Building rapport
Rapport develops naturally when the patient feels that the practitioner has a genuine interest in helping him or her and is listening. Normalising and validating a patient’s experience shows that the healthcare professional understands and recognises the issues. The healthcare professional’s body language is important and should mirror that of the patient to show empathy and understanding. Approximately 70% of communication occurs through body language (Williamson 2008), and if the healthcare professional’s body language does not reflect his or her words, the patient is likely to pick this up. Equally, the healthcare professional should remain alert to any change in the patient’s body language that might suggest resistance to what the healthcare professional is suggesting.