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What is the best way to help patients feel more comfortable opening up??
As someone who's seen a few psychologists growing up, I've noticed how difficult it is for psychologists to be able to help patients if the patients aren't comfortable or don't feel safe enough to want to be helped, or provide enough information to be able to be helped adequately enough
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2 answers
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Gena’s Answer
Hi Chloe,
Great question!
I think the best way a psychologist/ therapist can help clients feel comfortable is to welcome whatever the client brings, both verbally and non verbally. If a client is closed off and not very talkative that is already communicating something to the therapist. A therapist should see nonverbals as an equally, if not more important, form of communication to verbal. It’s also important for the therapist themself to be ok with discomfort and with a client’s skepticism, reluctance, inhibition, feeling closed off etc. It’s all part of therapy and all something for the therapist and client to be curious about and respectful of. A therapist should also let the client know that they understand and respect the client’s own pace. Regular sessions are also crucial in allowing a sense of safety to gradually build up.
A really important skill for the therapist is to tune into the client’s emotional world. If a therapist is tuned in they will pick up the client’s discomfort and attempt to gently put this into words. eg ‘maybe it’s hard to know what to say’, ‘maybe it will take some time to get used to therapy’, ‘there is no hurry here, we have time’, ‘I can help you find the words if you are stuck and you just let me know if I get it wrong’. Competent therapists won’t say these things as gospel though, they will offer their observations and pay close attention to the client’s cues to see if what they have said has landed. If it doesn’t the therapist is happy to be corrected. While therapists are cautious not to put words in the clients mouth, it is their job to help find the words for the client’s experience and to welcome the clients input on this. Therapy is a collaboration but the therapist can take the lead a bit and take the responsibility on their shoulders if the client is feeling shut down/ having trouble talking. The full responsibility is not on the client to know what to say.
I hope this answer has been of use and I also hope you can one day find a therapist you can feel comfortable with or one who can be of assistance to you even if you don’t feel comfortable, if you haven’t already.
Gena
Great question!
I think the best way a psychologist/ therapist can help clients feel comfortable is to welcome whatever the client brings, both verbally and non verbally. If a client is closed off and not very talkative that is already communicating something to the therapist. A therapist should see nonverbals as an equally, if not more important, form of communication to verbal. It’s also important for the therapist themself to be ok with discomfort and with a client’s skepticism, reluctance, inhibition, feeling closed off etc. It’s all part of therapy and all something for the therapist and client to be curious about and respectful of. A therapist should also let the client know that they understand and respect the client’s own pace. Regular sessions are also crucial in allowing a sense of safety to gradually build up.
A really important skill for the therapist is to tune into the client’s emotional world. If a therapist is tuned in they will pick up the client’s discomfort and attempt to gently put this into words. eg ‘maybe it’s hard to know what to say’, ‘maybe it will take some time to get used to therapy’, ‘there is no hurry here, we have time’, ‘I can help you find the words if you are stuck and you just let me know if I get it wrong’. Competent therapists won’t say these things as gospel though, they will offer their observations and pay close attention to the client’s cues to see if what they have said has landed. If it doesn’t the therapist is happy to be corrected. While therapists are cautious not to put words in the clients mouth, it is their job to help find the words for the client’s experience and to welcome the clients input on this. Therapy is a collaboration but the therapist can take the lead a bit and take the responsibility on their shoulders if the client is feeling shut down/ having trouble talking. The full responsibility is not on the client to know what to say.
I hope this answer has been of use and I also hope you can one day find a therapist you can feel comfortable with or one who can be of assistance to you even if you don’t feel comfortable, if you haven’t already.
Gena
Thank you so much, Gena!
Chloe
Updated
Hwal’s Answer
Hi Chloe,
I see the other poster has shared several tips. I'm a family medicine PA and was a registered mental health counsellor before studying medicine, so let me add another tip from my perspective. I find it important and helpful (for both the patient and me) to remain open to the possibility that I may not be the best person to help the patient, and if this is the case, it might be in the patient's best interest for me to connect the patient to a colleague or professional who I believe would be a better fit for the patient.
In any case, I would offer the patient a non-judgemental space to share their concern(s), regardless of what, when, and however much they are ready to share.
I hope this is helpful.
Hwal
I see the other poster has shared several tips. I'm a family medicine PA and was a registered mental health counsellor before studying medicine, so let me add another tip from my perspective. I find it important and helpful (for both the patient and me) to remain open to the possibility that I may not be the best person to help the patient, and if this is the case, it might be in the patient's best interest for me to connect the patient to a colleague or professional who I believe would be a better fit for the patient.
In any case, I would offer the patient a non-judgemental space to share their concern(s), regardless of what, when, and however much they are ready to share.
I hope this is helpful.
Hwal