Communication

Communication is specified as one of the counselling or psychotherapeutic techniques, along with positive relationships with the client and identifying the client's individual needs and therapeutic goals (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2003, p. 7). It is important for anyone in the human services to value the client's perspective while simultaneously providing professional opinions regarding appropriate goals and strategies, striking a sensitive tactful approach with excellent communication skills (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2003, p. 21; Cohen-Mansfielf, 2004, p. 384). At time the most difficult aspect of excellent communication is in being a good listener while communicating active listening through body-language, open-ended-questioning transmitting understanding and empathy with facial expressions towards the client (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2003, pp. 53-54). Some suggest that 65% or more of a messages meaning is conveyed nonverbally (Birdwhistell, 1970) which include eye contact, body language, vocal qualities, and verbal tracking (ability to track the content of their clients speech by occasionally repeating key words and phrases) (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2003, pp. 55-57). Care givers in communication are in a unique position to have a glimpse of the inner experiences of a client by attending to the patterns of speech and the behaviour that accompanies it. These insights are only accomplished with the quality of attentiveness (Kay & Tasman, 2006, p. 8 ).

Persuasion is imbedded within communication, According to Carl Hovland and colleagues at Yale University (1950s), Persuasive communication revolves around two sources of credibility, being expertise (level of training), and trustworthiness (level of built trust) (Vargas & Yoon, 2004, p. 63).