Ep. 124 Building Rapport Isn’t Enough...How Therapists Become Part of the Intervention
Building rapport is important...but rapport isn’t the end goal. It’s the beginning of the therapeutic relationship.
In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between rapport and the therapeutic relationship and exploring an idea that can completely shift the way we think about therapy: the therapist is part of the intervention.
We’ll talk about what it actually means for a child to experience us as safe, trustworthy, responsive, and attuned - and why autonomy, flexibility, and repair matter just as much as having a “good connection.”
I’ll also introduce therapeutic use of self: intentionally adapting your presence, energy, voice, pacing, body language, expectations, and responsiveness based on what a particular child needs from you.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The difference between rapport and the therapeutic relationship
- Why building rapport shouldn’t simply lead to increasing demands
- The roles of trust, safety, autonomy, responsiveness, attunement, and repair
- What “therapeutic use of self” means—and what it looks like in practice
- How your energy, affect, voice, pacing, and physical presence can shape an interaction
- Why being a great pediatric therapist is about more than being fun or likable
- How to ask, “What does this child need from me right now?”
If you want to attend the upcoming training: Ready, Set, Connect: The Roadmap to Better Engagement & Communication - then click here to become a paid subscriber on Substack to join this training (plus trainings every month!) https://substack.com/@sensoryslp
And for Chris's upcoming AI Webinar, click here: https://www.speechdude.com/ai-for-slps-webinar-reg-aug-2026
