Our Favorite Tips for “Getting In” with Difficult Patients

This article presents two techniques for interviewing difficult patients. In “crossing over the to the other side of the canyon,” the interviewer can gain the confidence and cooperation of a patient who does not accept the existence of a psychiatric problem by focusing on and reducing the client's distress, rather than quibbling over a diagnostic label. By using the “what if…” question, the interviewer can identify barriers in the patient's thinking and help the patient remove them. Illustrative interviews demonstrate the use of the techniques.