Building Client Rapport Counseling Skills Workshop

The Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program is hosting a clinical counseling skills workshop on Building Client Rapport for undergraduate students this fall. This interactive workshop will be led by Pitt faculty and Licensed Professional Counselors. It is free of charge and will include lunch. Please register through the online form.

Establishing rapport and a trusting relationship with clients is referred to as developing a therapeutic alliance. Therapeutic alliance directly influences client outcomes, as clients that report a positive, trusting relationship with their counselors are more likely to continue therapy and improve mental health and physical outcomes. This workshop will cover basic skills to use when building rapport with a new client. The workshop will include short lectures, demonstrations, and clinical skills practice to acquire basic skills necessary to begin establishing a therapeutic alliance with new clients. 

Instructor: Kelly B. Beck, PhD, CRC, is an Assistant Professor in the graduate Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling program at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Beck earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature at the University of Notre Dame and a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her doctoral degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Beck is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor who works clinically with individuals with cognitive disabilities and adults with chronic pain conditions. Dr. Beck is also a Qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher, with over four years’ experience teaching mindfulness groups for a variety of populations and age groups. Dr. Beck has developed and implemented numerous mindfulness groups across Western Pennsylvania, and specializes in systematic modification, implementation, and outcome evaluation of these mindfulness programs. Dr. Beck teaches two advanced counseling courses: Evidence-Based Practice in Counseling and Counseling Skills & Techniques.