COUNSELLING TECHNIQUE
AND CHALLENGES OF
BURNS
Empathetic Communication:
Use active listening.
Provide reassurance and emotional support.
Validate patient’s feelings and fears.
It involves truly understanding the patient’s emotions, not just hearing their
words.
Patient Education:
Explain treatment plans, surgical procedures, and prognosis in simple language.
Address misconceptions (e.g., about scars or recovery).
Tailor the interaction to the individual patient’s values, needs, and background.
Avoid medical jargon. For example, instead of saying “you’ll need debridement,” say, “we
need to carefully clean the wounds to help them heal.”
Encourage questions and shared decision-making
Non-Verbal Communication
Body language plays a big role, especially when patients are in pain or unable to
speak
Maintain gentle eye contact, use a calm tone, and offer reassuring gestures (like a
hand on the shoulder if culturally appropriate).
Avoid appearing rushed or dismissive—patients pick up on this quickly.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps address negative thoughts about appearance, worth, or future.Example: A
patient feels “useless” after a burn injury—CBT helps challenge that belief by
identifying strengths and setting recovery goals.
Often done in structured sessions by a trained psychologist but basic elements can
be introduced by the primary care team.
Psychoeducation
Educating patients about the emotional effects of burns (e.g., depression, trauma)
helps normalize their feelings.
Discuss the healing process, expected pain, scarring, and psychological impact.
Provide brochures, videos, or simple diagrams if possible.
Family Counseling and Involvement
Families often feel helpless or overwhelmed—they need guidance.
Educate them on how to support recovery, manage home care, and deal with
emotional issues.
Also useful in resolving family tensions or blame that may arise post-injury (especially
in domestic accidents or acid attacks).
Multidisciplinary Approach
Recovery is not just surgical—it’s psychological, functional, and social.
Psychologists: for trauma, PTSD, and coping skills.
Physiotherapists: help with mobility, reduce contractures, and boost independence.
Surgeons: address functional and cosmetic recovery.
Social workers: help with reintegration and financial assistance.
Occupational therapists: restore skills for daily life.
Counseling Challenges in Burns
1.Severe Disfigurement:
Emotional trauma and poor body image.
Social withdrawal and identity crisis.
2.Psychiatric Issues:
PTSD, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts.
3.Pain and Suffering:
Pain during dressing changes and surgeries can cause fear and resistance.
4.Communication Barriers:
Language or illiteracy can hinder understanding of treatment.
5.Financial and Social Stress:
Job loss, inability to work, cost of long-term care.
6.Lack of Support System:
Isolation, abandonment, especially in acid attack victims or orphaned children.
7.Cultural Stigma:
Especially in female patients in some societies, burns (especially due to domestic violence
or dowry-related issues) carry stigma.
