We spend day in and day out communicating in many different ways. At times,
communication is done through verbal responses and expressions. Other times, we
communicate through gestures or body language. We are basically in a state of
constant communication in varying ways. Some situations such as therapy, can
leave one feeling very exposed and vulnerable which can inhibit one’s ability
to communicate effectively. Therapists are trained to watch for many ways their
client may communicate their feelings and pick up on subtle gestures or cues in
order to understand their client’s feelings and better respond to them.
Communication between a therapist and their client is most effective with a
strong relationship. This type of relationship rests heavily on trust,
consistency, and the connection between the therapist and client.
Therapist/Client Connection
The connection between a therapist and their client has a huge impact on the
outcome of the actual therapy process but even more so, their connection serves
as a starting point in effective communication. Without a healthy connection,
communication may be forced, uncomfortable, or seriously lacking. Considering
the process of therapy is for an individual to be able to work through issues,
effective communication is a must for the process to work.
When considering the connection between a therapist and client, many factors
come into play as to how well the connection will be. Sometimes, personalities
can be too different and cause distance in the relationship. Other times, the
connection is instant and perfect. Some people seeking counseling may have to
try several therapists before finding the one that feels most comfortable for
them. Each therapist is different based on their own personalities and
training. Finding the one that works best for you is crucial to developing the
best connection and relationship.
Once a client begins to get to know their therapist, they learn the
therapists communication style and their own response style. This process of
getting to know one another deepens the connection. As time moves on and the
relationship grows, this connection allows the communication to become deeper
which is often needed for the therapeutic process.
Therapist/Client Consistency
Consistency is a huge factor in effective communication between a therapist
and client. Consistency could include scheduling, availability, expected
responses, emotional responses, and more. There are a variety of reasons one
may seek out counseling and often times this can involve things such as anxiety
or other conditions that are heavily disrupted by inconsistency. Considering a client’s
history and reasons for seeking therapy are all the more reason to keep the
therapeutic environment and relationship very consistent.
Typically, scheduling for a client is fairly consistent. Most therapists
will schedule a client weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on their needs
at the time. This regular schedule helps to ease any anxiety and allows the
consistency needed to develop the relationship and lead to better
communication. Disruptions in scheduling can have an extremely negative impact
on the client’s feelings and communication. An example of the necessity of
consistency could be a therapist taking time off for vacation. A client who is
used to seeing their therapist weekly depends heavily on those appointments,
especially if there are working through difficult issues. The time between
sessions is spent pondering and thinking over the previous session as well as
preparing for what they’ll discuss at their next session. The consistency in a
regular schedule helps ease those in between times and lesson the anxiety one
may feel anticipating their next session. When a disruption arises, one may be
left feeling confused, forgotten, abandoned, unwanted, or a number of other
feelings. While these may seem irrational, for one who depends on the
consistency of their therapist and these appointments, it can be a huge factor
in their ability to communicate. After a disruption like this, it could take
several weeks or months for one to get back to the place of comfort they were
in prior to the disruption.
Therapist/Client Trust
Therapist
deal with a range of issues, but most often, these are incredibly personal and
the relationship between the therapist and client becomes quite intimate on an
emotional level. Effective communication is a must for both parties for the process
to be helpful and without trust, the communication is severely hindered. Trust is one of the most crucial aspects of the therapy relationship. Trust with a therapist is an absolute necessity when it comes to a client being able to share the intimate details of their struggles. Without trust, communication may be severely hindered or even non-existent.
A therapist is bound by many legal and moral ethics as far as privacy and
trust goes. A good therapist honors their clients privacy and goes above and
beyond to create a safe, comfortable and trusting environment. Many clients
seeking therapy come from histories where trust has been at best, shattered.
That is all the more reason for the therapist to provide the most trusting environment
possible.
The trust between the therapist and client is not instant. It takes time to
build this trust. As time goes by and the client is able to see the therapist’s
responses to different things, their trust in the therapist grows. As mentioned
above, consistency from the therapist is one of the areas that help with
developing the trust a client feels with their therapist. The connection they
share also plays a huge part in this trust. When one feels a closer connection,
they are more willing to open and up and share the more intimate parts of their
lives.
In conclusion, the therapist’s job is to provide an environment where
communication can be highly effective. Communication is how the process of
therapy works. Without a good connection, consistency, and trust, one will most
likely not have a successful experience with therapy or see the possibly
benefits of a healthy therapeutic process. But with the right therapist, all of
these can be achieved and lead to a deeper level of communication, progress in
therapy, and ultimately, healing from whatever issues led them to therapy to
begin with.
