Dr. Ruthanne Chun and Dr. Laura Garrett, both veterinary oncologists and professors, emphasize the transformative power of intentional communication in veterinary medicine. With years of experience training students and professionals, they’ve discovered that effective communication is as vital as medical skills.

Unlike humans, animals can’t express their needs directly, so veterinarians must bridge that gap with pet owners. Drs. Chun and Garrett define intentional communication as the practice of engaging with a mindset of “What can I do to build this relationship?” This approach is personal, requires self-awareness, and helps even seasoned clinicians build trust and rapport.

One common challenge is using closed-ended questions, which can feel like an interrogation. Instead, relationship-centered questions foster understanding and create bonds. Core skills include empathy, open-ended inquiry, reflective listening, and attention to nonverbal cues. Additional techniques—like pausing, chunking information, and signposting—help create a supportive environment where clients feel seen and heard.

Dr. Garrett demonstrates these skills through a scenario with an upset client, showing how empathy, open-ended questions, and reflective listening can defuse tension and improve communication. Dr. Chun highlights how each technique contributes to building trust and making challenging situations manageable.

Both emphasize that these skills can be learned gradually, one at a time. Even empathy, they note, can be developed through practice. For those interested in workshops, Drs. Chun and Garrett are available at ruthanne.chun@wisc.edu and garrett1@illinois.edu.

What’s Inside:

• What is intentional communication?
• How can closed-ended questions cause communication difficulties?
• Is it possible to learn empathy?
• The core skills for relationship-centered communications.
• Tools and skills for enhancing client and patient care.

Mentioned In This Episode:

Teaching Cultural Humility and Implicit Bias to Veterinary Medical Students: A Review and Recommendation for Best Practices
Experiences of empathy training in healthcare: A systematic review of qualitative studies
Didactic and Experiential Training to Teach Communication Skills: The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine Collaborative Experience
Communication identity in veterinary medicine: a grounded theory approach
Coaching and Feedback: Enhancing Communication Teaching and Learning in Veterinary Practice Settings
Full Circle Lab
Crystal Stokes on LinkedIn