ABSTRACT

Rapport is being on the same wavelength and connect mentally and emotionally with others, building mutual trust and respect. In other words, it describes the skills that consultants need to meet people where they are (wherever that place is). This chapter highlights developing and maintaining rapport are central to effective consulting. Consultants will find it easier to develop and maintain rapport with some people more than others, but consultants can (and should) do this with every patient. They just to be willing to enter their world for a short period of time. The tools that break rapport are like a photographic negative of those used to build it. So, just as building rapport is about matching people's speech, behaviour and representational systems, in order to break rapport consultants need to take active steps to mismatch with the patient. Altering body position, sitting up straighter, speaking a little faster and louder are some ways that help to break the rapport.