Which therapeutic communication technique involves encouraging the patient to talk more to obtain information?

• A. Pause
• B. Reflection
• C. Summary
• D. Facilitation

Answer: (D)

Facilitation is the technique that uses supportive prompts and cues to invite the patient to talk more and provide more details. By offering gentle verbal nudges like “Go on,” “Tell me more about that,” and using encouraging nonverbal signals such as nodding and maintaining appropriate eye contact, the clinician signals interest and makes the patient feel safe to share deeper information. This directly helps elicit richer content, clarifies concerns, and builds rapport, which is essential for gathering the information needed for assessment and care planning.

Pause is just a moment of silence that gives the patient time to think; it doesn’t actively invite further elaboration. Reflection focuses on restating or paraphrasing what the patient has said to show understanding, which can prompt clarification but isn’t primarily about encouraging more disclosure. Summary involves condensing the discussion to recall main points, typically used to close a topic, not to pull out additional details. Thus facilitation best achieves the goal of encouraging more talk to obtain information.