During a nursing interview, a client says, 'My daughter was murdered in her apartment, and her estranged husband called to tell me. I can't stop myself from wondering whether he killed her, but the police have ruled him out as a suspect.' Which response would be therapeutic?

• A. Have you shared your concerns with the police?
• B. It's better not to involve the police more.
• C. You should try to move on.
• D. You're imagining things.

Answer: (A)

Therapeutic communication focuses on validating the client's distress, inviting them to express concerns, and guiding them toward appropriate, credible sources of information. In this scenario, the client is grieving a daughter's murder and is worried about potential involvement by the estranged husband, even though police have ruled him out. The best response acknowledges the ongoing worry and prompts action that can provide clarity and safety: Have you shared your concerns with the police? This open-ended prompt validates the feeling, invites discussion, and directs the client to obtain factual information from the appropriate authority, which can help reduce uncertainty and anxiety without dismissing or pathologizing the client’s distress.

Choices that tell the client to avoid the police, to move on, or to dismiss their thoughts fail the therapeutic aim because they minimize the client’s experience, discourage seeking information, or invalidate their feelings, all of which can damage trust and impede coping.