How to Build a Therapeutic Relationship with Clients

Learning how to build a therapeutic relationship with a client can be overwhelming, but forming a solid bond is critical to successful treatment. Countless studies have demonstrated the importance of the therapist client relationship — without it, your ability to help others can be significantly stunted.

The impact of a healthy relationship between counselor and client can enhance the overall success of the therapeutic process. The relationship can be strengthened when you have the tools to connect on a deeper level with your clients. Discover tips to improve your therapist-client relationship in this article. 

What is a Therapeutic Relationship?

The therapeutic relationship, or therapist client relationship, forms the bedrock of successful mental health treatment. It’s a professional alliance that creates an atmosphere of trust and safety, encouraging clients to be vulnerable as they share their thoughts and experiences openly. Much research has been done on the connection between positive therapeutic alliances and better therapeutic outcomes.

An interactive collaboration between client and therapist isn’t just about talking — it’s active participation from both parties as you explore often-difficult issues while fostering personal growth. 

If you want to know how to be a better therapist, fostering a strong therapeutic relationship is crucial. The quality of a therapeutic relationship will play an integral role in determining success.

Therapeutic relationships provide emotional support during challenging times for clients, allowing them to express themselves without fear. 

Components of a therapeutic relationship

The bond between therapist and client is built on several core principles. These fundamental elements include: 

• Empathy
• Respect
• Genuineness
• Unconditional positive regard (UPR)
• Active listening

Empathy: the heart of therapy

In the therapeutic process, empathy matters enormously. It’s about understanding another person’s feelings from their perspective. 

When you have empathetic responses to clients’ experiences, it forms solid connections, which are crucial for successful treatment outcomes.

Mutual respect: a two-way street

A positive therapeutic relationship always includes respect. This principle necessitates valuing and helping clients accept treatment by acknowledging their unique beliefs without judgment, ensuring the relationship builds upon a foundation of respect.

Genuineness: being real matters

Being genuine with clients can significantly enhance therapy outcomes. Genuineness suggests presenting yourself honestly rather than hiding behind a professional facade. This authenticity helps build trust within therapeutic relationships.

An attitude of unconditional positive regard (UPR)

First developed by Stanley Standal and later expanded by Carl Rogers, the concept of UPR emphasizes the importance of accepting others regardless of what they say or do during treatment. UPR promotes personal growth and bonding between therapist and client.

Active listening skills: the key to better communication

Active listening isn’t just hearing words spoken out loud. It involves giving full attention, using verbal fluency, warmth, acceptance, and non-verbal cues like nodding or maintaining eye contact. These techniques and actions show you’re engaged and interested in the conversation, leading to better overall communication and more favorable results in the long run.

5 Tips for Building a Strong Therapist Client Relationship 

The strength and depth of the therapeutic relationship can directly impact treatment success. Use the following tips to ensure you foster deep, meaningful, productive, and beneficial client relationships. 

1. Develop rapport and trust

Building a connection based on esteem and consideration is what rapport is all about. It can be accomplished by mirroring language patterns or showing genuine interest in clients’ experiences.

• Show genuine interest: Show sincere curiosity about your client’s life experiences.
• Be consistent: Be reliable in all aspects — whether this means maintaining regular session times or following through on commitments made during discussions.
• Maintain confidentiality: Make sure you communicate the ethical guidelines around privacy.
• Demonstrate empathy: Validate emotions by reflecting on what’s been shared with sensitivity and compassion. Showing clients you genuinely understand their perspective will pave the way for stronger connections over time. 

“It takes time to build a relationship with a new client. It is important to validate a client’s thoughts and feelings so that they share more about their life. Developing rapport can make the client feel more comfortable with the therapist. Over time the client starts to trust the therapist as they feel validated, understood, and safe.”

– Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LPC, LMHC

2. Cultivate empathy and understanding

The therapist relationship in counseling can be more effective when patients feel understood by their therapists, which helps them accept treatment more readily. 

Empathy goes beyond simply feeling what your client feels. You must also communicate these sentiments, so they know they’re not alone on their journey.

• Be fully present: Give your full attention during sessions — hearing not just words but also understanding underlying feelings expressed by the client.
• Mirror emotions: Reflecting emotions helps validate clients’ experiences, making them feel seen and understood.
• Avoid judgment: Maintain a non-judgmental stance and reaction to encourage open communication without fear of criticism or condemnation.

3. Foster effective communication

The key to any successful relationship between counselor and client is communication dynamics. 

As part of cognitive-behavioral therapy methods, paying attention to what clients say and how they express themselves, including tone and pace, becomes essential, especially with online therapy via the Talkspace platform.  

• Active listening: The art of active listening goes beyond just listening to what a client says. It involves being fully present and understanding their emotions expressed during conversations.
• Use open-ended questions: Promoting open dialogue through questions encourages clients to share more about their feelings and experiences without feeling judged. Open-ended questions are excellent tools that invite expansive responses rather than simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. This technique can give you deeper insight into your client’s thoughts while strengthening the therapeutic alliance.
• Nonverbal communication: Beyond verbal exchanges lie powerful nonverbal signals, including facial expressions, body posture, and gestures. These subtle forms carry significant weight, conveying empathy and acceptance toward a client’s situation, further enhancing treatment outcomes.

4. Encourage collaboration & shared decision-making

In therapy, a key tool that often determines success is collaboration and shared decision-making. It’s an approach that places clients at the center of their own mental health journey and is essential if you’re wondering how to engage clients in therapy.

This unique blend validates clients’ experiences and empowers them by giving them agency over their progress. 

• Elicit client input: Make sure your client feels heard by always asking what they think about proposed treatments or interventions. Their insight can be invaluable in shaping effective treatment plans tailored specifically to their needs.
• Promote open dialogue: Facilitate open discussions around everything — from goals and expectations to fears or concerns related to therapy sessions.  
• Show respect for client choices: Validate your client’s feelings even when they differ from yours.

“The client should take an active role in treatment planning and goal setting in therapy. The therapist should explore this with the client and not just assume what the client wants to work on in therapy. It is important to address this at the beginning of therapy so that the client and therapist are on the same page.”

– Talkspace therapist Bisma Anwar, LPC, LMHC

5. Maintain clear & professional boundaries

Professional boundaries are the cornerstone of any therapeutic relationship. They create an environment where clients can share their experiences while having clear, identified expectations that serve as a structure for their experience.

• Establish guidelines: To uphold proper limits in your practice, it’s essential to establish what constitutes appropriate behavior during sessions. You may experience several types of difficult clients in therapy, but defining session lengths, discussing confidentiality protocols, and setting expectations regarding contact between sessions will help you maintain professional boundaries.
• Respect autonomy: Always respect your clients’ autonomy by avoiding any actions that might suggest favoritism or special treatment, such as accepting gifts or engaging in non-therapy-related discussions — this keeps the focus on therapy goals while preventing boundary violations.

Building a Therapeutic Relationship as a Talkspace Therapist

The therapeutic relationship is the foundation of successful therapy outcomes. As a therapist, you must nurture this bond with care and understanding.

The therapeutic relationship is complex. It involves establishing rapport, fostering empathy, facilitating effective communication, promoting collaborative decision-making processes, and upholding professional boundaries — elements that should be at the forefront of every therapist’s practice. 

Becoming a Talkspace therapist can ensure you have the support and resources you need to build positive, effective therapeutic relationships with every client.