Your client refuses to shower, stating the government has cameras everywhere monitoring her. Your best response would be:

Your client refuses to shower, stating the government has cameras everywhere monitoring her. Your best response would be:

• A. It's distressing to think you are being watched, but I see no cameras.
• B. That is not true.
• C. There are no cameras in this facility.
• D. We are not allowed to tape you without your consent.

Answer: (A)

The situation tests how to use therapeutic communication with a client who has paranoid thoughts. The best approach is to acknowledge the client's distress without arguing about the reality of the belief. Saying, “It’s distressing to think you are being watched” validates the fear and shows empathy, which helps reduce defensiveness and builds trust. The statement then gently notes that you don’t perceive cameras, which can help ground the interaction in safety and care without challenging the client’s belief in a confrontational way. This supports cooperation for care tasks like showering by keeping the focus on the client’s feelings and needs rather than debating the delusion. Directly denying or disproving the belief, as in telling the client the belief isn’t true or that there are no cameras, can escalate paranoia and damage rapport. A policy-type assertion about consent or tape footage also doesn’t address the client’s immediate emotional experience and may come across as evasive or dismissive. The empathetic acknowledgment in this approach keeps the connection open and sets the stage for safely meeting hygiene needs.

The situation tests how to use therapeutic communication with a client who has paranoid thoughts. The best approach is to acknowledge the client's distress without arguing about the reality of the belief. Saying, “It’s distressing to think you are being watched” validates the fear and shows empathy, which helps reduce defensiveness and builds trust. The statement then gently notes that you don’t perceive cameras, which can help ground the interaction in safety and care without challenging the client’s belief in a confrontational way. This supports cooperation for care tasks like showering by keeping the focus on the client’s feelings and needs rather than debating the delusion.

Directly denying or disproving the belief, as in telling the client the belief isn’t true or that there are no cameras, can escalate paranoia and damage rapport. A policy-type assertion about consent or tape footage also doesn’t address the client’s immediate emotional experience and may come across as evasive or dismissive. The empathetic acknowledgment in this approach keeps the connection open and sets the stage for safely meeting hygiene needs.