Rapport Essay

2144 Words9 Pages
The Building of Rapport is Often Considered One of the Most Important Aspects of a Hypnotherapists Work, Discuss. Rapport is a skill enabling formation of a relationship with others that creates a level of trust and understanding. It is believed by many that it is the most important aspect of a hypnotherapists work. It is one of the most important features of human interaction as believed by therapists who are more prone to the permissive style, for example, Erickson. However, the authoritarian style suggests that rapport is not always necessary as it’s harsher giving out direct commands and not involving the clients. Bernheim, a professor of medicine at the Nancy Medical School, was criticised for not recognising the role of rapport between the therapist, and the client. Freud referred to this relationship as transference. Bernheim later changed from hypnosis to using suggestion in a waking state. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippolyte_Bernheim). His school then began the term psychotherapeutics. ‘The basic theory of the Nancy school was that everything which occurred under hypnosis was caused by the physicians power of suggestion over the patient.’ (Hunter MS, Page 53) However, now it is widely considered that rapport is the single most important factor for hypnotherapists to connect to clients and successfully work with them rather than have power over them. There is an art to building rapport, it is necessary to form an understanding and trusting relationship in order for the client to share information and respond appropriately to the therapy. ‘Rapport means you demonstrate understanding of the other person’s model of the world’. (Bandler and Grinder, pg. 80) First impressions are made within moments of meeting your client, therefore, you need to consider your dress, i.e. smart and casual, then match dress for the next session but
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