I remember one of my first speech therapy clients during my undergraduate program at the University of Hawaii.
She was cute as a button, but as we progressed together that semester, her behaviors also emerged. She was larger than life. She was a little firecracker.
Before I knew it, she got up out of her chair, ran to the light switch, and with evil delight, furiously flicked it on and off. I was horrified at my 21-year-old self for not knowing how to curb this behavior, especially with her mom and my supervisor observing me from behind a 2-way mirror. Needless to say, my supervisor came in and assisted me in calming everything down.
Fast forward 20 years, tons of behavior workshops, and training behind me, I still don’t enjoy difficult behaviors in kids. Who really does? But I have perfected my ability to establish rapport during my initial sessions with clients. I don’t click with everyone. That’s just normal. I’ve learned to accept the following saying:
“You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” ― Dita Von Teese.
Some of my clients will love me. Then there are some who just won’t like me no matter how positive, patient, and encouraging I am with them. Various personality styles won’t always mesh no matter how hard you try.
Regardless, you will always receive my personal best when working with me.
I try my best to establish a bond from the very beginning, and when it does work, I’ll often receive comments such as theses:
“Wow, he didn’t respond that way to the other therapist.”
“I can’t believe she’s sitting in your lap. She didn’t want to sit with the other therapist.”
“He talks to you way more than his previous therapist.”
“She waits for you by the front door when I tell her you’re coming.”
A typical first (or subsequent) session for me is to make sure we establish rapport with my client and their family. If that means spending the first couple of visits just getting situated and comfortable with each other, so be it. I do all the things we are trained to do such as getting down on the child’s level, showing interest in their activities, chatting with family members, and being at ease with the entire family unit so that the child sees that I am a safe person to approach.
Before we all know it, I have a child playing with me, giving me good eye contact and sitting on the floor engaged and interested.
Now, how does this work in the age of teletherapy? Well, it works almost the same, sometimes. I have wonderful parents right now who are all fully engaged and doing their part on their end of the screen. I have kiddos who run to get toys to show me what excites them on their end. My favorite ones are the children who believe I’m physically in the same room with them, and say, “Watch me!” It’s like the screen isn’t even a factor in really connecting with them.
In-person visits will eventually return once Covid-19 is under control. In the meantime, teletherapy is here to stay. Regardless of the mode of therapy services, I will be here ready to make sure we are the best fit for each other. A great bond with your therapist ensures better outcomes for the long term.
