1. Therapeutic Communication
Interactive Reasoning

2. Communication in General

3. Tools of the Trade
Body Language
Listening
Questions
Leads & Responses

4. Body Language Relax! Smile Arms open Mirror the client
Good eye contact
Sit STILL!!

5. Affect
Allow your affect to reflect your response, but avoid judging, disgust, shock!

6. Listening Goals Self-perception Perception of others
Perception of how others view them
Main concerns
Perception of therapy
Goals
Defenses and coping
Values

7. Questions?
Implies authority to ask questions and that you will have a solution!
Will this inhibit the flow?

8. Open ended Questions You felt great after the game, didn’t you?
You don’t seem yourself today. Anything wrong?
Do you want to learn transfers?
Do you like school?
Your little sister is adorable, isn’t she?
Don’t you think this is a great idea?

9. Indirect Questions How do you like your new job? vs.
I wonder what you think of your new job.
How does the new splint feel?
What are you feeling right now?
How did that make you feel?

10. One at a time please Do you want to come tomorrow or the next day?
How are those exercise working for you? Have you had any pain?
How will you handle to ride to work and the steps up to your office?

11. When to ask questions Confused, need clarification
So you are saying that if is hard to move in the morning, is that right?
Need specific information
What makes the pain worse?
Guide the conversation
What gets in the way of getting what you want done in the morning?

12. Verbal Tools Reflecting & paraphrasing Clarifying Minimal encouragers
What do I say next?! What do I say next?! Think, Think, Aggh, I can’t think of anything!
Reflecting & paraphrasing
Clarifying
Minimal encouragers
Summarizing
Linking
Self- disclosure

13. Simple Responses Silence! Mmmm (minimal encourager) Restatement
Clarification

14. Higher level responses
Reflection- provide a mirror to attitudes and feelings
“Because I’m a no good drunk, I wasn’t there for my kids.”
“I don’t belong here, everyone here is crazy.”
“I can’t work, I just don’t get along with people. They always pick on me.”

15. Leads Interpretation Proceed with caution! State as tentative
Only when the client is about to realize it themselves
“You find it hard to think of yourself as disabled in some way”

16. Ok but not too much Encouragement- can be patronizing
Better: provide structured tasks that naturally reward
Reassurance- only tell the truth, sometimes a hug is better
Suggestions- only as options, never tell them what to do. Avoid the yes, but syndrome

17. Never use Advice Urging Moralizing Criticism Direct disagreement
Denial or disbelief
Demand or blackmail

18. What is the single most important tool that students forget to use?
SILENCE!

19. Interrogation vs. Interview
Open ended questions
Allow for silence
Avoid interrupting client
Client talks more than you
Avoid jargon
Don’t write everything down!