What is illustrated when a health professional responds, "How is your mother doing?" after a client expresses feelings of helplessness?

The response "How is your mother doing?" does not showcase a direct engagement with the client's current feelings or situation. In fact, this approach diverts the conversation away from the client's expression of helplessness to inquire about a third party, which can be seen as a form of shifting. It illustrates an attempt to change the topic rather than providing a supportive or empathetic response to the client's emotional state.

In therapeutic communication, empathy involves understanding and reflecting the client's feelings, supportive inquiry encourages the client to delve deeper into their emotions or experiences, and clarification seeks to ensure understanding of what the client means. In this case, none of those are demonstrated; instead, the focus moves away from the client's feelings, which is characteristic of shifting the conversation.