Therapeutic Communication with Psychotic Clients

With the current emphasis on evidence-based practice, the significance of the social worker-client relationship as a prerequisite to client goal attainment has been de-emphasized. This is particularly problematic with regard to practice with psychotic clients, with whom practitioners often have difficulty establishing therapeutic relationships. The purposes of this article are to examine the communication deficits of persons with psychotic disorders and, with an extended example, to describe five intervention guidelines for social workers toward the goal of developing positive working relationships with them.