The role of rapport and working alliance is perhaps the single most important factor in determining the success of therapeutic treatment. The working alliance consists of three components: trust between therapist and client, their agreement on therapy goals, and their agreement on therapy tasks. Without these as a foundation for therapy, the partnership will break down and clients may be worse off than when they came in for treatment, because now they may also lack trust in their therapist. We can also add attitude and motivation to create TEAM: trust, expectations, attitude, and motivation. If the working alliance is good, clients will have an attitude of curiosity and will be motivated to do the work required to achieve their goals.

Rapport and working alliance should be developed very early on in the therapist-client relationship. This is why we ask important questions in the initial assessment that define the problem, determine why it is a problem, define client goal, explore client motivation, devise a treatment plan, and explain how the treatment plan will address the problem and the goal. This kind of working alliance is necessary for the client to change. Additionally, it is important to receive client feedback after each session (including assessment) to ensure the working alliance continues to be successful. Open and honest communication is crucial to a good working alliance, so that expectations are set and met. Furthermore, clients must feel ownership of their goals and therapy plan to continue to be motivated. Collaboration is essential.

The working alliance can be undermined, particularly when therapists and clients disagree over therapy goals and treatment plan. If they do not agree and they work towards differing goals, clients will not follow the treatment plan and again, therapy will fail. The working alliance can also be undermined when therapists behave incongruently or when a codependent or other unhealthy relationship is developed between therapists and clients. Furthermore, if clients have not “bought into” treatment, they will not follow the plan and therapy will be undermined.

The client-therapist relationship is the number one predictor of therapy outcomes, so when choosing a therapist, be sure to find someone you trust and can build a good relationship with. If you feel like I may be a good fit to help you achieve your goals, contact me!

Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) is a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), hypnosis, and mindfulness. That means I use a variety of techniques to help clients work on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours to achieve their goals.

For example, let’s say that you’re having a moment; your boss is demanding completion of a task RIGHT NOW, your kids are screaming and needing attention, and you really just need a moment to yourself. Once you take care of the boss and the children, you find yourself in your kitchen, looking for something sweet or salty to eat. Maybe you think that you’re treating yourself for managing so much stress in a short time. Maybe you’re grabbing that snack because you deserve it or you can’t live without it. A few minutes later, you feel bad for eating that junk food; you start beating yourself up. You become irritable towards your family and friends. You’re not sure what to do with feeling guilty or even physically unwell and anxious after all of this, so you reach for another bit of junk food, and it starts all over again.

Maybe you feel like that’s not a problem for you, or maybe you do feel it is a problem or could eventually become a problem. But did you know that this is a SOLVEABLE problem?

I can help you overcome this vicious cycle using CBH techniques, such as changing your thought processes, examining your emotions and triggers, and imagining scenes where you change your in-the-moment behaviours. You may even discover additional benefits of CBH, such as becoming more resilient to stress and anxiety, developing coping mechanisms, and actually behaving differently in stressful situations. CBH is an evidence-based methodology, meaning there is a lot of research and data that proves its effectiveness. Start your journey to overcoming your stress eating today by contacting me here.