Rapport: 5 keys to create a trusting environment

What is Rapport? We explain the keys to generate a good rapport with another person.

When we talk about psychological therapies, we often tend to think about the techniques that are implemented, the instruments used to evaluate attitudes and abilities, or the approach used in that particular consultation.

Of course, these are very important factors when it comes to delimiting the type of therapy being attended and what the goals of attending them are, but to fully grasp the essence of modern psychotherapy sessions we need to consider another key issue as well. This is the quality of the therapeutic alliance established between the patient and the practitioner..

This is a concept that can also be referred to as rapportIt is used in areas such as Clinical Psychology, NLP and even in the treatment of patients by nursing staff.

Understanding the meaning of the word "rapport".

The therapeutic rapport is the shared and empathic understanding of the different perspectives from which oneself and the other person approach a problem to be solved by both.. It is a framework of relationships in which a mutual understanding is established between several agents with the aim of approaching a problem in a collaborative way.

To summarize, therapeutic rapport is the psychological attunement between therapist and patient that allows for the necessary collaboration between them. Its two fundamental pillars are mutual trust and fluid communication (but not symmetrical, since ideally the patient should express him/herself much more than the therapist).

Communicating... beyond the consulting room

Originally, the word rapport referred to the relationship dynamics that should govern the interaction between a clinician or therapist and his or her patients. Thus, there are training programs for mental health and medical professionals that focus on teaching techniques to generate rapport, as it is understood to be a fundamental aspect of the effectiveness of intervention on patients. However, today this word can also be applied to virtually any context in which there is a task that can be carried out by two people who need to reach a good degree of rapport in order to achieve it. to achieve it.

In addition, rapport can be understood as both a relationship dynamic (i.e., something situated in a specific time and space) or as a technique applied by a therapist (i.e., an instrument that is part of the professional's repertoire of skills). However, these nuances do not change the nature of what a good rapport should be.

Components of rapport

Wherever there is a good rapport, there are also the three pillars on which it is based: coordination (or mirroring), reciprocity and the search for common ground.

1. Coordination

The coordination o mirroring consists of adapting to the rhythm of the other person both gesturally (capturing the general (by capturing the general whole of their non-verbal language and replicating it in a similar way), orally (adapting the tone of voice and the rhythm of speech to that of the other person) and, above all, emotionally, emotionally (reflecting oneself the emotional state of the other person in order to empathize and at the same time make that empathy manifest).

Reciprocity

Show reciprocity consists of finding ways to reciprocate the other person's contributions, whether these are actions or sentences. Classically, in the psychological consultation, reciprocity is embodied through active listening, in which the psychologist, despite being quieter than the patient, constantly gives signs of listening to the other person and reacting to what he/she says.

This component of rapport varies according to the nature of the collaborative work to be carried out by the individuals.

3. Common ground

This factor refers to the need to focus the focus of messages and actions on issues that are of interest to everyone involved.. This is something we often do without realizing it, by feeling out the tastes and hobbies of a person we have just met and end up talking about something that is easy for us to discuss.

This is also done in therapy, although, of course, always with the objective of the sessions in mind and without deviating too much from certain guidelines and topics to be discussed.

The result of these three factors is the establishment of empathy, trust and clear communication..

Guidelines for building rapport

Some of the psychologists and therapists are guided by to establish a good therapeutic rapport are are:

1. Be aware of the importance of first impressions 2.

Most professionals whose performance depends to a large extent on their ability to generate a good rapport are particularly zealous when it comes to establishing a good rapport. are particularly careful to present themselves to the patient in an appropriate manner.. In this way, from the beginning a relationship framework is created based more on trust than on the lack of it and, on the other hand, the fact that the therapist introduces himself properly can make the patient see that he himself has a leading role that he did not expect.

A simple handshake, for example, is enough to make patients significantly more receptive to the attentions of the psychologist and health personnel in general.

2. Matching nonverbal and verbal language.

Generating rapport is largely a matter of minimizing possible distortions in the interpretation of the other's expressions. That is why, it is important to express oneself in a clean way, without contradictions between what is said and what is done.. For example, inviting a patient to explain his or her problem and at the same time keeping your arms crossed is something that damages the quality of the therapeutic relationship, since it sends an inconsistent message.

To delve deeper into this very important aspect, you can take a look at this article:

• "The 5 keys to mastering nonverbal language".

3. Formulating unambiguous statements

This is one of the guidelines to follow that require a good preparation of verbal expression. It consists of using accessible and clear language, without spaces that could lead to double meanings or unfinished sentences.. In this way, the other person will not have to make an effort to unravel the meaning of what is being said, something that in itself could generate rejection.

4. Test the quality of the rapport

Even if you don't notice it, therapists throw small "trial balloons" to the patient to test the solidity of the therapeutic relationship.. For example, they may break mirroring by adopting a very different posture from the other person or by modifying the pace of speech to see if this initiative is imitated. If the patient adapts to these changes, rapport is being successfully established.

5. Frequent self-criticism

Psychologists spend a lot of time in self-evaluating to discover which dynamics work and which do not when establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient.. Therefore, the quality of the rapport improves as the imperfections of this alliance between psychologist and patient are polished, something that happens thanks to self-study.

To summarize

In the consultation, rapport is the therapeutic relationship that moves in the balance between the difference between the patient-professional roles and the common goal of collaborating to solve a problem.. Therefore, rapport is not exactly a capacity of the therapist nor a tool to be implemented unilaterally, but something that is generated in the dynamics of interactions with the patient.

It is something that must be nurtured by both parties, but for which the psychologist is especially prepared. Thanks to a mixture of empathy and coherence in what is expressed, a therapist can arrange a relationship framework in which rapport emerges practically spontaneously.

Depending on the roles that people have to adopt and the goals to be achieved, a good rapport between the agents can be achieved, the good rapport between the agents can give rise to various types of rapport that are adapted to each situation.although its fundamentals are always the same.

Bibliographical references:

• Casella, S. M. (2015). Therapeutic rapport: the forgotten intervention.Journal of emergency nursing,41(3), pp. 252 - 154.

• Dolcos, S., Sung, K., Argo, J. J., Flor-Henry, S., Dolcos, F. (2012). The power of a handshake: neural correlates of evaluative judgments in observed social interactions. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24(12) , pp. 2292 - 2305.

• Norfolk T., Birdi K., Patterson F. (2009). Developing therapeutic rapport: a training validation study. Quality in Primary Care, 17, pp. 99 - 106.