Therapeutic Relationships and Communication

OT Dude Academy’s Free NBCOT® Exam Prep Course Psychosocial Practice Therapeutic Relationships and Communication
  • Also known as the ‘therapeutic alliance’ and the ‘therapeutic use of self’.
  • Factors of a therapeutic relationship
    • Rapport
    • Open communication
    • Empathy
    • Counseling skills
    • Clinical reasoning
    • Verbal interaction
    • Therapeutic touch
    • Collaboration
    • Interaction
    • Sharing expertise
    • Self-disclosure
    • Transference & counter-transference1 
  • Build and develop trust and rapport with clients.
  • Clients may experience negative symptoms that hinder trust.
  • Establish and enforce boundaries through direct communication.
  • Utilize verbal and non-verbal skills including reading the client’s emotions.
  • Practice patience and flexibility with clients during interactions.
  • Practice client-centered care and accommodate the needs of the client.
  • Increase one’s self-awareness through reflection from working with clients.
  • Provide therapy to clients through the engagement of meaningful and purposeful occupations.2 
  • A therapeutic relationship is related to functional outcomes in therapy.1 
  1. Cole, M. B., & McLean, V. (2003). Therapeutic relationships re-defined. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 19(2), 33-56.[↩][↩]
  2. Maloney, S. M., & Griffith, K. (2013). Occupational therapy students’ development of therapeutic communication skills during a service-learning experience. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 29(1), 10-26.[↩]
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