Improving Therapeutic Communication: A Guide for Developing Effective Techniques

Throughout the book, the authors focus on the basic skills thatfacilitate communications in therapy (empathy, respect, authenticity, relating in the here-and-now, and confrontation) andexplore specific methods of using them. These skills--whichresearch shows are crucial to effective therapy--enable therapistsand counselors to
* Empathize in a caring way with the feelings of clients
* Become receptive to clients in a warm, respectful, andnonjudgmental way
* Constructively share feelings with clients in a natural, openmanner
* Therapeutically utilize moment-to-moment, here-and-nowinteraction
* Make clients aware of their inconsistencies and discrepancieswithout arousing antagonism or defensiveness

D. Corydon Hammond is a psychologist, professor, andco-director of the Sex and Martial Therapy Clinic at the Universityof Utah School of Medicine. He is a past president of the AmericanSociety of Clinical Hypnosis.

Dean H. Hepworth is retired. He was associate dean andprofessor of the Graduate School of Social Work, University ofUtah.

Veon G. Smith, deceased, was a professor in the GraduateSchool of Social Work and director of the Marriage and FamilyCounseling Bureau, University of Utah.