Which practice should be avoided in therapeutic communication?

Which practice should be avoided in therapeutic communication?

• A. Avoid giving advice or false reassurance
• B. Use open-ended questions
• C. Provide supportive statements
• D. Summarize the discussion

Answer: (A)

Therapeutic communication aims to empower the client to explore options and make sense of their own experience. Giving direct advice or offering false reassurance shifts responsibility to you and can shut down the client’s own problem-solving, undermine autonomy, and risk misreading their needs or values. It also can erode trust if the guidance doesn’t fit their situation. In contrast, open-ended questions invite fuller sharing, supportive statements validate feelings, and a careful summary reinforces understanding and clarifies next steps, all of which strengthen engagement and collaboration.

Therapeutic communication aims to empower the client to explore options and make sense of their own experience. Giving direct advice or offering false reassurance shifts responsibility to you and can shut down the client’s own problem-solving, undermine autonomy, and risk misreading their needs or values. It also can erode trust if the guidance doesn’t fit their situation. In contrast, open-ended questions invite fuller sharing, supportive statements validate feelings, and a careful summary reinforces understanding and clarifies next steps, all of which strengthen engagement and collaboration.