they are good at, what is important to them. Remember that this individual has probably experienced unusual physical sensations, their viewpoint may have been dismissed or they may have been told to do things they may not fully understand. They may feel very disconnected from their “old” self and alienated from others. By helping them to talk about their interests you help them to re-connect with others. Another early strategy is to provide the person with choices and options. For example, “Where would you like to sit?” or “Would you like to go for 30 or 40 minutes today?” Would it be okay if we completed the paperwork this time or would next time be better? Making choices in this way subtly conveys the idea that, “I am a person who has the power to make decisions to improve my life.” Another early befriending strategy is to notice and affirm strengths (e.g., “that was a lot of appointments to juggle, nice job handling that”). Find an area of interest and learn from the person. For example, “Pretty cool that you know so much about film, I don’t know much about film, would you be willing to tell more about what you know about films?” Put another way, a common recovery guideline is to, “focus on what is strong rather than what is wrong.” It is also important to consistently express hope and optimism. For example, “We can figure this out together;” “Once we finish this step, we will move onto the next,” etc.
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