HOMESTUDY: Stephanie Nelson, Ph.D., ABPP/CN, ABPdN, Difficult Feedbacks: What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say, 2 CEs

Level of Activity: Intermediate Providing feedback to caregivers about their child’s assessment results is one of the most integrative, therapeutic, and rewarding responsibilities for pediatric neuropsychologists—and also one of the most challenging. We must balance compassion with clarity, emotion with cognition, and empathy with expertise. This task is further complicated by the complexity of the information, the family’s cultural context, and caregivers’ emotional capacity. Difficulties increase when results are unexpected, upsetting, or confusing. Caregivers may become overwhelmed or defensive, and clinicians may feel unprepared to support them during these charged interactions. Despite its importance, many neuropsychologists receive little formal training in delivering feedback. Unlike our medical peers, we often lack structured protocols for sharing difficult news, and our field rarely addresses missteps or lessons learned in these situations. As a result, many clinicians feel they must navigate these moments alone. This presentation invites participants to engage in a broader conversation about challenging feedback sessions. We will explore empirically grounded, clinically practical strategies to navigate difficult conversations. Topics include identifying conditions that make feedbacks harder, offering support to families managing complex dynamics, and responding effectively when strong emotions or ruptures in rapport arise. Case examples and practical tools will be shared to support real-world application. Objectives: Identify at least 3 conditions that make feedback sessions with caregivers more difficult. Describe at least 3 research-informed strategies for delivering difficult feedback. Apply at least 1 of these techniques to their clinical practice.