What to Know About Therapeutic Rapport

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsImportance of Therapeutic RapportWhy Treatment Planning Is Essential to Therapeutic RapportHow a Therapist Builds RapportProviding FeedbackTherapeutic Rapport in Online TherapyWhen You Lack Therapeutic RapportFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Importance of Therapeutic Rapport

Why Treatment Planning Is Essential to Therapeutic Rapport

How a Therapist Builds Rapport

Providing Feedback

Therapeutic Rapport in Online Therapy

When You Lack Therapeutic Rapport

Frequently Asked Questions

Therapeutic rapport is an essential part of a healthytherapist-client relationship. It contributes to aclient feeling safe and respectedso that therapy can succeed.

Therapeutic rapport refers to theempathic(caring) and shared understanding of issues between a therapist and a client. It implies a team approach to the management of these issues in contrast to an adversarial approach.

With good therapeutic rapport, clients feel their therapist “has their back” in a way that allows them to face difficult-to-face problems. Likewise, the therapist in a setting with good therapeutic rapport feels respected in a way that allows them to speak clearly and freely.

At a GlanceTherapeutic rapport is all about the shared understanding and empathy you share with your therapist. It’s not just an important part of helping you feel safe and comfortable talking about intimate details of your life—it’s actually vital for the success of your treatment.Learn more about why therapeutic rapport is so essential for treatment and outcomes, how therapists build this alliance, and what to do if your relationship with your therapist lacks rapport.

At a Glance

Therapeutic rapport is all about the shared understanding and empathy you share with your therapist. It’s not just an important part of helping you feel safe and comfortable talking about intimate details of your life—it’s actually vital for the success of your treatment.Learn more about why therapeutic rapport is so essential for treatment and outcomes, how therapists build this alliance, and what to do if your relationship with your therapist lacks rapport.

Therapeutic rapport is all about the shared understanding and empathy you share with your therapist. It’s not just an important part of helping you feel safe and comfortable talking about intimate details of your life—it’s actually vital for the success of your treatment.

Learn more about why therapeutic rapport is so essential for treatment and outcomes, how therapists build this alliance, and what to do if your relationship with your therapist lacks rapport.

Why Therapeutic Rapport Is So Important

The goal of developing a good rapport is to improve your chances for a successful outcome, along with developing mutual trust and respect, to foster an environment in which you, the client, feel safe.

Therapeutic rapport can help you feel:

To develop a good rapport, your therapist must, among other things, demonstrate empathy and understanding. Therapeutic rapport is a cornerstone of most forms of psychotherapy, includingcognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT).

CBT is a type of talk therapy that focuses on changing inaccurate or negative thought patterns. By helping people view situations in more realistic or positive ways, they can respond in ways that support their goals. CBT has been found to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Research has found that a good therapeutic relationship has a significant impact on the outcome of therapy.Two aspects of therapeutic rapport that appear to be particularly important are mutuality and collaboration.

Studies have shown that being able to trust and respect a therapist is essential to a client-therapist relationship.

In order to develop a therapeutic rapport, you need to feel confident that yourtherapistis an expert who is developing a treatment plan designed to meet your specific needs.

How will you know if your therapist is taking the time to understand your needs?

The process of building rapport begins with the initial counseling sessions, where the therapist and client become acquainted, learn more about the issues the client is facing, and work on developing a treatment plan.

As therapy continues, a therapist will continue to utilize strategies that foster and support effective therapeutic rapport. Some of these strategies include:

Body Language

Provide supportivenonverbal cues, including eye contact and nodding in agreement. This not only shows that they are listening, but can also convey important information and help you feel more comfortable during your sessions.

Understanding Body Language and Facial Expressions

Client Feedback

A therapist will offer feedback in the moment rather just than in a later session. Being willing to accept feedback demonstrates that your therapist values what you have to say and is willing to listen to your concerns. It also shows that they see you as a collaborator in the therapeutic process.

Collaboration

A therapist will encourage you to be active and feel empowered in regard to yourtreatment plan. You will work together as mutual partners in your treatment.

Flexibility and Responsiveness

Genuineness

When your therapist is genuine, it allows you to see them as a human being, not just a mental health professional. If you see your therapist as being genuine, you are more likely to positively receive critical feedback about your progress.

RecapThere are a number of things a therapist can do to help help build therapeutic rapport. This includes being genuine, responsive, flexible, and collaborative.

Recap

There are a number of things a therapist can do to help help build therapeutic rapport. This includes being genuine, responsive, flexible, and collaborative.

Although you are there for your therapist’s expert advice, you are also the client. Providing feedback to your therapist is another way to help develop a good rapport. By asking for feedback, your therapist indicates they see you as an active participant in the healing process. This is why it is important to be so honest.

Asking a client for feedback:

When your child is in therapy, their therapist should also develop a good rapport with the parents or guardians.Having a good relationship with a client’s caregivers helps facilitate parental involvement and engagement in the therapy process.

Therapeutic Rapport in Online and Telehealth Therapy

With the advent of online and telephone options for therapy, the importance of therapeutic rapport is just as important but more difficult to develop and assess. Typed messages and communications on the phone are more difficult to interpret since neither the client nor the therapist can visualize important body language clues.

Online therapy—which incorporates audio, video, and other ways of communicating—may be better since the therapist and client can see one another and pick up nonverbal cues more easily.If you consider distance therapy, keep this in mind and ask potential therapists how they work with this issue.

A Verywell Report: Americans Find Strength in Online Therapy

When You Lack Therapeutic Rapport With Your Therapist

Just as there are some painters who may do a better job painting your house, there are some therapists that do a better job of establishing rapport. Yet, based on the definition of rapport, this effort is two-sided and requires effort on the part of both the therapist and the client.

That said, personality can play a large role in developing rapport with your therapist. Even if a therapist is verycompassionateand a client is very motivated to address their mental health issues, there are times when personalities simply don’t mix.

If you find yourself in this category, don’t fret.Finding the right therapistfor you isn’t always quick and easy. When it doesn’t seem like a good match, talk about the issue with your therapist and ask if they can refer you to someone who might be a better fit.

There are many good therapists out there. You may need to talk to more than one therapist before you find one who can best support your needs.

How to Talk to Your Therapist

Learn More:How to Find a Culturally Sensitive Therapist

It’s normal to feel anxious before you first therapy appointment, especially if it is your first time trying therapy. The good news is that you can talk about these apprehensions in therapy. Your therapist can help you explore these feelings and help you to feel more comfortable during your sessions.Learn More:What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

It’s normal to feel anxious before you first therapy appointment, especially if it is your first time trying therapy. The good news is that you can talk about these apprehensions in therapy. Your therapist can help you explore these feelings and help you to feel more comfortable during your sessions.

Learn More:What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

If it just doesn’t seem to be working, talk to your therapist instead of just quitting therapy. It’s possible that your therapist can adapt their approach based on your concerns, but they can also recommend another therapist who might be better equipped to meet your needs. But if they don’t seem receptive to feedback, it is okay to find another therapist.Learn More:How to Break Up With Your Therapist

If it just doesn’t seem to be working, talk to your therapist instead of just quitting therapy. It’s possible that your therapist can adapt their approach based on your concerns, but they can also recommend another therapist who might be better equipped to meet your needs. But if they don’t seem receptive to feedback, it is okay to find another therapist.

Learn More:How to Break Up With Your Therapist

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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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