A client with depression has not spoken during the last 10 minutes of a scheduled therapeutic interaction. What is the MOST therapeutic nursing response?

THERAPEUTIC SILENCE is an active, deliberate communication technique — not passive waiting.

What therapeutic silence communicates: 'You don't have to perform or produce for me'; 'I am here and attentive without demanding you speak'; 'Whatever you are experiencing right now is okay'; 'You have space to process your thoughts'.

Value in depression: Depressed clients often feel a social obligation to converse that they lack the energy to fulfill — releasing this pressure through silence can be deeply comforting; silence may precede important disclosures that emerge when the client feels no pressure to speak.

Duration: 30 seconds to 2-3 minutes of silence can feel like a very long time — allow it without breaking it anxiously.

Body language during silence: Relaxed, open posture; gentle eye contact; forward lean (interested, not hovering); nodding if client makes eye contact.

When to break silence: When the client appears distressed, panicked, or waiting for you to respond; a gentle 'Take your time — I'm here' reassures without pressuring.