Find Something In Common

Want your patients to trust you faster? Find something in common.

Not a polite observation about their shirt or something they said. Something real–a shared experience, a place you've both been, a sport you both played, a struggle you both know. When you find it, you'll see it in their eyes. They'll light up with a kind of happy shock, like they've been waiting to be understood and didn't expect it would happen today.

That moment isn't small talk. It's the beginning of therapeutic alliance. It says: I see you as a person.

You don't have to force it, just look for it.  Ask about their life, not just their symptoms, and don’t be afraid to open up about yourself first. The common ground is usually there. You just have to care enough to find it.