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Introduction
Challenging situations
What constitutes a 'challenging situation' can vary hugely. A situation that one person may find challenging can be encountered as manageable by others. For the purpose of this learning object, challenging situations are summarised under two main headings:
- where the capacity of people involved in the communication is stretched in ways that give rise to defensive reactions, such as a sense of threat or danger
- where the capacity of people involved in the communication is stretched in ways that give rise to upsetting or troubling emotions, such as tearfulness
All people are capable of becoming defensive and upset which means that these reactions are not confined to service users but can be found in the behaviour of professionals. Organisations and agencies can also become locked in defensive stances, such as rigid eligibility criteria or inflexible working practices.
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- Introduction