Therapeutic Communication Techniques

The highest-scoring communication answers are almost always open-ended, reflective, and exploratory: "Tell me more about that," "What is that like for you?" or restating the patient's own words back to them. Avoid the classic wrong-answer patterns: asking "why" (which sounds accusatory), giving false reassurance ("everything will be fine"), changing the subject, offering premature advice, or using closed yes/no questions when more information is needed.