CBHT Therapeutic Communication Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client says, 'Nobody ever listens to me.' The BEST therapeutic response is:
- Tell me more about feeling unheard. (Correct answer)
- That's not true — I'm listening right now.
- Have you tried expressing yourself more clearly?
- Your family probably does listen; you may not notice.
Correct answer: Tell me more about feeling unheard.
Inviting the client to elaborate validates their feeling and opens the conversation without arguing or minimizing.
Question 2: Which communication technique involves repeating the client's last few words to encourage continued sharing?
- Summarizing
- Reflection
- Restating (Correct answer)
- Clarification
Correct answer: Restating
Restating echoes the client's exact or near-exact words to signal attentiveness and prompt further elaboration.
Question 3: A BHT who frequently interrupts a client to offer solutions is demonstrating:
- Active listening
- Premature problem-solving (Correct answer)
- Appropriate redirection
- Psychoeducation
Correct answer: Premature problem-solving
Interrupting to offer solutions before fully hearing the client undermines the therapeutic relationship and ignores the client's need to be understood.
Question 4: When a client uses vague language like 'things have been bad,' the BHT should use:
- Empathy statements
- Clarification questions (Correct answer)
- Positive reinforcement
- Limit-setting
Correct answer: Clarification questions
Clarification questions help the BHT understand the specific meaning behind vague statements to provide accurate support.
Question 5: Therapeutic use of silence by a BHT primarily serves to:
- Show the client the BHT is bored
- Give the client space to process and continue (Correct answer)
- Avoid responding to difficult topics
- Signal the session is ending
Correct answer: Give the client space to process and continue
A deliberate pause allows the client to reflect, gather thoughts, and feel comfortable enough to continue sharing.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a leading question that should be AVOIDED in therapeutic communication?
- How did that make you feel?
- Can you describe what happened?
- You were angry about that, weren't you? (Correct answer)
- What was going through your mind?
Correct answer: You were angry about that, weren't you?
Leading questions suggest the expected answer and may bias the client's response rather than eliciting their authentic experience.
Question 7: A client discloses feeling hopeless. After empathizing, the BHT should NEXT:
- Change the subject to something positive
- Conduct a brief safety assessment (Correct answer)
- Immediately call the client's family
- Encourage the client to exercise more
Correct answer: Conduct a brief safety assessment
Hopelessness is a risk factor for self-harm; the BHT must assess safety while maintaining the therapeutic connection.
CBHT Therapeutic Communication Skills 2
A client says, 'Nobody ever listens to me.' The BEST therapeutic response is: