potent form of communication. Comfort touch
such as holding a hand, is especially important for vulnerable clients
who are experiencing severe illness.
Silence– Time for the nurse and client to observe one another, sort
out feelings, think of how to say things, and consider what has been
verbally communicated. The nurse should allow the client to break
the silence.
, Providing Information– Relevant information is important to make
decisions, experience less anxiety, and feel safe and secure.
Example “Susie is getting an echocardiogram right now which is a
test that uses painless sound waves to create a moving picture of her
heart structures and valves and should tell us what is causing her
murmur”.
Clarifying– To check whether understanding is accurate, or to better
understand, the nurse restates an unclear or ambiguous message to
clarify the sender’s meaning. “I’m not sure I understand what you
mean by ‘sicker than usual’, what is different now?”
Focusing– Taking notice of a single idea expressed or even a single
word. An example is “On a scale of 0 to 10 tell me the level of the
pain you are experiencing in your great toe right now.”
Paraphrasing– Restating another’s message more briefly using
one’s own words. It consists of repeating in fewer and fresher words
the essential ideas of the client. For example the client says “I can’t
focus. My mind keeps wandering.” The student nurse says,” You’re
having difficulty concentrating?”
Asking Relevant Questions– To seek information needed for
decision making. Asking only one question at a time and fully
exploring one topic before moving to another area. Open-ended
questions allows for taking the conversational lead and introducing
pertinent information about a topic. For example “What is your
biggest problem at the moment?” or “How has your pain affected your
life at home?”
Summarizing– Pulls together information for documentation. Gives a
client a sense you understand. It is a concise review of key aspects of
an interaction. Summarizing brings a sense of closure. Example “It is
my understanding that your arm pain is a level 1 since you’ve taken a
Vicodin one hour ago. Taking your pain medication before physical
therapy seems to help you complete the activities the doctor wants
you to do for your rehabilitation. Is this correct?” Client responds “Yes
It really helps to take the medicine before I do my physical therapy
because it helps reduce the pain in my arm.”
