Relationship Management Reflection: Therapeutic Communication

Relationship Management Reflection: The communication started with an informal pattern, which consisted mostly on a simple, open and straightforward communication style were the client incorporate the use of visual and kinesthetic modalities. However, I was able to identify the client’s job as a significant stressor affecting the client condition and diagnosis of depression. Also, first degree biological relatives were identified (father and sister) which increase the chance of the client for developing depression in reference to the population pool. After reading and exanimating the interactions with the client, I feel I fail to carry a therapeutic communication. For example line 4, 5 and 6 evoke a simple paraphrasing of the client
statements instead of being more empathetic toward the client thoughts and feelings. Plus, I wait too long to address safety and delayed asking about suicide to the client until almost the end of our interaction (line 7). It is clear that I need to work on the anxiety that asking about suicide cause me and focus on the importance of keeping clients safe. Also, I did not ask the client about his medication or his knowledge about side effects or his compliance following doctor orders even when I do understand the important role that pharmacology plays on helping clients to stabilized their diagnosis; therefore, I need to be careful to address the major points of patient centered care promptly in case I run out of time interacting with a client. Regarding to the reflection of the client responses, it is clear the client main stressor (his job) is still keeping the client on his toes even after the development and reinforcement of coping skills emphasize during his staying at the milieu. However, I think spending more time with the client could allow to the development of trust and facilitate assessing the client perception of the problem or stressor.
Self-Management Reflection: During this interaction, I wanted to be genuine to the client by being present and actively listening to the client statements so I wanted to put my nervousness, concerns, bias and judgements to the side and just focus on identifying client’s concerns.
For example, I waited to have a moment alone with the client to avoid distraction and provide privacy before I asked more direct question: “It sounds like you are very happy of going home. Please, tell me what you miss the most from home?” (line 2) and “Can you explain to me, what you mean by being out of the balloon?”(Line 4), I asked the question because I wanted to get a better sense of the client statement instead of assuming what the client really mean. Also, I was genuinely trying to understand the client diagnosis by asking the client “Can you tell me what brought you here? (Line 5) and be able to identify what troubles the client. On the other hand, the statement “I am sorry to hear you also have concerns about going home. Can you please tell me more about your worries? (I want to be sincere and present for the client, but I was honestly nervous about addressing the client’s feelings and concerns).” (Line 3), this line indicated my lack of confidence. Finally, I can honestly state that I feel there is so much that I need to learn in order to be a genuine communicator because I still find myself trying to arrange my ideas in the look for a better way to help the client so I understand I cannot be a hundred
percent present listening to the client if my mind keeps wondering around for a possible best answer. Therefore, I feel there is still a lot for me to learn about therapeutic communication and I hope that practice will provide me the confidence and efficiently needed to be honestly empathetic.