Respond to your patient:

• clarify the feeling being expressed
• acknowledge the feeling by naming it
• offer an empathic response when appropriate to do so
• remain non-judgmental in your response.
• avoid giving false reassurance ("it'll work out fine")
• avoid trying to change the patient's feeling ("you shouldn't worry")
• a touch on the arm or hand, if appropriate, to comfort a sad or anxious patient
• lean in toward the patient
• listening is the therapeutic intervention

Observe the following videos. What is different about Dr. Hoffman's approach in terms of our discussion of patient affect and how Dr. Hoffman addresses the patient's symptoms in each of these videos.