How can active listening identify where patients need additional support?

An essential component of active listening is body language, what is ‘unspoken.’ Up to 97% of communication is not the words that come out of our mouths, but our eye contact, the way we lean in or away, if our stance is open or closed, if we lean in to ‘hear someone better,’ or we cross our arms, indicating we are closed off. If we nod our head knowingly, tilt it in understanding and clarification or empathy. It conveys warmth and attentiveness and is why we must ‘see’ the person we are speaking with, even if via video call, so there is no misunderstanding of intent, and so that they know they are heard and understood. It can make all the difference. - Dr. Nikki Martinez, Psy.D., LCPC

I follow these rewarding tips Engaging with Empathy: I Approach patient interactions with empathy and genuine interest. Open-Ended Questions: I Ask open-ended questions that encourage patients to share their thoughts and feelings. Non-Verbal Cues: Pay attention to patients' non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions. Validation and Reflection: Validate patients' feelings Active Follow-Up: Actively follow up on patients' previous concerns or questions. Listening for Unspoken Needs: Listen for unspoken Cultural Sensitivity: Summarization and Clarification: I Summarize key points and seek clarification to ensure accurate understanding. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaborate with other healthcare professionals

Without a doubt, active listening is an invaluable skill for the mental health practitioners I coach. Working with those who use English as a second language, it can be a challenge to focus on their patients'/clients' words and non-verbal communication, while being mindful of their own usage of the language. Once they gain the confidence in these linguistic abilities, the therapy conversation flows and they are able to play a more active role as the listener to make sure others feel heard and understood. It's a win-win!

In my 20+year-experience of working with people of different age, ethnicity, educational background and social status, I have developed a rule: never assume you understand what the counterpart WANTS to say just because you understand what s/he is SAYING. Whenever I hear a crucial piece of information, I pause and then say: "if I understand you correctly what you are saying is ...[one sentence account of her/his thoughts in my own words]. 5 out of 10 times I hear the response: "well...not really / quite / at all" followed up by a second (usually a more successful) attempt at conveying the message. So... never overestimate your ability to grasp the message first time you hear it and always demonstrate humility by checking your understanding.

Considering the patient's communication abilities and preferences is very important. Ensuring your language is free from jargon is vital, as well as simple things like considering if the patient can hear you clearly or whether you have to change the environment or where you are standing/sitting in relation to them during the discussion. Health professionals are generally seen as being in the position of power, so to demonstrate you are actively listening, and for the patient to feel comfortable expressing their honest thoughts to you, you need to level this power imbalance by showing you can accommodate their individual communication preferences or needs.