Proper listening requires focused attention on the person's face, correct posture and the showing of interest. This shows an attitude of caring which is, sadly, disappearing from medicine. Body Language . The position of your hands around your face, how people sit in a chair, fidgeting etc., show a lot about a person at first glance. One can often detect whether a person is lying, whether they are uncomfortable or threatened or are showing large amounts of anxiety and depression by some limited knowledge of body language and so this aspect of communication is important on both sides of the Doctor-Patient relationship.
All Doctors are counsellors at one level or another.
Counselling involves encouraging, exalting and enlightening and to be a good counsellor a doctor needs all three of these skills. Encouragement is probably the hardest skill and ranges from being a good listener, showing empathy and esteeming each individual as unique and of equal value in the sight of God. It requires having faith and optimism, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, and seeing beyond the person to the disease. Exalting comes easily to most Doctors, telling patients what they should do and how they should behave. Enlightenment involves explaining to patients exactly what is going on- their diagnosis, treatment and informing of choices and options.