Communication Skills: A – Ask/Assess
Communication is an essential component of all therapeutic interventions. Good communication skills help in establishing and fostering a therapeutic relationship. The following communication skills are important i.e. Listening, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, Questioning as well as non-verbal communication.
Listening actively means giving your full attention – that is, physically, mentally and emotionally – which needs to be communicated to the person who is talking. Effective listening is therefore a cognitive, behavioural and an affective process.
Listening involves the following:
- providing time for the person to tell his/her story
- offering a quiet and private space, free from distractions to listen to the person
- listening with the purpose of understanding the person’s message
- giving full attention by focusing on what the person is saying
- tuning out external distractions, such as background noises
- tuning out internal distractions, such as thoughts about what to say next.
In the following brief presentation, the important features of effective communication are highlighted.
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Video on communication skills