OARS
Affirmations can be wonderful rapport builders. For clients suffering from mental illness and/or addictions, affirmations can be a rare commodity. However, they must be congruent and genuine. If the client thinks you are insincere, then rapport can be damaged rather than built.
Affirmations are statements of recognition about client strengths. Many people who come for our assistance are failed self-changers. That is, they tried to alter their behavior and it didn't work. As a result, clients come to us demoralized or at least suspicious of the assertion that change is possible. This condition means that as case managers, we must help clients feel that change is possible and that they are capable of implementing that change. One method of doing this is to point out client strengths, particularly in areas where they observe only failure. We often explore prior attempts at change. For example, "So you stayed sober for a week after treatment. How were you able to stay sober for that week?" We also use resistance as a source for affirmations. For example, "You didn't want to come today, but you did it anyway.” “I'm not sure, but it seems like that if you decide something is important enough, you are willing to put up with a lot just to do it."