Importance Of Non Verbal Communication

Communication within medical professions is detrimental to having a mutual understanding of what is expected of the practioner and what is needed by the patient. Having a strong sense of communication skills is a necessity for all mental health professionals as they are the building blocks to working together with the patient in order to achieve the highest level of satisfaction for both parties. Active listening, non-verbal communication, and empathy are some fundamental characteristics of effective communication. (Higgs, McAllister & Sefton, 2012 p. 5). Possesing a strong foundation of communication enables a professional to apply appropriate communiticative skills, therefore offering a higher standard of care. (Morrissey & Callaghan, 2011,

It is unique in that it can be used to assist with communicating with clients that cannot speak, or have a medical condition limiting conversational and social interaction skills. (Chambers, 2003, p. 874). Some of these can include certain body language, facial expressions, eye contact and appearance. *needs to be paraphrased better* (Morrissey & Callaghan, 2011, p. 4). Non-verbal communication is an important tool in assessing and providing treatment to mental health patients. Body language can help express how a patient is thinking or feeling without the need of conversation. Interpretation is the result of a multitude of factors, these can include the contents and delivery of the sentence itself, who is the speaker, who is the listener, and the personal expectations of both parties respectively. (Higgs, 2012, p. 5). Non-verbal communication in mental health patients can critically benefit therapeutic outcomes when executed correctly and professionally. It can be used to assess a client without imposing conversational expectations on them. This may be particularly helpful when working with more socially inept patients, an extreme case being schizophrenia. Characteristics of the mental illness suggest that a sufferer may possess more avoidant and nervous behaviours in social environments. (Lavelle, Dimic, Wildgrube, McCabe & Priebe, 2015, p.

When combined with silence, it can encourage confidence and assist gaining vital information that may not have otherwise been shared. There are several key strategies of active listening that can be combined to receive and respond to information in an appropriate manner. It can include certain mannerisms such as restating what the client has said to demonstrate understanding, supporting the client with what they are trying to say and nodding to show agreement and attention to the conversation. (Tasker, Croker, McAllister, & Street, 2012, p. 177). As Morrissey & Callaghan (2011) stated, “The best and most therapeutic thing to do is say less and listen more.” (p. 2). Being proficient in the skill of active listening enables you to be able to interpret conversation with clientele on a new level. This involves knowing when silence can show respect and having an idea of when a reassuring comment can motive a patient to continue talking. Active listening is about more than just the physical aspects. It is about creating an environment that a client feels secure in sharing confidential details with a practitioner that will be unbiased and openly accepting of the information that is being received. (Bryant, 2009, pp.