Rapport…
“Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.”
How important is rapport to the therapy process? Whether it’s a topic discussed in research literature, read in textbooks, or is simply anecdotal…one finds that it’s pretty important. Many will say that it can be the key to successful therapy outcomes, because if a person does not connect with their therapist, then sometimes the work that needs to get done…doesn’t get done.
Rapport is one of the first things that tends to be established in the therapeutic process…also known as establishing a therapeutic alliance. I think it’s no surprise then that many people determine in the 1st couple of sessions whether or not they are going to continue seeing the therapist based on the the amount of rapport they feel has been established in the therapy relationship.
How important to you is rapport with your therapist?
Do you think that a lack of rapport hinders the work that needs to be done? Or do you think it doesn’t matter?
What things can a therapist do to help establish rapport with a client?
