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Therapeutic Communication

Therapeutic Communication

Communication is a lifelong learning process. Through therapeutic communication, nurses can collect relevant assessment data, provide education and counseling, and interact during nursing interventions. Sending and receiving messages occur through verbal and nonverbal communication techniques and can happen separately or simultaneously.
Verbal communication depends on language or a prescribed way of using words so that people can share information effectively. The critical aspects of verbal...

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are grounded in the belief that our thoughts profoundly influence our emotions and actions. Advocates of CBT emphasize three core assumptions: first, that cognitions are identifiable and measurable; second, that they are central to psychological functioning; and third, that irrational or maladaptive beliefs can be replaced with rational and adaptive ones. This transformative approach to therapy has paved the way for specific models such as Albert Ellis's...

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a versatile, nonmedical approach aimed at helping individuals address emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal issues to enhance their overall well-being. It can involve one-on-one sessions, couples counseling, or small group discussions with a therapist. The therapeutic process includes various techniques such as open discussion, interpretation of thoughts and behaviors, active listening, positive reinforcement, and role modeling. Psychotherapy aims to support individuals in...

Couples Therapy

Couples Therapy

Couples therapy is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals in intimate relationships address conflicts, improve communication, and foster healthier dynamics. It is appropriate for couples at various stages, including those who are dating, married, or in long-term partnerships, and aims to support partners in navigating their unique relational challenges.
Core Principles and Techniques
Couples therapy often incorporates cognitive-behavioral principles to identify and modify negative...

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapies emphasize the exploration of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences as fundamental contributors to psychological difficulties. These therapies, deeply rooted in Freud's psychoanalytic theory, aim to uncover and resolve unconscious conflicts, granting individuals insights that promote emotional and behavioral healing. Contemporary psychodynamic approaches have evolved, integrating a broader range of influences and methodologies while still valuing the...

Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch

Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch

The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Humor or Rationality? The Neural Mechanisms of How Agent Type and Language Style Influence Satisfaction with Ride-Hailing Service Failure Recovery

Humor or Rationality? The Neural Mechanisms of How Agent Type and Language Style Influence Satisfaction with Ride-Hailing Service Failure Recovery

Published on: March 13, 2026

Harsh humour: a therapeutic discourse.

May McCreaddie¹

¹Nursing and Midwifery, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. may.mccreaddie@stir.ac.uk

Health & Social Care in the Community

|June 22, 2010

Summary

This study explores spontaneous humour in healthcare, finding that

Area of Science:

Healthcare Communication
Qualitative Research Methods
Psychology of Humour

Background:

Healthcare humour research often overlooks spontaneous interactions.
This study examines a negative case within a larger constructivist grounded theory project.
The negative case involved a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) working with female drug users.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze spontaneous humour in healthcare interactions.
To investigate a negative case that contradicted emerging findings on humour use.
To explore the therapeutic potential of humour with disenfranchised patient populations.

Main Methods:

A constructivist grounded theory approach was used.
Data included 20 Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)-patient interactions and audio diaries.

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Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

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Constant comparison, interviews, field notes, focus groups, and observations were employed.

Main Results:

The negative case demonstrated heightened humour awareness and deliberate initiation.
This case involved 'difficult' patients and utilized 'harsh humour'.
Harsh humour, focusing on sensitive topics like drug use, effectively engaged challenging patients.

Conclusions:

Spontaneous, particularly harsh, humour can therapeutically enhance healthcare interactions.
Humour is integral, not superficial, to achieving healthcare aims.
Healthcare professionals should consider therapeutic humour for all patients, including disenfranchised groups.