[Rebuilding the relationship between doctor and patient]

The doctor-patient relationship is inclined nowadays, for many reasons, to become difficult or even conflictual: this prevent the cooperation and the building of a therapeutic alliance. To forestall a situation which can produce anger and frustration in the patient as well as in the doctor, it is important and usefull, for the latter, to learn communication techniques and counselling skills: the professional communication cannot in fact be spontaneous. Such techniques allow to avoid the so called communication barriers: doctor's interventions which can cause in the patient noncompliance and hostile attitudes towards changes; in this context it is particularly interesting a motivational state known as psychological reactance, the importance of which has been recently stressed in medical setting. Some communicative modalities, which may facilitate the building (or rebuilding) of an effective relationship between doctors and patients, are here examined and debated: good communication and partnership are goals not only desirable, but also possible.