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February 20, 2009

Therapeutic Communication

We had our second lecture on Communication this morning. This lecture regarded therapeutic communication which is a specific type of communication designed to help someone overcome stress, anxiety, fear or some other emotional experience that causes stress.

We examined barriers to communication such as the language we use (jargon or slang), carelessness with choosing our words (all casualness is gone with therapeutic communication), and a person's inability/unwillingness to listen (because what someone is saying may be uncomfortable to hear). The inability to communicate therapeutically prevents us from helping a person in crisis. Conversely, effective communication can actually help people heal.

However, getting past all of the barriers to communication and actually getting to authentic self expression does not ensure everything is right with the world. Myths exist regarding what to expect once we have communicated effectively:
1) others will like what I have to say, and do what I ask.
2) saying something assertively will mean others perceive me as assertive.
3) assertive communication should be utilized with every situation.
4) one assertive statement will turn a relationship around.

Unfortunately, none of these things is true. However, even if the conversation doesn't go the way we hoped, we can take comfort in the fact that we communicated in the most effective and professional manner possible.

By the way, these skills are not in-born, they are learned.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at February 20, 2009 4:09 PM