Therapeutic communication

lknr1306  2025-2026  Louvain-la-Neuve

Therapeutic communication
The version you’re consulting is not final. This course description may change. The final version will be published on 1st June.
4.00 credits
30.0 h + 15.0 h
Q1

  This learning unit is not being organized during year 2025-2026.

Language
French
Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Main themes
  • Therapeutic relationships (how to develop a good therapeutic alliance)
  • Patient-centred approach at different stages of treatment (history-taking - clinical examination - treatment - discharge)
  • Principles of therapeutic communication: setting the scene, active listening (open questions, reflections/reformulation, summarising, managing silences), verbal and non-verbal attitudes (empathy, convergence, unconditional positive attention, valuing, awareness of bias), patient environment (entourage, interdisciplinary), etc.
  • Communication in specific situations (end of life, aggression, enterprising patients, patients with specific pathologies, etc.)
  • Motivational communication with ambivalent patients: basic principles (asking questions, making reflections, valuing, summarising, developing the discourse of change and the discourse of confidence)
  • Communication and therapeutic education (asking for the patient's authorisation - assessing the patient's knowledge/beliefs, providing information, etc.)
  • Communication and informed consent
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Knowledge and technical skills
  • Explain what informed consent is and how best to communicate with patients to enable them to make an informed choice (9.1)
  • Explain the elements that will encourage the development of a therapeutic alliance (3.3, 4.1, 9.1, 9.4)
  • Explain the patient-centred approach at different stages of care (3.3, 4.1, 4.2)
  • Explain the principles of therapeutic communication (3.1, 4.1)
  • Explain the specific aspects of applying the principles of therapeutic communication to particular situations (end of life, aggression, cognitive disorders, psychological disorders, etc.) (3.1, 4.1, 9.4)
  • Describe the signs of ambivalence that may be encountered in a patient (3.3)
  • Describe communication strategies and techniques for resolving ambivalence in a patient (3.3, 4.1)
  • Explain the principles of communication associated with therapeutic education (3.1, 4.1)
In a simulated patient management situation, and for the different phases of management
(history - clinical examination - treatment - discharge), for "routine" and "specific" situations
"and "specific" situations (end of life, aggressiveness, enterprising patients, patients with specific pathologies) the student is capable of :
  • Mobilise communication techniques and attitudes enabling a patient-centred approach to be patient-centred approach at different stages of care (3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 5.4)
  • Practising active listening to patients in order to gather their knowledge, beliefs, needs and requests (4.1)
  • Identifying signs of ambivalence in the patient, where appropriate (3.3, 4.1) 
  • Communicate the best possible information to help patients make informed choices (9.1)
 
Other information
This course is strictly reserved for FSM students. It is not open to other UCLouvain students.
Faculty or entity
> FSM


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Bachelor in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
KINE1BA
4
LKNR1210