Building a Better Relationship with Client Families as a Speech Therapist

Hi SLP friends! 👋🏼

Today, we're diving into a topic that’s super close to my heart: building strong relationships with parents and caregivers. This is the key to getting that all-important carryover at home, and I can’t emphasize enough just how crucial it is! 💯

Let’s be real—if parents don’t feel connected to us, they’re probably not going to take our advice seriously.

Think about a time when you went to a doctor’s appointment and just didn’t vibe with them. Maybe they seemed rushed, didn’t really listen, or just had bad bedside manner. You probably left feeling like they didn’t really “get” you. We don’t want to be that person to our families! Instead, we want to be relatable, approachable, and down-to-earth.

Why is being relatable so important? 👀

Three big reasons:

1. It builds trust. If parents feel like you truly understand them, they’re way more likely to listen to you and follow through with your recommendations.

2. It improves comprehension. When someone relates to you, they naturally pay more attention, which means they actually absorb what you’re saying.

3. It makes you human. No one wants to feel like they’re being judged or lectured. Parents need to know that you’re on their team, not above them.

A question I get a lot is, “But what if I’m not a parent? How can I relate to them?”

Let me tell you—being relatable isn’t about having kids yourself. You can connect with parents over so many things: vacations, family traditions, favorite foods, funny life moments… literally anything! It’s all about showing empathy and understanding their perspective.

For example, let’s say a mom calls you while she’s driving home from work. Instead of jumping straight into therapy talk, you could say, “Thanks so much for taking the time to chat! I know you must be exhausted after a long day at work, and now you’re switching into mom mode. That’s gotta be tough.”

Guess what? She’s probably going to respond with something like, “Yes! It really is. Thank you for understanding.” Boom. Connection made. You just showed her that you see and appreciate her effort.

At the end of the day, the stronger your relationship with parents, the more likely they are to implement your strategies at home. And when that happens, the kids make even more progress 🙌🏼

Take the time to build that trust, be relatable, and show empathy—you’ll see the difference in no time!

What's your favorite way to connect with parents? Comment it down below and let's collect all the ideas we can to make this easy! 

Happy speeching!