Quote:
Originally Posted by BudFox
I wonder if part of the problem is the basic idea that someone can be trained to relate to people. In my estimation healthy relating comes from strong self-awareness and from caring about other people. I suppose one could be trained to read non-verbal cues more effectively, but perhaps the more you formalize and analyze human interaction, the less healthy it gets. I have found normal spontaneous relating hard to come by in therapy.
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From a teacher's perspective, we aren't trained to "relate" to students so much as how to communicate effectively with them, interact healthily and professionally with them, understand the influences and stresses than affect their behaviors and learning and motivation, create an environment and activities that help them actively engage in their learning, etc. This is information and skills that educators can certainly learn and apply in our teaching practices, and I would suppose that therapists need very similar skills when working with clients (of course directed at therapy effectiveness rather than educational effectiveness). So, yes, I do think those kinds of skills can be learned, but I wouldn't call that quite the same thing as "relating" to a client.