Healthcare professionals build trust with clients to create a positive treatment experience. An open line of communication ensures clients receive appropriate care and access the best treatments to meet their needs. Active listening and other communication skills allow healthcare professionals to develop healthier relationships with clients and coworkers, facilitating better treatment outcomes. The experts at Driftwood Recovery use effective communication to guide clients through the recovery process.
What Is Active Listening?
Active listening is an essential part of interpersonal communication. According to Social Neuroscience, “[A]ctive listening is an influential behavior, which can affect the social responses of others.” In addition, “Perceiving active listening behavior in a partner can facilitate a positive interaction.” Active listening requires empathy and a lack of judgment. People often mirror the other person through behavior or verbal patterns to show they have heard what has been said.
A few ways professionals practice active listening during everyday client interactions include:
- Mirroring nonverbal cues
- Maintaining eye contact
- Paraphrasing and summarizing
- Asking open-ended questions
- Offering verbal acknowledgement
- Not interrupting the other speaker
- Asking for clarification
Healthcare professionals collaborate with clients to create care plans and implement treatments. Empathetic and active listening is essential to keep clients at ease. Active listening involves showing the other person they have been heard through various methods, including body language, summarizing key points of the conversation, and mirroring phrases or words used by the other person.
Creating an Honest and Clear Line of Communication
Honest communication fosters trust and helps clients feel more comfortable discussing concerns or asking questions. Transparency creates a healthy foundation for honest communication. Some clients may have a history of negative experiences with healthcare professionals, making them hesitant to speak up. Maybe their concerns were ignored, or they were made to feel like less than the other person. Driftwood Recovery aims to help these individuals build healthier relationships with medical professionals by providing clients with a welcoming environment and compassionate professionals.
Some of the ways healthcare professionals develop empathetic and honest communication with clients include:
- Using simple language instead of medical jargon
- Sharing information openly
- Being culturally sensitive and respectful
- Keeping clients informed with consistent updates
- Setting clear and realistic expectations
- Using visual or written aids to help clients better understand complex medical topics
- Respecting client confidentiality and privacy
Clients rely on healthcare professionals to lead by example. Healthcare professionals have an obligation to model healthy patterns of communication with clients. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to build client relationships through active listening and a compassionate approach to care.
Clients may have never been able to develop healthy communication skills. Often, part of treatment for substance abuse or mental health disorders involves building up these skills. Clinicians and support staff play an essential role in helping clients learn to communicate more effectively.
Building Relationships With Active Listening
Developing trusting relationships with clients requires active listening. Healthcare professionals at Driftwood Recovery are trained to resolve conflicts, de-escalate situations, and ease client concerns by educating clients and providing them with healthier ways to express their needs. By practicing honest and transparent communication, healthcare workers create an environment that fosters trust and respect.
Client trust is essential because it does the following:
- Facilitates more productive interactions
- Promotes honesty and openness
- Enhances treatment outcomes
- Reduces anxiety
- Builds long-term relationships
- Encourages healthy vulnerability
- Strengthens rapport between staff and clients
- Empowers clients to make healthier choices
- Reduces miscommunication
Building relationships with clients involves recognizing their needs and finding ways to meet them where they are today. Active listening allows professionals to better understand their clients and provide more effective care.
How Driftwood Recovery Encourages Active Listening
Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to create healthy relationships with clients and coworkers through active listening. Active listening involves showing the other person that their time and opinions matter. Many clients feel safer and more comfortable under the care of professionals who listen to and act on their feedback. Healthcare professionals can take constructive feedback and adjust client treatment plans to accommodate the new information.
Individuals in treatment for substance abuse or mental health disorders may have a history of negative interactions with authority figures. Building trust can take time. Consistently showing interest in their thoughts and feelings while actively listening can show clients that their voice matters. Effective listening leads to action. Being attentive during a conversation is meaningless unless real action is taken to implement feedback and provide solutions to problems. Clients feel heard and valued when their care team actively listens and uses the information they provide to address issues or acknowledge their opinions.
Regular Daily Check-Ins With Staff
Communicating effectively with coworkers reduces miscommunication and decreases unnecessary stress in the workplace. Professionals should be able to rely on one another to listen attentively and provide appropriate support throughout the workday. According to Frontiers in Psychology, “Listening has been identified as a key workplace skill, important for ensuring high-quality communication, building relationships, and motivating employees.” Healthcare professionals provide better client care when they can rely on their coworkers for support.
Communication is key to developing a deep and honest connection with clients. Healthcare professionals create a welcoming and comfortable environment where clients feel safe and heard. Active listening is one of the most critical tools for healthy communication. Showing a genuine interest in what clients have to say and expressing a desire to further understand can set clients at ease and create a more positive dynamic between clients and clinicians. Driftwood Recovery encourages staff members to use active listening and other communication skills to develop better client relationships, facilitating a more positive treatment experience. To learn more about our programs and how we provide client support, call us today at (512) 759-8330.