Communication Skills Worksheets

What is a Communication Skills Worksheet?

Working on communication skills is one of the most commonly used interventions during therapeutic treatment. Communication is an essential life skill that is necessary in a number of different situations, including developing meaningful relationships, resolving conflicts, and achieving general success in one’s personal and professional life. There are various ways that therapists teach clients how to improve their communication skills – including using a worksheet. Distributing worksheets to clients is highly effective at engaging clients within their own care and empowering them to visualize solutions to whatever obstacles they may be facing. We’ve designed a communication skills worksheet that is easy to access and intuitive to use, enabling therapists to gain an insight into their client’s current communication skills and specific areas where they may want to target treatment. In this guide, I’ll introduce you to our worksheet, explain how it can be implemented, and highlight some of its associated benefits. Let’s get started!

How To Use This Communication Skills Worksheet 

So how exactly do you implement the worksheet into your practice? Thankfully, this process is both easy and efficient – just follow the below steps. 

Step One: Get the worksheet ready

The first step involves accessing and saving the worksheet. We have included a link to the PDF template a little further down this page, alongside communication skills worksheet example responses. If you click on this link you’ll be taken to the PDF version of the worksheet, which can then be downloaded and saved to your device. This will make it much easier for you to access the worksheet and give it to your patients at a later date. 

Step Two: Clients complete the worksheet

The next step requires your client to complete the worksheet. When you are treating a client who you think will benefit from using the worksheet, you should give them either a physical copy or send them an electronic link to the PDF template. The client can complete the worksheet in their own time, and you should encourage them to be as honest and transparent in their answers as possible. 

Step Three: Use the worksheet to guide your sessions

The worksheet asks clients to reflect on their current communication skills and barriers. This will identify areas that require improvement, and you can use these responses to guide the next component of your treatment plan. The completed worksheet is also a fantastic resource to guide your session discussions, as you can ask your client for further details regarding their answers and deepen your understanding of their desired outcomes. 

Step Four: Store somewhere secure

The completed worksheets contain confidential information regarding a client and their life, meaning that they need to be stored in a HIPAA-compliant way. There are a couple of options for how you can do this: either using a physical storage facility, or a secure online EHR. Provided it has adequate safeguards in place, either of these options are fine.

Communication Skills Worksheet Example (Sample)

Sometimes the best way to wrap your head around a template is to see it in action. This is why we have come up with a sample communication skills worksheet with possible responses. These answers are based on a fictional client who is receiving therapeutic treatment to improve their communication skills. We have also included a link to the template in a PDF format, which can either be edited directly or saved to your device.

Download this Communication Skills Worksheet Example (Sample) here:

Who Can Use these Printable Communication Skills Worksheets (PDF)?

As the title suggests, this worksheet is targeted toward clients who are focusing on developing their communication skills. However, it is highly likely that they are receiving therapeutic treatment for a broader reason, which could be:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Relationship Issues 
• Loneliness/Isolation
• Work-Related Problems 
• Confidence and Self-Esteem
• Support 
• Grief/Loss

In regard to the type of healthcare clinician who is likely to use this worksheet, any of the following clinicians will benefit:

• Mental Health Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Licensed Counselor
• Psychologist
• Psychotherapist
• Psychiatrist

Why is This Form Useful for Therapists?

In addition to assisting clients to develop their communication skills, this worksheet will have a range of benefits for therapists, including the following:

• Save time: Introducing this worksheet will allow you to save a lot of time. Our worksheet is pre-formatted, meaning you don’t have to spend any time organizing or structuring your templates. The process is entirely automated and you can reap the benefits of this resource without any of the time-related negative consequences.
• Go paperless: Our worksheet can be accessed, shared, and stored online. In addition to saving you time, completing this process electronically will eliminate printing costs and help your practice transition into going paperless. As an additional bonus, eliminating paper is hugely beneficial for the environment!‍
• Insight into client’s experiences: This worksheet is designed to be completed primarily by your clients. You should encourage them to be as honest and open about their experiences as possible. This information will give you transparent insight into how communication is impacting your client’s day-to-day life, allowing you to identify specific areas that may require improvement.

Benefits of Communication Skills Worksheet Template

There is a vast array of benefits associated with using this communication skills worksheet, for both you and your clients. These include:

Teach valuable communication skills

The primary and most obvious benefit of this resource is its ability to teach clients effective communication skills. Although the worksheet is designed to be completed by clients, it encourages these clients to reflect on their own communication-related abilities, highlighting areas of strength as well as areas of weakness. Clients will learn how to identify and recognize effective strategies, allowing them to focus on improving their communication in all spheres of life.

Guide your treatment plan

The answers that a client includes on the communication skills worksheet can be used to develop your treatment plan. After you identify specific areas that require improvement, you can develop strategies that target these, helping your client achieve their desired treatment outcomes.

Elevate self-esteem and confidence 

A lot of the time, poor communication derives from low self-esteem and confidence. Clients may feel as though people don’t listen to them and they may be struggling in their social life. Improving their ability to communicate with different groups of people will be highly valuable for elevating their confidence and feelings of self-worth. 

Track client progress 

You will also be able to assess the progress that your clients have made using this worksheet. After you have been treating your client for a period of time, you can use the completed worksheet to reflect back on how much progress your client has made. This will allow you to identify specific areas of improvement or goals that have been achieved. It can be quite difficult to measure progress in therapy, so having a resource that facilitates this is highly valuable for both you and your clients. 

Improve your client’s quality of life

Improving communication skills will inevitably improve a client’s quality of life. Having good communication can have significantly positive effects on decision-making, conflict resolution, trust, confidence, self-worth, and meaningful relationships. To this extent, elevating communication is multifaceted in the benefits it will result in.

Why Use Carepatron For Communication Skills Worksheet Software?

If you choose to invest in Carepatron’s practice management software, you will be able to automate the process of distributing, reviewing, and editing this worksheet. Carepatron has a vast collection of available resources, all accessible for free. Using these tools, you can engage your clients in their own care, develop effective treatment plans, and focus on achieving desired outcomes. Carepatron is also integrated with a HIPAA-compliant EHR that can store all of your completed worksheets (as well as any other clinical documentation). This system ensures that your patient’s privacy is protected at all times, as well as elevating organization and guaranteeing 24/7 accessibility. 

While these are fantastic resources offered by Carepatron, it would be remiss of us not to mention the other clinical and administrative areas that the system targets. These include appointment scheduling, medical billing and coding, telehealth, mobile care, and clinical note-taking. With Carepatron by your side, you can achieve sophisticated automation and optimize all of your practice’s processes.