In human services, we may believe in-person interaction is always best. After all, connecting with clients is all about building those deep, meaningful relationships—can that be done in a virtual setting?
This question comes up a lot with our work at Share. Whether our clients offer therapy, counseling, coaching, or teaching, they often wonder if it’s possible to connect with their clients at the same level in a virtual setting. The short answer is yes! However, there are some essential things to remember when working on those virtual and phone-based connections.
Does Motivational Interviewing Work in Virtual Settings?
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a powerful tool for human services professionals to engage in meaningful client interactions. MI guides us in ways to truly connect with our fellow humans and meet their individual needs—and that sense of connection is still possible over the phone or via Zoom.
In MI, we identify the behavioral topic and evoke change talk. The key is in the interaction, not the method of interaction and communication.
The core principles of MI—expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, affirming strengths, rolling with resistance, and supporting empowerment by developing self-efficacy—still apply in virtual settings. These principles don’t diminish just because we don’t, in a given encounter, share the same room and breathe the same air as those we serve. In fact, these core principles of MI can be even more crucial to bridge the distance in a virtual encounter.
In MI, we learn ways to help our clients find their own motivation and drive to make positive changes. We can still hold a safe space for them to uncover those ideas, no matter in what context the conversation occurs.
Building Rapport in a Virtual World
A common concern about our increasingly virtual world is that we lose human connections and rapport-building that naturally develop during face-to-face interactions or meetings. When it’s our job and mission to build stronger relationships with our clients, we may worry that we’ll have a difficult time “vibing” over a virtual connection. But not to worry—the good news is that by focusing on engagement (the number one indicator of a positive outcome in any service relationship), you can still go a long way toward building a strong rapport. In fact, virtual meetings might be the most effective communication tool for some clients due to a variety of factors: disability, mobility, rural constraints, and so on.
One of the recommendations we give to those we work with at Share is to set up some guidelines for virtual interactions and video meetings. For example, it helps to be flexible with camera use. While tuning into the person is essential, we can also recognize that some people feel more at ease with the camera lens off.
In our trainings, while we encourage our learners to pretend like we’re in the room as much as possible, we don’t require people to turn on their cameras. Being “on screen” can actually be a little off-putting—it can feel like you’re on TV. Our priority and intention are always to create safe, comfortable spaces for our learners. If being on camera makes someone uncomfortable, then it’s important we respect their wishes and roll with it. Just as you might do in your services.
That said, turning on the camera, if possible, is often beneficial for all. Visual cues can be a vital part of communication. As we learned during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, our connections can suffer when we can’t view facial expressions and body language. However, there are many different ways to work around that and convey the connection.
Matching the camera on or off status can help create a safe space for others. In fact, you might even want to ask them—do they prefer that you turn your camera on or off? Some folks may feel more comfortable in an environment where they can read YOUR visual cues. This approach actually demonstrates our commitment to the client’s preferences and comfort—it can be a fundamental building block of trust.
The most crucial part is to focus on the served person and give them your full attention. Listen to the energy in their tone. Learn to employ verbal encouragers in heavy silences where the served person may be emoting, such as: “I’m here.” Or “I got you.” Insert your version(s) here:)
How to Balance Virtual with In-Person Services
There’s no question that virtual communication methods and services have some logistical benefits, such as convenience and accessibility. While the merits of face-to-face meetings are obvious, the same level of engagement is still attainable in a virtual space, such as online therapy, teletherapy sessions, even group work, teaching classes, and so on.
Connecting with virtual platforms allows you to hold virtual client meetings anywhere as long as your client (and you) have a decent internet connection. This removes many typical barriers like transportation, travel time, waiting rooms, and access to a physical location. For served persons with busy schedules or limited mobility, virtual meetings are a game-changer. It can make it easier to build consistent and effective interactions when they can let go of those logistical worries.
As far as finding the right balance, partner with the person. If they have the capacity to come into the office and do a face-to-face once a quarter, do. If they prefer the ease of virtual meetings, do that. This implicit expression of empowerment can go a long way to deepening engagement. Adopting a collaborative approach helps your clients feel empowered, seen, and respected.
Embracing the Unique Advantages of Virtual Services
As mentioned, virtual services have quite a few benefits and advantages. Some folks feel less self-conscious when they’re in a virtual setting. Lower inhibitions foster open and honest conversations. There’s a certain pressure that can come from being in a room with someone else.
The reduced pressure of a virtual setting is especially helpful for those who experience anxiety or may feel discomfort in a traditional setting. No one can see them walking into a Zoom room!
As you are likely aware, virtual services can allow you to reach a broader client base. For example, plenty of people struggle with geographical limitations when it comes to accessing services. Transportation issues, expenses, childcare, and other concerns are mitigated by offering the option of a virtual approach.
Those with physical limitations can engage with service professionals without the concern and discomfort of travel. This allows providers to truly expand their reach and take a significant step towards ensuring equitable access to support and care.
Tips for Virtual Client Connections
As with any client interaction, the goal is always to maximize the chance for connection. Whether you’re in person or virtual, the ultimate objectives still apply—to build rapport and manifest a safe space where you can foster change talk and empower clients to find the internal motivation to make positive steps in their lives.
There are a few ways that you can increase the power and impact of your virtual interactions, whether online or on the phone:
- Listen Empathetically & Actively: Good listening skills don’t change between face-to-face vs. virtual interactions. Active listening is absolutely essential. Verbally affirm your client. Reflective listening helps you stay fully tuned in and the served person to feel heard, felt, and seen. So important!
- Mind Non-Verbal Cues: Even over the phone, we can pick up on the subtleties of non-verbal cues. Listen to the tone of voice, pace of the conversation, and pauses—as you know, they convey a lot of information.
- Set Up a Comfortable Environment: Treat a virtual meeting with the same priority as in-person. Meet on time in a quiet, private space, free of distractions. Encourage your clients to find a comfortable place where they can do the same.
- Be Flexible: Allow for changes and preferences when it comes to the use of cameras and technology. Not everyone is comfortable with every type of tech, so it’s important that we stay adaptable and do our best to accommodate client preferences. If they’re a Team’s person vs. a Zoom person, try to work on their preferred platform or teach them yours.
- Listen to Feedback: Want to know if virtual is preferred by your clients? Ask! Invite folks to share their feelings and experiences with online and phone interactions. Create a safe opportunity for them to candidly express if the experience meets their needs and how you might improve your approach. Explicit recognition of autonomy (choice) and partnership goes a long way to avoiding implicitly re-activating (“triggering”) the unhealed wounds of trauma and, conversely, deepening rapport.
Virtual meetings and interactions are very effective; like any interaction, they’re always best when approached with intention and flexibility. Look to the principles of Motivational Interviewing for guidance—this will support you stay attuned to clients and their preferences––virtual, in-person, or a bit of both.
Providing virtual services expands our ability to impact clients’ lives in positive ways. Whether through a screen, a phone, or in person, the heart of our work is still the same: building trust and connections to support clients on their journey toward positive change.
Share Collaborative’s Experience
We like to walk the talk of what we share here. These personal check-ins from us are intended to demonstrate that in real time. Regarding going virtual, the Collaborative was training for 3 years before the onsite of the pandemic. We had an ongoing partnership with an international organization with folks from Sweden to California to Canada and Florida and all points in between. Because of this experience, it wasn’t hard for us to “pivot”. Post-pandemic, the benefits we and the programs, agencies, and systems we teach experienced were:
- Increased cost effectiveness. It’s a lot cheaper for those we serve for one or two of our facilitators to show up at our home desk than to fly 1,000 miles and rent a car and a hotel room. Moreover, when the programs, agencies, and systems we serve are spread across an entire state, they don’t have to pay for mileage and lodging for their team. All of those costs add up and have been a great benefit all around.
- Time effectiveness. Pre-pandemic, all of our trainings were 1 or 2 full days. Because of our pivot to a wholly virtual world, we developed a hybrid method. Now, learners can access wholly asynchronous pre-recorded material prior to the first sessions, in between sessions 1 and 2, and after session 2. In total, for what was a 2-day training, it ended up saving our learners 8 hours. Those 8 hours come in handy with full caseloads. What’s more, we employ the same hybrid method whether we’re in a training room or on Zoom. Those we serve really find this helpful for all of the aforementioned reasons.
- Evaluations continue to be rated high in regard to Engagement and Value. We solicit end-of-training evaluations for all of our sessions. During the pandemic and since, we have found no discernable difference in levels of engagement during the training which continue online or in-room to be highly experiential. Nor have we found any difference in the value attained by learners, whether online or in-room. Both continue to be rated high. One of the aspects of how we share what we share is how consistent the learner experience has been over the ten years of our existence.
To learn more about Motivational Interviewing and building positive rapport with clients, please reach out. We’re happy to share our experience and insights to help you on your path.