Answer:
Option C, To encourage the client to talk and express feelings
Step-by-step explanation:
In the words of singer-songwriter Jon Bellion "nothing's louder than the sound of silence." Silence can make many individuals uncomfortable but this is not its purpose in therapeutic communication. Rather, its purpose is to cause the patient to do what most people do when there is a silence: fill it by speaking. When the nurse remains silent during conversation, it can convey to the patient that they are digesting the content of the patient's thoughts as they are spoken, showing that the nurse values how the patient is expressing themselves and that the nurse has a genuine interest in what the patient desires to share. The desired outcome, then, is that the patient will further discuss their feelings.
The goal of the silence is to get the patient to address difficult topics and continue to speak on them more and more, not to stray away. Creating tension and discomfort would do quite the opposite of encouraging therapeutic communication. Lastly, during conversations where this therapeutic method is implemented, the goal is not to control the conversation; instead, the goal of the nurse is to become an apprentice in the patient's care, allowing them to dictate where the conversation goes, and interjecting when there is opportunity to educate that patient, sympathize with the patient, present an alternative outlook such as reframing their thinking or rephrasing what was just said.
All in all, the purpose of therapeutic silence is to hopefully allow the patient to continue expressing their feelings and their experiences, option C.