"How are you feeling about this?" invites exploration. "Are you okay?" gets a one-word answer. Use "how," "what," "tell me about," and "describe."

Don't fill every pause. Silence gives the client time to process, reflect, and decide what to share. Your comfort with silence communicates patience and respect.

False reassurance ("don't worry"), advice ("you should…"), "why" questions, changing the subject, defending the provider, minimizing feelings, and giving approval/disapproval. If you see these, they're wrong.

The therapeutic nurse mirrors the client's feelings back to them for deeper exploration. The non-therapeutic nurse tries to solve the problem, make it better, or move on. Sit in the discomfort.

If a client hints at self-harm, ask directly: "Are you thinking about hurting yourself?" Direct questions don't plant ideas: they save lives. This is the one exception where information-seeking trumps feeling-exploration.

Never use children, spouses, or friends as medical interpreters. Use certified professional interpreters for accuracy, confidentiality, and ethical practice.

For delusions and hallucinations: acknowledge the experience, share YOUR perception ("I don't hear the voices"), offer presence and safety. Don't argue, don't explore the delusion in depth, don't dismiss it as "just your illness."