Therapeutic Relationship

Therapeutic Relationship is the relationship between a client and occupational therapist. Building a strong therapeutic relationship is important because it allows a trust to be formed. If a client trusts their therapist, enjoys going to therapy, and feels comfortable, the OT process will be a more positive experience.
The greatest take away for me, in class, was the distinction Dr. Lancaster made between sympathy and empathy. Empathy is an extremely important quality in a therapist and it is not just placing yourself in your client's shoes. If a client has experienced a spinal cord injury from a car wreck, you do not just imagine how you would feel if you were in a car wreck. Empathy is understanding that what has brought them to OT, might be the hardest event or experience of their lifetime. Knowing that, you think about how you felt during the hardest experience in your life and use that perspective to help your client. I would like to spend more time reflecting on my own experience to strengthen my sense of empathy. I would also like to improve my ability to ask questions and actively listen. It is so important to ask questions without judgement or assumption before beginning treatment and this is something that I would like to strengthen.
I enjoyed learning about therapeutic relationship because this is the "bread and butter" of the occupational therapy experience. I think that this unique aspect of OT sets our job as healthcare practitioners apart and keeps the heart in what we do.