Verbal abuse
If you are facing a verbally abusive client, you should not try reasoning with the abuser. A more appropriate response is to identify the abuse employed, name it and ask the abuser to stop.
For example, if an upset client accuses you of being a liar, it is pointless to convince him that you are telling the truth. Instead, identify the behaviour and ask the person to stop by saying “stop using negative labels to define me” or “stop the name-calling”.
There are five ways to deal with a verbally aggressive clients and diffuse the situation:
Sometimes anger is a reasonable reaction to a situation. However, there are always acceptable or unacceptable ways of expressing that anger. If you confront an angry client, it is important to separate these two issues. If at any point, your clients start expressing their anger and become threatening, you should move out of the vicinity and get support from your colleagues.
Remain calm as you face an angry client. If you remain calm and talk quietly it will subtly encourage the angry individual to lower his tone, thereby de-escalating the situation. If possible, sit and talk. This will tell your client that you have time to resolve the issue.
Acknowledge your client’s anger stating, “I feel you are angry” or “I feel as if our communication has broken down”. This might help a client feel heard and steer the conversation towards a resolution. Try to dig deep into the real source of concern, if your client is angry at the situation or the practice. Listen to your client actively to gauge the nature of the complaint.
During an exchange with an angry client, there may come a point when you need to detach yourself from the situation. There are valid reasons to do so; to stay safe as the individual is not open to a reasonable conversation. Leave the room if you can and say that you will return in a few minutes.
As you deal with an angry person, make sure you are not alone and that you are safe. Enter the situation with a plan to get yourself out safely.
Physical aggression
There are steps you can undertake to reduce the threat of physical aggression:
People who come across as intimidating may not realise that their behaviour is threatening. The person may be used to being in control of the situation.
The following may help to diffuse a situation where you are feeling your client is intimidating.
Let the person talk and validate what they are saying. Using phrases such as “I can see how you feel that way” or “what I hear you saying is.” If the client feels that you are listening to them, they may relax and become less intimidating.
If you are dealing with a strong personality, be firm and state your position confidently. Express yourself without attacking the client. Using statements that start with “I” will allow you to make your point without criticising him. You may also use phrases like:
“You didn’t cause it; you can’t control it and you can’t fix it.” In other words, what the other person is saying or doing is not about you. When you accept this, it is easier to be assertive.
Hysteria
Whilst hysteria is not a recognised medical term, it is used as an umbrella term to cover conditions like:
In practice, you might associate the term hysteria with an extremely upset client whose emotional response to the situation is excessive. What you may do is to:
Complete denial
Denial can be a useful coping mechanism. It helps the recipient to protect himself from the overwhelming shock of the bad news. However, denial becomes less useful when it interferes with discussing option for treating an ill patient. So, how can you talk with someone in denial?
If your client refuses to engage in the conversation, offer to reschedule the appointment. This will give the client a little more time to process the information they have received. You can also offer to talk to a friend or relative if he agrees.
TOPIC 4 - Negative Reactions from Clients
