Rapport: 5 keys to creating an environment of trust

When we talk about psychological therapies, many times we tend to think about the techniques that are implemented, the instruments for evaluating attitudes and capacities or the approach that is used in that particular consultation.

Of course, these are very important factors when defining the type of therapy that is being used. attending and what are the objectives of attending them, but to fully capture the essence of the sessions from psychotherapy In addition, we need to take into account another key issue. It is about the quality of the therapeutic alliance established between the patient and the professional.

This is a concept that can also be known as rapport, and that is used in areas such as Clinical psychology, the NLP and even the treatment of patients dispensed by the nursing staff.

Understanding the meaning of the word "rapport"

The therapeutic rapport it is the shared and empathic understanding of the different perspectives from which oneself and the other person approach a problem that must be solved by both

. It is a framework of relationships in which a mutual understanding is established between several agents with the aim of addressing a problem in a collaborative way.

In short, therapeutic rapport is the psychological harmony between the therapist and the patient that allows the necessary collaboration between both. Its two fundamental pillars are mutual trust and fluid communication (not symmetrical, since the ideal is for the patient to express himself much more than the therapist).

Communicating... beyond consultation

Originally, the word rapport referred to the relationship dynamics that should govern the interaction between a healthcare practitioner or therapist and her patients. Thus, there are training programs for mental health professionals and physicians that focus on teaching techniques to generate rapport, since it is understood that it is a fundamental aspect of the effectiveness of the intervention on patients. However, Today this word can also be applied to practically 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 to get it.

Furthermore, rapport can be understood both as a relationship dynamics (that is, something located in a specific time and space) or as a technique applied by a therapist (that is, 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 good rapport there are also the three pillars on which it is based: coordination (or mirroring), reciprocity and the search for common places.

1. Coordination

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

2. Reciprocity

Show reciprocity consists in find ways to reciprocate the other person's contributions, be it actions or prayers. Classically, in the psychological consultation, reciprocity is reflected through active listening, in which the psychologist, despite being quieter than the patient, constantly gives signals to listen to the other person and to react to what he says.

This component of rapport varies according to the nature of the collaborative work that people must carry out.

3. Common places

This factor refers to the need to focus the messages and actions on topics that are of interest to all those involved. This is something that many times we do without realizing it, when testing the tastes and hobbies of a person we just met and ended up talking about something that is easy for us dialogue.

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 establishing empathy, trust and clear communication.

Guidelines for creating rapport

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

1. Be aware of the importance of the first impression

Most professionals whose performance depends largely on their ability to generate good rapport they put special zeal when it comes to presenting themselves to the patient in the right way. In this way, from the beginning a framework of relationships is created based more on trust than on the lack of it and, on the other hand, the fact that the therapist presents himself appropriately can make the patient see that he himself has a leading role that is not I expected.

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. Make non-verbal and verbal language marry each other

Generating rapport is largely to minimize possible distortions in the interpretation of the expressions of the other. So, it is important to express yourself in a clean way, without contradictions between what is said and what is done. For example, inviting a patient to explain her problem and at the same time keep their arms crossed is something that damages the quality of the therapeutic relationship, since an inconsistent message is emitted.

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

• "The 5 keys to mastering non-verbal language"

3. Formulate unambiguous filings

This is one of the guidelines to follow that require a good preparation of verbal expression. Consists in use an accessible and clear language, without spaces that can give rise to double meanings or unfinished phrases. In this way, the other person will not have to make an effort to unravel the meaning of what is being said, something that could already generate rejection.

4. Test rapport quality

Although it is not noticeable, therapists launch small "probe balloons" at the patient to test the strength of the therapeutic relationship. For example, they can break mirroring by adopting a very different posture from the other person or by modifying the rhythm of speech to see if this initiative is imitated. If the patient adapts to these changes, the rapport is being successfully established.

5. Do self-criticism frequently

The psychologists spend a lot of time evaluating themselves to discover which dynamics work and which do not when establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient. For this reason, the quality of rapport improves as the imperfections of this alliance between psychologist and patient are polished, something that happens thanks to the study of oneself.

To sum up

In the consultation, rapport is the therapeutic relationship that moves in the balance between the difference of the patient - professional roles and the common goal of collaborating to solve a problem. Therefore, rapport is not exactly a capacity of the therapist or a tool to be used. implemented unilaterally, but rather 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 specially prepared. Thanks to a mixture of empathy and coherence in what is expressed, a therapist can arrange a relationship framework in which rapport arises almost spontaneously.

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

Bibliographic 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.