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Verbs for Establishing the Frame of Therapy and Giving 'Consejos'

10/8/2016

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by Cynthia M. Braden, MFT
 Here we are presenting a list of verbs commonly used by the psychotherapist when establishing the Frame of Therapy and providing Consejos (advice & recommendations) to clients. We are highlighting the usted form of the verbs in the Present Imperative Tense, in some cases also known as the 'command' tense or subjunctive tense.

We demonstrate usage of these verbs in the usted form as that is the appropriate and professional way to address clients unless they are a child or young person. So here you will only have to memorize one form of the verb, isn't that great? It is good to memorize and practice this form so you can confidently structure the treatment and also make common therapeutic recommendations.

Unlike English, some Spanish verbs are mysteriously reflexive. So when you are saying "Siéntese por favor" you are actually saying 'sit yourself down'. To further complicate matters, some common verbs may also be stem-changing in the imperative tense and/or may require a reflexive construction.

This is something that needs to be memorized as it can't be figured out intuitively so we're showing you a few useful ones here.

We will also present the form "Le recomiendo que..." (I recommend that...). The verb that follows this clause will need to be in the imperative tense (same as subjunctive) in the third person since you don't know whether or not the action you are requesting will be performed.

Remember, it's always a good idea to keep the concepts of Respeto and Personalismo in mind by adding Por Favor and Gracias often! Usually you can add that at the beginning or end of statements.

Verbs in the Imperative Tense Frequently Used in Psychotherapy

Decir - to tell

  • Tell me what happened.
  • Please tell me more about that.
  • Tell me how you have tried to fix this so far... 
Dígame lo que pasó.
Por favor ​dígame más sobre eso.
Dígame cómo ha tratado de solucionar esto hasta ahora...
  • Tell me how you feel now.
Dígame cómo se siente ahora.

Contar - to tell (a story)

  • Tell me more about that.
​Cuénteme más sobre eso. 

Sentar(se) - to sit down

  • ​​Have a seat please
Siéntese por favor.

Ir - to go

  • I recommend that you go to an appointment with a psychiatrist.
Le recomiendo que vaya a una cita con un psiquiatra.

Venir - to come

  • I recommend that you come to therapy at the same time each week.
Le recomiendo que venga a la terapia cada semana a la misma hora.

Relajar(se) - to relax

  • Relax.
Relájese.

Llamar - to call

  • Call this number...
Llame a ese número...

Devolver - to return 

  • Return these papers next week.
Devuelva estos papeles la próxima semana.

Firmar - to sign

  • Sign these papers please.
Firme estos papeles por favor.

Escuchar - to listen

  • I recommend that you listen when she is talking.
Le recomiendo que escuche cuando ella habla.

Explicar - to explain

  • Please explain more about the problem.
Por favor explique más sobre el problema.

Hacer - to make or do

  • I recommend that you make an appointment with...
Le recomiendo que haga una cita con...

Llenar - to fill out

  • Fill out these papers
Llene estos papeles.

Repetir - to repeat

  • Repeat that.
Repita esto.

Respirar - to breathe

  • Breathe deeply.
Respire profundamente.

Hablar - to speak

  • Speak more slowly.
Hable más despacio.

Tomar - to take

  • Take your time.
Tome​ su tiempo.

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DISCLAIMER: These modules reflect tried and true methods and best practices in many cases, but their effectiveness depends very much on a variety of circumstances outside the control of Spanish for Mental Health Professionals including without limitation the context of use, and the level of training of the user.  No particular result or success can be guaranteed, and Spanish for Mental Health Professionals disclaims all liability relating to any use of the modules by any user.  Materials are suitable for licensed mental health professionals; students, para professionals and pre-licensed therapists under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional only.