Therapeutic Communication: Skills and Strategies for Effective Communication

This essay discusses the range of effective communication skills and strategies for therapeutic communication. It explores Egan's skilled helper model and its three stages for determining therapeutic communication skills. The essay also highlights the importance of active listening, empathy, and person-centered approach in developing a strong therapeutic alliance.

Therapeutic Communication
ASSIGNMENT 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ASSIGNMENT 1.............................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Range Of Effective Communication Skills.................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

ASSIGNMENT 1
INTRODUCTION
Therapeutic relationship can be defined as a healing alliance which helps in developing
relationship between health and social care workers and patients. It is beneficial for improving
the communication between therapist and client which leads to improvement in physical and
mental health of patients (Wessel, 2016). There are number of therapeutic communication skills
and strategies which play a significant role in improving the health and well being of patients.
The current essay will discuss different communication skills which are introduced by Egan.
Along with this, assessment of the client’s issues in a person-centered way will be an important
part of this study. Further, essay will discuss the model of Egan for determining therapeutic
communication skills.
Range Of Effective Communication Skills
Gerard Egan has introduced a skilled helper model which is one of the important tools for
counselling and coaching. It is a three stage model and every step consists of specific skills that
are generally used by therapist to help the client to move forward. This approach plays an
important role in encouraging patients to become active interpreters of the world, in analysing
the meaning of situations, actions and events and managing challenges, etc. Along with this, it
also motivates the clients to establish their own goals and for identifying new opportunities (Fan
and Taylor, 2016). On the behalf this model, health and social care worker can develop a strong
therapeutic alliance with patients or clients. Every stage of this model is linked with some
specific skills which can be used by health professionals for maintaining a strong communication
like effective and active listening, empathy, understanding, etc.
As per the above discussed approach, skilled helper needs to have appropriate skills of
effective listening (Anderson and et.al, 2015). It comprises number of skills which can be
determined by the acronym SOLER. S stands for squarely and as per the model, health and social
care workers need to face their clients directly. It helps in increasing the involvement of them
towards patients. Including this, for developing effective communication and alliance, workers
need to pay attention towards the clients as long as possible. Sometimes, desk between patients
and health care professionals may create a psychological barrier which may affect their
communication. Therefore, effective listening skill with squarely communication plays a crucial
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role in promoting therapeutic alliance between patients and professionals (Kuntze, Molen and
Born, 2016).
Similarly, O stands for maintaining open posture with clients. As per the skilled helper
model for effective involvement, professional needs to take open posture because it reflects that
they are interested in interacting with the client. But, on the other hand, as per this model, cross
lags and cross arms diminishes the involvement of person. So, maintaining open posture is one
of the important requirements for showing effective listening skills which help in developing
communication between client and patients (Entwistle and Watt, 2013). On the other hand, L
stands for Lean towards the client. As per the model, helper should lead towards the patients
when it is appropriate. Including this, E stands for Eye contact. So, for making a strong
communication, helper needs to make appropriate eye contact with patients because it is
necessary to convey message and understand the needs of clients. Including this, in the acronym
SOLER, R stands for relaxed. As per the model, health and social care worker needs to try to be
relaxed with patients. It will reduce the hesitation of clients and provide assistance to helper to
determine the needs and requirements of patients (Basic communication skills, 2014).
Along with this, active listening and empathy is also considered as an important skill
which is introduced by the skilled helper model. As per this requirement, helper needs to have
appropriate ability to understand verbal and non-verbal communication. For maintaining
therapeutic communication, HSC workers need to understand the nonverbal communication such
as body language, posture, gesture, expressions and reactions (Nelson, 2016). Similarly, through
active listening skills, individuals can easily apprehend feeling, behavior and experience of
clients or patients. Active listening skill and skilled helper model are highly important for
developing a strong bond between client and the helper.
Active empathy is an ability of understanding the situation of client as per his/her point of
view (Birks, Chapman and Davis, 2015). By using this skill, helper separates his own point of
view to understand the situation and try to comprehend the client’s world. Therefore, it is
appropriate for understanding the circumstances of patients which is beneficial to develop a
suitable strategy to resolve the issues of patients. This skill is required for recognizing the
feelings of patients without having the same emotions. As per this communication skill, health
care professional needs to avoid distracting questions for getting more information. Therefore, by
using this skill, helper can make a strong communication with patients (Shapiro, 2015).
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Skilled helper model includes three major stages which are current scenario, preferred
scenario and action strategies. These stages focus on exploring, understanding and action skills
for having effective communication with the clients. In this, by using exploring skills, helper can
explore the situation of clients and correlate it with person centered approach (Annoni and
Miller, 2016). Therefore, this skill is important for taking decisions as per the situation of
patients. It is also required for developing non-threatening association between client and the
worker. It is effective for identifying the major issues, problems and opportunities as well as
available resources of the helper to resolve difficulties. Generally, client resists in adopting any
new changes in their services but by using the exploring skills, helper can help them to explore
new perspective. First stage of the model includes number of exploring skills such as open ended
questions, focusing, silence empathy, structuring and summarizing (Plumb, 2015). All these
skills are very important to promote therapeutic relationship because after exploring different
things, clients can establish their own priorities and develop appropriate plan for resolving the
issues.
As per the skilled helper model, if health and social care workers have appropriate skills
of understanding then he/she may help their client in exploring options and making selection
decisions from available alternatives. It helps in improving the understanding and decision
making process of clients. For effective communication, helper needs to have different
understanding skills such as self-disclosure, advanced empathy, immediacy, challenging, timing
and pacing as well as analyzing themes and patterns in an effective manner (Moss, 2015).
At last, in stage three, Egan’s model has suggested that acting skill is also required for
maintaining Therapeutic relationship with clients. By using this skill, health and social care
workers can provide an appropriate assistance to the patient by which they can take appropriate
actions as per the goals, objectives and problems. These actions play an important role in
attaining the objectives and resolving their issues (Arnold and Boggs, 2015). For taking
appropriate action, helper needs to have divergent thinking, strong decision making and problem
solving attitude, information of resources, etc. Overall, it can be said that skilled helper model
has reflected exploring, understanding and acting skills which are significant for therapeutic
communication between client and the helper.
Analysis of Egan model has reflected that there are number of skills which need to be
adopted by the helper for developing therapeutic communication with clients. These are effective
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and active listening as well as empathy, exploring, understanding and acting skills. All these
abilities are vital for promoting therapeutic relationship (Birks, Chapman and Davis, 2015).
The current essay also focuses on person centered approach and associated issue for
client. This approach is based on a specific view which states that every client has own internal
resources which are required for their growth and development. Meaning of this approach is that
client is capable enough for their personal growth and potential development. This approach
provides three core conditions which help in maintaining a favorable environment for the client
to grow and accept therapeutic change (Anderson and et.al, 2015). These are unconditional
positive regards, empathetic understanding and congruence. As per the first condition, client can
explore different kinds of emotions which at the same time can be positive and negative without
looking for its risk of acceptance or its rejection. Along with this, as per another condition of this
approach, that is, empathetic understanding, helper is capable enough to understand the feelings
and emotions of client as per the viewpoints of patients. Along with this, congruence means that
the counselor is very professional and honest (Person Centered Therapy, 2015). Therefore, all
these three conditions increase the ability of client to develop and grow in their own way.
Person centered approach is based on some assumptions so, it creates an issue for the
client or patient. It is good in terms of fundamental but it is not utilized for the purpose of
treatment. Along with this, those clients who do not have appropriate level of education are not
capable to understand this approach. Client centered approach creates difficulties for increasing
the problems of dementia patients because they are not capable enough to understand this
approach. Along with this, the way of thinking of clients and health care professionals may be
different and thus, workers can provide different services which are not favorable for clients. As
per their own point of view, it may harm therapeutic communication between the helper and
clients (Shapiro, 2015). Including this, health is one of the important concerns for each and every
individual but sometimes, due to inappropriate knowledge and understanding as well as because
of person concentric approach, clients refuse to take some treatments which may harm their
physical and mental health. So, it is also considered as a major issue for the client (Plumb, 2015).
CONCLUSION
The current essay has concluded that therapeutic relationship is important for improving
physical and mental health of client and their growth and development. Therapeutic
communication plays a significant role in maintaining therapeutic association between client and
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the helper. Egan has introduced skilled helper model for determining different communication
skills for such types of relationship. Essay has disclosed that effective and active listening as
well as empathy, exploring, understanding and acting skills are essential for making therapeutic
communication. Along with this, essay has also disclosed different issues associated with the
person centered approach for clients. Sometimes, it may have a negative impact on therapeutic
communication, that is, between health and social care workers and patients. It is based on some
basic assumptions which can affect the practical application of this type of approach. In addition,
sometimes, it can harm the physical and mental health of clients because they do have
appropriate knowledge and skills to take decisions. Therefore, health care professionals should
avoid using this approach.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Anderson, G. M. and et.al, 2015. Autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms:
toward new therapeutic perspectives. New treatment perspectives in autism spectrum
disorders, p.56.
Annoni, M. and Miller, F. G., 2016. Placebo Effects and the Ethics of Therapeutic
Communication: A Pragmatic Perspective. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal. 26(1). pp.
79-103.
Arnold, E. C. and Boggs, K. U., 2015. Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication
skills for nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Birks, M., Chapman, Y. B. and Davis, J., 2015. Professional and Therapeutic Communication.
Oxford University Press.
Fan, C. W. and Taylor, R. R., 2016. Assessing Therapeutic Communication during
Rehabilitation: The Clinical Assessment of Modes. American Journal of Occupational
Therapy. 70(4). Pp.7004280010p1-7004280010p10.
Kuntze, J., Van Der Molen, H. T. and Born, M. P., 2016. Mastery of communication skills. Does
intelligence matter?. Health Professions Education.
Moss, B., 2015. Communication skills in health and social care. Sage.
Plumb, J., 2015. Therapeutic communication with people experiencing mental
illness. Communicating Quality and Safety in Health Care. p.136.
Shapiro, Y., 2015. Channels of therapeutic communication. Psychoanalytic Dialogues. 25.
pp.124-130.
Wessel, P., 2016. Two-way television enabled therapeutic communication systems and methods.
U.S. Patent 20,160,073,165.
Online
Entwistle, A. V. and Watt, S. I., 2013. Treating Patients as Persons: A Capabilities Approach to
Support Delivery of Person-Centered Care. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746461/ >. [Accessed on 20th September
2016].
Nelson, M. J. P., 2016. An Easy Introduction to Egan’s Skilled Helper Solution Focused
Counselling Approach. [Online]. Available through:
<http://mystrongfamily.co.uk/downloads/PDFs/SFP-EasyIntroToEgan.pdf>. [Accessed on
20th September 2016].
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Person Centred Therapy. 2015. [Online]. Available through: <
http://www.simplypsychology.org/client-centred-therapy.html>. [Accessed on 20th
September 2016].
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