Therapeutic relationships

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My time working as a therapy tech at HealthSouth I was able to get a grasp on the importance of therapeutic relationships between the client and therapist, and talking about therapeutic use of self really brought the topic full circle for me. During my time working as a tech I was able to witness great examples of positive therapeutic relationships. I would see therapist with strong empathy and great active listening. Other times I would see therapists using humor as a way to help encourage patients to participate and even distract them from their pain and discomfort. Unfortunately I also witnessed bad examples as well. I was often the person clients would complain to about certain therapists, and their concerns were usually the same. It always came down to the fact that they did not feel heard, and that their therapy sessions did not seem like a two way street where they could have input and make decisions . From the experiences I have gained, and discussing the importance in class I know I will make a conscious effort to develop a strong therapeutic relationship with every client I encounter. Creating a trusting and safe space for my future clients will be a priority for me in order to increase intervention outcomes.

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