Establish Rapport
Establish rapport with your client. People will relax and respond better to you if you use good eye contact, offer a safe atmosphere and act like you really care and are interested in what they have to share. Rapport starts to develop as you show understanding and concern, and eventually a mutual respect for one another.
Active Listening
Show active listening skills when meeting and counseling your client. Be comfortable with silence, as it gives the client time to process. Give her some nonverbal cues. Nod or retain eye contact to let her know you are still listening. Sometimes it may help if you paraphrase what your client has said because it shows you care, and if you misunderstood anything, she can explain it differently. It is important to let your client express emotions, even strong ones like anger or sadness, because they are part of the healing process.
Implement a Plan
Use problem-solving skills to implement an action or treatment plan. Help the patient define what his problem is, and assess his level of coping by reviewing past records and asking questions. You need to assess his current links of support, such as family members and close friends, and see if you need to refer him to other resources in the community, such as a support group, or even give a referral for psychiatric care. You and your client will develop a plan of action together on how he will cope with and solve his problem. It is often recommended to write a contract together and have both of you sign it to hold the client accountable. Make sure you check in, and see how he is managing in a few days.
Confidentiality
Make sure you uphold the laws of confidentiality because counselors hear many privileged stories of clients, and it is our duty to keep it a secret. We cannot form a rapport with clients if they do not feel they can truly open up to us about their problems.
Tags: your client, Make sure, rapport with