Therapeutic communication | Subcategory (n = 23) | Meaning unit (n = 121) | Reference No. |
Verbal communication | providing explanations that are easy for the communicatee to understand | using descriptive phrases; using phrases open to interpretation; providing simple explanations to help patients and families understand complex medical terminology and language; providing appropriate explanations of the patient’s condition; providing a clear explanation regarding treatment procedures; two other meaning units | 15, 17, 18 |
conveying necessary information to the communicatee | promoting psychological well-being by providing guidelines regarding health conditions; introducing the related problem; promoting psychological well-being by providing comprehensive information about what to expect in the future; dispelling anxiety by providing evidence for care; correcting misinformation and ambiguous information; two other meaning units | 13, 15, 17, 29, 32 | |
summarizing and presenting the content of the communication | summarizing and presenting the content of interaction | 14 | |
clarifying the communicatee’s problem | clarifying the story; making the story specific; making the interviewer’s position and purpose of the interview clear; using focused questions to elicit problems in daily life; focusing on main thoughts and ideas about the problem; four other meaning units | 15, 17, 21, 31, 32 | |
asking questions that elicit the suffering of the communicatee | eliciting suffering; listening back to utterances about sexual desire or interest | 29, 32 | |
presenting a topic to the communicatee | suggesting the topic of sexuality; introducing a topic of sexuality that is difficult to discuss; switching the topic from everyday interactions with sexual partner to the nature of sexual acts | 32 | |
asking questions that encourage the communicatee to act proactively | participating in decision making; discussing self-care behaviors; allowing the patient to choose the subject; allowing the patient to specify the subject of act | 12, 17, 28 | |
asking questions using the communicatee’s words as they are | repeating words or phrases used by the patient; repeating the other person’s utterances on a topic; repeating the last words used by the patient | 17, 32 | |
asking questions to confirm the communicatee’s cognition and understanding | checking each other’s feelings behind the words; checking things not understood to avoid misunderstandings; asking about points that are not understood in the client’s words; not pretending to understand what the client is saying; reaffirming commitment to the patient and family; two other meaning units | 15, 17, 23, 27, 29 | |
asking questions that bring out the demands of the communicatee | using open and closed questions; asking frank questions about sexual values; listening back with different expressions about utterances related to sexuality; responding to what the other person says with a question; expressing doubts in words; two other meaning units | 17, 31, 32 | |
exploring the direction of idealized family and goals | asking questions that open up possibilities; asking about possibilities the person might have; understanding one’s family’s hopes; thinking about concrete ways to move toward one’s dreams and hopes; making a plan to achieve one’s hopes; one other meaning unit | 19, 20, 25, 29 | |
Non-verbal communication | being with the communicatee holistically | concentrating on the present moment; being there as another person rather than listening to the patient as a therapist; being here and now; just being present for communication in the terminal stage; showing your presence; two other meaning units | 19, 30, 32 |
showing a supportive attitude to the communicatee | having the impression that the interviewer has overwhelming power; paying attention to facial expressions and demeanor other than words, casual breathing and posture; being considerate toward the other person’s feelings | 24, 29, 32 | |
creating an atmosphere in which the communicatee feels comfortable talking | using humor therapeutically; adjusting to the pace of emotional expression of the sexual partner; having lightheartedness that is conscious of horizontal communication that deepens mutual understanding; maintaining friendliness; four other meaning units | 12, 17, 18, 20, 21, 29, 32 | |
securing time for the communicatee to speak | allotting enough time to express feelings; allotting enough time to express worries; securing time for facilitating the expression of underlying feelings; relieving psychosocial distress by an opportunity to discuss feelings with a health professional; allotting children sufficient opportunities to speak freely; one other meaning unit | 13, 17, 18, 21 | |
noticing changes in the content of the communicatee’s story | observing that a change has occurred in a repeated story; observing that a budding difference has appeared in a repeated story | 27 | |
Verbal/non-verbal communication | showing sincerity to the communicatee | showing a soothing presence; strengthening the patient-nurse relationship through honest communication; self-disclosing and sharing with the client the therapist’s own sense of helplessness and anxiety; informing the client of the interview protocol; listening to the other person politely; one other meaning unit | 15, 16, 31, 32 |
building a relationship of trust with the communicatee | building a trusting relationship through daily care; forming rapport; trust-building by the therapist; building trust between the patient and the therapist through good humor; building trust between the patient and the therapist through friendly behavior; three other meaning units | 16, 19, 25, 26, 32 | |
accepting the communicatee’s strengths | positively acknowledging what the client is thinking; praising the humorous approach to the relationship with the sexual partner; praising the client’s skillful negotiation of the relationship with the sexual partner; acknowledging and praising the other person; respecting their singularities; three other meaning units | 17, 22, 24, 26, 28, 32 | |
showing interest in the communication | expressing interest in the problems of the hypertensive patients by professionals; expressing concern for the problems of hypertensive patients by professionals; including supportive language; having the ability to show concern; feeling concerns; two other meaning units | 12, 17, 31, 32 | |
active listening to the communicatee | improving psychological adjustment through active listening; listening carefully; listening reflexively; having the ability to actively listen | 12, 13, 17, 23 | |
showing empathy to the communicatee | empathizing with the importance of discussing sexuality; giving an empathetic response; expressing empathy; strengthening the patient-nurse relationship through empathic communication; one other meaning unit | 14, 15, 31, 32 | |
making the communicatee aware of one’s own beliefs | bringing awareness to negative beliefs | 32 |