A 56-year-old client says, "I'm a guidance counselor at the middle school, and the kids like to come to see me for help, but I just found out from my wife that my 22-year-old daughter is a lesbian, and now I'm the one who needs advice. How am I supposed to accept that? She was the boy we didn't have, and I made a tomboy of her by taking her to baseball games with me. Is that why she's gay?" Which statement by the nurse would be therapeutic?

A 56-year-old client says, "I'm a guidance counselor at the middle school, and the kids like to come to see me for help, but I just found out from my wife that my 22-year-old daughter is a lesbian, and now I'm the one who needs advice. How am I supposed to accept that? She was the boy we didn't have, and I made a tomboy of her by taking her to baseball games with me. Is that why she's gay?" Which statement by the nurse would be therapeutic?

• A. It sounds like you have always wanted a son who shared your interests.
• B. I can’t imagine how you feel.
• C. You need to discount these thoughts and accept it now.
• D. It sounds like you and your daughter were very close but she kept her sexual orientation from you.

Answer: (D)

Therapeutic communication hinges on reflective listening that validates the speaker’s feelings and invites further discussion. The best statement does this by echoing the parent’s experience: “It sounds like you and your daughter were very close but she kept her sexual orientation from you.” This response recognizes the close relationship and the surprise at the disclosure, validates the parent’s feelings, and avoids judgment, which helps the person open up about their emotions and beliefs without feeling blamed. The other options fall short because they either assume motive, express a barrier to understanding, or impose a directive that dismisses the person’s feelings.

Therapeutic communication hinges on reflective listening that validates the speaker’s feelings and invites further discussion. The best statement does this by echoing the parent’s experience: “It sounds like you and your daughter were very close but she kept her sexual orientation from you.” This response recognizes the close relationship and the surprise at the disclosure, validates the parent’s feelings, and avoids judgment, which helps the person open up about their emotions and beliefs without feeling blamed.

The other options fall short because they either assume motive, express a barrier to understanding, or impose a directive that dismisses the person’s feelings.