BATHE the client. You can make up the answers to match the scenario. Just a way to get you practice the use of the language and feel comfortable with technique. Get creative and have fun, role play.
- Ms. A. is a 47 year old Caucasian married woman with HTN, DM type II, and low back pain. Her HTN is in good control but not her DM. She forgets to measure her blood sugars regularly and takes in more calories than she metabolizes. Her after lunch finger stick blood sugar today is 325mg. She tells you that she forgot to take her medication this morning. When you BATHE her she volunteers that her 20 yr old son drops in on the family 3-4 times a week unannounced to eat dinner and do his laundry. He and his alcoholic father frequently fight; she retreats to the family room with her desert to get away from it. Ms A says she feels like “life is too much for me”. Complete the BATHE, help her focus, and evaluate her for signs of depression and suicide.
BATHE
TOOLS THE PRACTITIONER NEEDS: Good interviewing techniques, a caring manner, a genuine interest demonstrated by paying serious attention and concentrating on the client’s problems, knowledge of brief therapy techniques. A few simple questions during history taking allows the practitioner to understand the client’s problem in the context of their total life situation, including the background situation, the client’s affect, what is troubling the client and a determination of how the client is handling the stress. So we can remember these questions the acronym BATHE is identified.
B -stands for background. A simple question such as, “so what’s going on in your life?” can yield a wealth of information, and help place the complaint in perspective. Ofcourse it takes practice and skill to know how/ when to corral the overly expressive client.
A -stands for affect (the feeling state). A question such as “How do you feel about what is going on?” or “How is that affecting you?” allows the client to report their feelings.
T -stands for trouble. “What is bothering you most about the situation?” or what troubles you the most?” helps the practitioner and the client to focus.
H -stands for handling. To ask the client, “how are you handling that?” will allow the practitioner to assess the clients functioning level.
E -stands for empathy. The clients sharing of sensitive, emotional information requires a caring response from the practitioner. A response from the practitioner such as “that must be very difficult for you” legitimizes the client’s feelings. Recall and apply the concepts from change theory
