Video: Reassurance 1A03 - Building Trust Without Patronization (Coming Soon)
Common Indicators of Effective/Ineffective Reassurance
Reassurance is a vital component of providing trauma-informed care. It involves creating a safe and supportive environment for the patient. Most importantly, reassurance goes past simply offering comfort, it requires listening to the patient and responding with genuine empathy
Reassurance is not a clear-cut skill, rather, it is an art that balances empathy, understanding, and communication. Reassurance is best developed through experience, observation, and reflection. It is about reading the situation, understanding the context, and gauging what the patient needs in that moment.
Reassurance is directly linked to the SAMHSA principles of safety, trustworthiness, transparency, empowerment, voice, and choice.
With the nature of reassurance being a balancing act, there will be moments where one is successful and times where one is not. For this reason, it is paramount that healthcare providers become aware of positive and negative signals. These signals act to guide an intervention and indicate to providers when to adjust their approach.
Signs You’re on the Right Track:
The patient is opening up emotionally and more willingly responds to questions, oftentimes increasing the length of their answers.
The patient’s tone and body language become less guarded, increasing eye contact.
Patients may begin to engage by seeking your input or asking questions in return.
The patient begins to express difficult emotions like shame or guilt - indicating they feel safe enough to be vulnerable.
Signs to Shift Gears:
The patient continues to be closed off and limits disclosure during questions.
The patient resists eye contact or remains in a closed-off position.
Patients may question your actions or have a defensive attitude toward you.
The patient may display frustration or discontent toward you or other healthcare providers*
It is important to remember that negative indicators don’t translate to poor responding skills, as not every approach works for every patient. Continue monitoring for these positive and negative indicators throughout the duration of the call to ensure your methods are working well!
*If a patient’s frustration/discontent towards you or others makes you feel unfit/unsafe to continue, immediately remove yourself from the situation and seek additional support.