www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 53 “One of the most important parts of listening to a person is not interrupting for a reasonable amount of time,” explained Dr. LaPenna, who is also a professor of clinical medicine at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg. “I hold off on giving my advice, and I repeat back what I thought I heard.” Then he asks clarifying questions, and, once he has heard the patient, he makes recommendations: “That’s the ideal way to approach it.” THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING HEARD Millicent Taylor, director of outpatient services with Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health in North Charleston, described active listening as the most valuable skill in the mental health profession. Taylor, who is also a licensed professional counselor, explained that active listening, also called empathetic listening, “is a tool that is going to encourage patients to be understood and heard.” Open-ended questions are one piece of the active listening puzzle. “And that is going to encourage the person to continue to disclose important information – valuable information – that we as a clinician or a physician or anybody in the medical field need to know in order to give them the best care and treatment that they need,” said Taylor. “Open-ended questions are
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1