Introduction

Communication is something we do everyday. It is the means by which we express our desires, needs and feelings. It is especially important for health care professionals, who must continually assess and care for patients, to be able to communicate well, to understand others and to make oneself understood. Good communication is an essential skill, one that takes much practice to master,

There are 2 main types of communication – verbal and non-verbal. The former is self-explanatory, and includes all forms in which speaking is involved. Non-verbal communication is defined as “all aspects of communication other than words themselves. It includes not only gestures and body language, but also how we utter words (Wood, 1999, p.148)”.

One of the aspects is self-disclosure. This “is the process of making intentional revelations about oneself that others would be unlikely to know… it allows you to establish more meaningful relationships with others (Pearson & Nelson, 2000, p. 158-159)”.

Communicating with my father

My family is a traditional one when it comes to communication. We do not show affection openly, and my parents maintain an air of authority towards my siblings and I. Conversations tend to be about whether we had eaten rather than about sharing our feelings. I also felt that my father was somewhat disappointed in me that I had not lived up to his expectations.

As I am trained in Chinese massage (tuina), I am often called upon whenever my family members suffer sprained ankles or stiff shoulders. On many occasions, I had rubbed out their knotted muscles and swollen joints. Most of them do not have trouble asking me for that favour, and they know that I will do so willingly. My father, however, is the exception. He suffered from a bad back. Which would be aggravated whenever he lifted heavy objects incorrectly. At that time, I was unaware of his pain, although I noticed that he observed me keenly when I was treating someone else, as if he wished I were treating him instead. However, he remained adamantly silent about his needs.

After weeks of suffering in silence, my father finally told my mother that he wanted me to massage his painful back. I am happy to say that not only was his pain lessened by my treatment, but we had become closer as a result. He speaks to me more as an equal now, and not so much as a father to a son. Through this simple encounter, he realized that I had capabilities that he was not aware of , and I think he feels proud of me now.

Conclusion

Communication is an ongoing process. Whenever 2 or more persons are together, they are communicating, consciously or unconsciously. If used effectively, it enables us to adapt to all kinds of situations, achieve our goals, and improve relationships with others. A breakdown in communication, however, may cause misunderstanding, result in mistakes made, and destroy relationhips.

Reference:

Pearson, Judy C. & nelson, Paul E. (2000). An Introduction to Human Communication (8th ed.). United States of America: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Wood, Julia T. (1999). Interpersonal Communication Everyday Encounters (2nd ed.). California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.