Carlos is afraid his mother is dying. He is talking to the worker in the hospital emergency room about an “attack” his mother seemed to have when she could not breathe and turned blue. She was brought to the hospital in an ambulance, and Carlos is waiting to see whether she will be all right. He is distraught. The worker says, “You certainly did the right thing to call the ambulance. Don’t worry she’ll be all right. We have very good doctors here.” Can Carlos continue to express his anxiety freely?

Enhanced Blocked

Above are various scenarios illustrating workers’ responses in a variety of situations. Examine the responses in each case and decide whether the worker is blocking communication or enhancing it. Do the worker’s responses cut off further communication from the other person or seem to encourage the person to continue? Circle your answer after each vignette.