At a glance
Developing rapport is an important part of building a good working relationship, and simply means being able to understand and communicate well with someone.
Building rapport is important for you and the person you are supporting, to help you both feel that you are “on the same page.” Rapport is not just about agreeing with someone. It is about working together, and being able to deal with complex or sensitive situations.
Some simple body language tips can help with building rapport:
- mirroring the person’s body language, including amount of eye contact
- matching the speed of their speech
- using the words that they use.
But the most important way to build a good working relationship is to:
- treat people with respect
- be genuinely interested.
The best way to build rapport with a person who experiences mental health concerns is to treat them just like you would any other person.
- A person with lived experience of a mental health condition
Resources
Utilise specialist communication skills to build strong relationships
This course is designed to help you to communicate effectively within your organisation and in a case management situation. In order to access this training, you will need to set up an account.
Type: eLearning
Produced by: QCOSS Community Door
Effective Communication - Improving Communication Skills in Your Work and Personal Relationships
These are tips on how to improve your communications skills to be able to convey clear messages.
Type: Web page
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Produced by: HelpGuideOrg International
Active Listening: Katie Owens
In this video Katie Owens provides a reminder on how to apply active listening.
Type: Video
Viewing time: 3.18 minutes
Closed captions: Yes
Produced by: TEDx
