Reducing emotional distance: a new method to teach interviewing skills

Abstract

Following an extensive review of the literature on the teaching of interviewing to medical students and psychiatry residents, the authors conclude that too much teaching emphasis has been given to the content of the interview and not enough to the process of the interview. A new method to teach interviewing skills to residents in psychiatry is described. The method focuses entirely on the interpersonal aspects of the interview. Within a seminar format, each resident attempts to reduce the "emotional distance" between himself and a patient. Much consideration is given to the individual emotional style of the resident. Through practice with this method and with peer and staff feedback, each resident who was studied improved in this ability, gained much affectual information from the patient, and learned many of the subtle aspects of process that are necessary for good interviewing and good psychotherapy.