Honest Conversations: Facing Challenges After a Brain Injury or Stroke
In the world of healthcare, it's important to make sure everyone feels heard and understood. After a stroke or brain injury, people go through different challenges. For some, dealing with emotions and thoughts is tough, while others might feel really frustrated, sad, or confused. Trying to cheer our clients up by saying: “Stay positive!” may make clients feel like they are not being taken seriously. The key to helping clients after a stroke or brain injury is to build trust, connection, and an understanding to work together.
The goal for understanding feelings is to create an environment where patients feel heard, understood, and supported in expressing their emotions. This includes:
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Active Listening:
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Pay close attention and listen carefully to what the patient is saying. Show that you are fully engaged in the conversation.
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Allowing clients to give input in therapy helps them have a say and makes sure both the client and therapist are on the same page, working together.
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Empathetic Listening and Responding:
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Respond with empathy, showing that you understand and recognize the patient's emotions. Use phrases like:
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"I can see that this is difficult for you."
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“It's completely normal to feel this way."
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"Your feelings are important, and I hear you."
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Use supportive non-verbal cues such as nodding, maintaining eye contact, and expressing concern through your body language.
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Sharing Power:
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It is important to make sure that your client has a say in what happens in their therapy/treatment. You may be the medical expert, but your client is an expert on their needs. You are each key members of the team.
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Respectful Tone:
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Use a tone of voice that conveys respect and understanding. A compassionate and gentle tone can enhance the validation of emotions.
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Be Realistic:
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It is important to remind clients that progress takes time. We shouldn't promise that everything will be perfect right away. It's more about identifying the progress already made and continuing to move forward.
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Teaching coping strategies:
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Learning to deal with difficult situations is similar to having a toolbox full of skills. Healthcare professionals can assist clients in building that toolbox. Some of these skills include:
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Problem solving: Guide clients in solving problems by sharing helpful techniques. Encourage them to break down problems, consider various solutions, and make wise decisions based on the information available.
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Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Introduce mindfulness practices and relaxation techniques to help clients manage stress and anxiety. Deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can be effective.
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Social Support: Facilitate connections with friends, family, or support groups. Social support plays a crucial role in the recovery process and helps clients feel understood and less isolated.
To make things better, we should listen actively and with empathy, share decision-making power, use a respectful tone, be realistic about the recovery process, and teach practical ways to cope. This way, we create a supportive and understanding healthcare environment. This approach ensures that people not only feel heard and understood but also play an active role in their own well-being. When we balance staying positive with understanding real emotions, it helps both the people getting care and those providing it.
In conclusion, it's important for people in healthcare to build a strong and real connection with those they help. While being positive is good, it's also necessary to understand and deal with the complicated feelings that come up, especially after serious events like strokes or brain injuries. Toxic positivity, where only being upbeat is encouraged and real emotions are ignored, can slow down the healing process.
Blogger: Rachel Delman, OTD, OTR/L
References:
https://positivepsychology.com/components-of-therapeutic-relationship/