Patient Communication Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real LPCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Patient Communication Skills flashcards as text
A client repeatedly changes the subject whenever the counselor asks about their childhood. The BEST response is to:
Answer: Gently note the pattern and invite reflection on it
Naming the observed pattern non-judgmentally invites the client into metacommunication without forcing disclosure.
Which technique involves the counselor repeating the client's last few words to encourage continued elaboration?
Answer: Trailing or mirroring
Trailing (echoing the client's last words) is a minimal prompt that signals interest and invites the client to keep talking.
When a client from a collectivist cultural background defers all decisions to their family, the culturally responsive counselor should:
Answer: Explore how the client personally experiences that family role
Exploring the client's subjective experience within their cultural framework respects collectivist values while still centering the client.
A counselor notices the client's tone is angry but their words deny any anger. The most effective immediate response is to:
Answer: Reflect the discrepancy between tone and words tentatively
A tentative reflection of the discrepancy opens space for the client to explore incongruence without feeling accused.
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of an orienting statement at the start of a first session?
Answer: To clarify the counseling process, roles, and what the client can expect
An orienting statement reduces client anxiety by explaining the structure, roles, and process of counseling before work begins.
During a session a client begins to sob and cannot speak. The counselor's BEST immediate response is to:
Answer: Hand the client tissues and wait silently in a supportive presence
Silent, compassionate presence with a simple supportive gesture communicates safety without pressuring the client to perform.
A counselor says, 'It sounds like you're caught between wanting to leave and feeling obligated to stay.' This is an example of:
Answer: Reflection of ambivalence
Reflecting ambivalence names both sides of the client's internal conflict, which is a core technique in Motivational Interviewing and humanistic counseling.