Training of Roma Health Mediators in Reproductive Health

"You're acting like a child."
"You women/Roma are all alike."
Possible feelings generated by these responses:
• Sense of inferiority
6. Interpreting, analyzing, diagnosing
Telling the woman what her motives are, analyzing what she is doing or saying.
Examples:
"You don't really believe that!"
"You're just trying to avoid the problem."
"You're just saying that to bug me."
Possible feelings generated by these responses:
• If correct, embarrassment
• If incorrect, hostility and anger.
7. Sympathizing
Trying to make the woman feel better, talking her out of her feelings; trying to make
her feelings go away.
Examples:
"You'll feel different tomorrow."
"All women go through this sometime."
"Don't worry, things will work out."
"I used to feel like that, too."
Possible feelings generated by these responses:
• Frustration, feeling that the mediator doesn't understand.
• Sense that the person's feelings are not important.
8. Distracting, humoring, diverting
Drawing the woman away from her problem (possibly because mediator doesn't
know how to deal with it): changing the subject etc.
Examples:
"We've been through all of this before."
"That reminds me of . . . . . "
Possible feelings generated by these responses:
• Rejection
• Frustration and hurt
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RFHI/JSI Romania Training of RHMs in Reproductive Health Session 14: Interpersonal Communication