During the first session, a client describes repeatedly grounding her son, taking away his bike, and confining him to his room, asking what to do next. What is the most therapeutic response for the PMHNP to make?

During the first session, a client describes repeatedly grounding her son, taking away his bike, and confining him to his room, asking what to do next. What is the most therapeutic response for the PMHNP to make?

• A. I wonder if confining him to his room was abusive?
• B. Maybe that depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
• C. Perhaps talking to his friends and teachers would help.
• D. Remain silent

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to elicit the parent’s goals for discipline and collaborate on a plan. Saying, “Maybe that depends on what you are trying to accomplish” invites the parent to articulate the behavioral change they want to achieve with their son, clarifies the outcome, and reduces defensiveness by focusing on goals rather than labeling their actions as right or wrong. This approach helps build a therapeutic alliance and creates a seamless path to discuss age-appropriate boundaries, consistent consequences, and safer, more effective parenting strategies. Other options miss the opportunity to align on goals. Questioning whether confinement was abusive shifts the conversation into judgment and can provoke defensiveness, rather than clarifying aims. Suggesting talking to friends or teachers introduces external factors that may be unrelated to the parent’s immediate objectives. Remaining silent misses a chance to engage and guide toward a constructive plan. The focus on desired outcomes keeps the session collaborative and future-oriented.

The main idea is to elicit the parent’s goals for discipline and collaborate on a plan. Saying, “Maybe that depends on what you are trying to accomplish” invites the parent to articulate the behavioral change they want to achieve with their son, clarifies the outcome, and reduces defensiveness by focusing on goals rather than labeling their actions as right or wrong. This approach helps build a therapeutic alliance and creates a seamless path to discuss age-appropriate boundaries, consistent consequences, and safer, more effective parenting strategies.

Other options miss the opportunity to align on goals. Questioning whether confinement was abusive shifts the conversation into judgment and can provoke defensiveness, rather than clarifying aims. Suggesting talking to friends or teachers introduces external factors that may be unrelated to the parent’s immediate objectives. Remaining silent misses a chance to engage and guide toward a constructive plan. The focus on desired outcomes keeps the session collaborative and future-oriented.