MM Chapter 08: Professional Communication

Chapter 1 described the increasing public interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This has led to a more integrated healthcare system in which healthcare professionals form alliances to better support clients in achieving wellness goals. Physicians, naturopathic doctors, herbalists, midwives, physical therapists, chiropractors, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners, acupuncturists, nutritional experts, fitness trainers, and […]

Assertive people communicate their ideas, values, opinions, and feelings in an appropriate, direct manner, without encroaching on other people. Communicating assertively (rather than passively or aggressively) is an important skill, especially when working with clients. Assertive communication is clear, direct, and honest and carries minimal emotional overtones. In contrast, submissive communication involves hints of inadequacy,

All the core communication skills described so far in this chapter are involved in therapists’ interactions with their clients. Clients respond to therapists who treat them as equals, speak to them honestly, and include them in the planning process. Therapists must also practice being responsive to clients’ needs. For example, making a client wait for

Just as good listening skills are important, so too are good speaking skills. All people can benefit from learning how to speak their truth directly with good body language and vocal control. As a professional massage therapist, you can use these interpersonal skills to better communicate your policies and regulations to clients, to establish solid

Active listening involves encouraging the sharing of information, gathering the information conveyed by another person, interpreting and understanding the information, reflecting the information back to the sharer, and remembering what is said. Passive listening refers to a state in which you are awake, and your ears are working properly but are not fully involved in

Is someone sharing too much and not allowing others in the group to express their ideas? Is someone sharing too little and not contributing because of anxiety or resentment? Is the environment conducive to a comfortable exchange? Active communication requires give and take as well as attentiveness to both one’s own needs and other people’s

Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand another person’s feelings and difficulties. People who are empathetic for others can “live in their skin,” “stand in their shoes,” “see through their eyes,” and “feel their emotions.”  Empathic people are nonjudgmental, open-minded, and understanding because they can see the situation from the other person’s point

Sometimes, people feel downhearted about some aspect of themselves or their lives because they haven’t lived up to their own expectations. It is natural to want to reassure a friend, loved one, or client, but sometimes reassurance becomes a communication blocker. For example, Kathy failed her anatomy exam and shared her feelings with Saskia. She

Popular psychology and self-help books lead some people to fall into pseudo-psychoanalysis, which blocks honest and open communication. Someone psychoanalyzing generally breaks into conversations to say things like, “You seem really defensive right now, so take a deep breath—you need to breathe!” or “Your lateness was a sign of your hostility toward your client—perhaps you

Sometimes things happen to people that seem unfair. People who equalize always try to see the bright side of a situation to balance out anything negative with a positive. While there is nothing wrong with cultivating a positive attitude to life’s ups and downs, this can block communication when it doesn’t allow the person who