Therapeutic Communication Skills Flashcards

A client becomes verbally aggressive during a session. The BHT's FIRST response should be to:

Answer: Remain calm, use a low tone, and de-escalate

De-escalation using a calm, low tone helps reduce the client's agitation and maintains safety without escalating the situation.

The term 'therapeutic alliance' refers to:

Answer: The collaborative, trusting relationship between client and helper

Therapeutic alliance is the quality of the collaborative bond between client and clinician and is strongly linked to positive treatment outcomes.

When a BHT provides psychoeducation, they should ALWAYS:

Answer: Check the client's understanding after presenting information

Verifying understanding ensures that psychoeducation is actually absorbed and can guide the client's behavior and decisions.

A client with a history of trauma becomes hypervigilant when a new BHT enters the room. The BEST initial therapeutic communication approach is:

Answer: Introduce yourself calmly, move slowly, and give the client control over pace

Trauma-informed communication prioritizes safety, transparency, and client control, especially during introductions with unfamiliar staff.

Paraphrasing differs from restating in that paraphrasing:

Answer: Reframes the client's message in the BHT's own words

Paraphrasing rephrases the client's message using different words to demonstrate understanding, while restating uses the client's own words.

A BHT who maintains appropriate professional boundaries with clients is MOST likely to:

Answer: Build a consistent, safe therapeutic environment

Clear professional boundaries create predictability and safety, which are prerequisites for effective therapeutic work.

When a BHT observes a discrepancy between what a client says and what they do, the therapeutic skill used to address this respectfully is:

Answer: Confrontation

Confrontation in therapy gently highlights contradictions between a client's words, feelings, or behaviors to promote self-awareness.