Building Trust

Building trust is crucial if you work in a professional capacity helping people open up about their wishes and feelings. Building trust requires commitment, perseverance and patience. It’s not something that happens overnight. You need to make a genuine connection if you’re going to make real progress. You need to show empathy, use active listening skills and be clear that you want to help.

Building trust in therapy

It sounds obvious, but you’re only going to build trust with someone who likes you. You have to click. Make a connection. You’re not going to get anywhere with someone who can’t stand you, doesn’t get you or thinks you’re being insincere.

If you don’t feel as though you’re going to gel with someone, perhaps you have a colleague who would be better placed to help? Don’t commit to helping someone if you don’t think you can do it.

Great communication, clarity and transparency can all help you to build trust. Arrive promptly to your appointments – nothing says: “I don’t really care” like someone who doesn’t turn up on time. Be ready to show that you genuinely want to help.

Building trust in children

Building trust in children and young people – particularly those who’ve experienced developmental trauma – can work differently than it does with adults. Children who’ve experienced trauma can reject closeness and connection with the adults around them and it can be hard to help them open up. They might also lack the language skills to describe their emotions.

Lots of professionals find using the PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy) method successful when building trust with children and young people. Playfulness – and in particular, play therapy – is a great way for children to develop trust because play is such a natural part of their development. If you’re looking for a friendly, playful character to add to your play therapy toolkit, why not have a browse of the Monkey Bob shop?

Problem-free talk

Problem-free talk isn’t just about speech. It covers drawing, role-play and other activities too. Problem-free talk involves asking children to think about what they like and what they’re good at. It’s about helping children and young people to see that there’s more to them than just their problem. It’s about focusing on positive qualities and hopeful outcomes rather than dwelling on negative or disruptive behaviours.

Even children who struggle to identify their strengths can be encouraged with certain techniques. You could try asking the child to imagine what their friends or family members would say they’re good at if they’re finding it hard to think of anything themselves. Problem-free talk is a great way to get the dialogue between you and the children you work with off to a positive and productive start.

Building trust with Monkey Bob

Some children find it easier to talk to a character such as Monkey Bob about their wishes and feelings at first, so he can be really helpful when children are feeling apprehensive about discussing their emotions.

Children warm to Monkey Bob quickly, so they’re often happy to begin their problem-free talk with him. There’s lots more guidance about talking to children about their wishes and feelings in the Monkey Bob Do You Feel What I Feel? toolkit. Visit the Monkey Bob shop for details.

Visit the Monkey Bob shop to place your order now. Or read our resources page for more about supporting children and young people. Just contact us if you have any questions.