There can be roadblocks when building trust and rapport with clients. However, providing empathetic responses, can help build the trust and rapport needed. When a good relationship is built, clients often feel they have a safe, accepting environment where they are free to express themselves openly.

To Prepare

Complete Reflective Listening Exercises I, II, III, IV, V, and VI in the Summers textbook—focusing ONLY on identifying and reflecting the FEELINGS aspect of the exercises (Note: Each exercise also has another set of instructions to go back and respond to content rather than feeling, but you do not need to do this part of the exercises—just focus on reflecting and responding to the feelings).

When you submit your assignment, please include the original statement from the “client,” the FEELING that you identify and the EMPATHIC RESPONSE that you would give (lay it out just like it is in the book).

Note: You can find a Word document of these exercises in this week’s Learning Resources.