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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Our favorite tips for "getting in" with difficult patients
Ekkehard Othmer1, J Philipp Othmer, Sieglinde C Othmer
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. eothmer@kc.rr.com
Abstract:
This article presents two techniques for interviewing difficult patients. In "crossing over the to the other side of the canyon," the interviewer can gain the confidence and cooperation of a patient who does not accept the existence of a psychiatric problem by focusing on and reducing the client's distress, rather than quibbling over a diagnostic label. By using the "what if..." question, the interviewer can identify barriers in the patient's thinking and help the patient remove them. Illustrative interviews demonstrate the use of the techniques.
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