Which therapeutic communication technique involves repeating what the patient says to confirm understanding?

Which therapeutic communication technique involves repeating what the patient says to confirm understanding?

• A. Facilitation
• B. Empathy
• C. Reflection
• D. Clarification

Answer: (C)

Reflective listening is the technique used when you restate or paraphrase what the patient has said to confirm you understood correctly. By echoing the patient’s words (and sometimes the underlying feelings), you demonstrate that you’re actively listening, which helps reduce miscommunication and encourages the patient to elaborate. This approach also gives the patient a clear opportunity to correct any misinterpretation. This differs from facilitating, which aims to encourage the patient to keep talking with prompts like open-ended questions; empathy, which centers on recognizing and validating the patient’s feelings; and clarification, which seeks to remove ambiguity by asking for specifics. Therefore, repeating the patient’s words to confirm understanding is a reflection of reflective listening.

Reflective listening is the technique used when you restate or paraphrase what the patient has said to confirm you understood correctly. By echoing the patient’s words (and sometimes the underlying feelings), you demonstrate that you’re actively listening, which helps reduce miscommunication and encourages the patient to elaborate. This approach also gives the patient a clear opportunity to correct any misinterpretation.

This differs from facilitating, which aims to encourage the patient to keep talking with prompts like open-ended questions; empathy, which centers on recognizing and validating the patient’s feelings; and clarification, which seeks to remove ambiguity by asking for specifics. Therefore, repeating the patient’s words to confirm understanding is a reflection of reflective listening.