The Treatment That Changed Everything — And It Had Nothing To Do With My Hands
What if the most powerful thing you can do for a patient in chronic pain has nothing to do with your hands?
In this episode, Jamie shares a story that changed the way he thinks about practice — a patient who had been living with chronic pain for 30 years, and what actually made the difference in her very first appointment.
From there, Jamie dives into the fourth of Hobfoll’s Five Essential Elements of trauma-informed care: the Promotion of Connectedness — and specifically, the therapeutic relationship.
You’ll learn:
- What patients actually value most in a therapeutic relationship (the answer might surprise you)
- The 8 core components of therapeutic alliance — and which ones matter most according to patients
- 4 habits you can implement starting with your next appointment to build deeper connection and get better outcomes
- Why the “soft skills” aren’t soft at all — and what the research says about their impact on pain, function, and patient satisfaction
This episode is a reminder that showing up, slowing down, and actually being present with the person in front of you is one of the most clinically powerful things you can do.
Want a practical starting point for bringing trauma-informed care into your practice? Grab the free Trauma-Confident Therapist Starter Guide at https://go.themtdc.com/traumaconfident
References:
- Babatunde F, MacDermid J, MacIntyre N. Characteristics of therapeutic alliance in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and occupational therapy practice: a scoping review of the literature. BMC health services research. 2017 Dec;17(1):1-23
- Fuentes J, Armijo-Olivo S, Funabashi M, Miciak M, Dick B, Warren S, Rashiq S, Magee DJ, Gross DP. Enhanced therapeutic alliance modulates pain intensity and muscle pain sensitivity in patients with chronic low back pain: an experimental controlled study. Physical therapy. 2014 Apr 1;94(4):477-89.
- Hush JM, Cameron K, Mackey M. Patient satisfaction with musculoskeletal physical therapy care: a systematic review. Physical therapy. 2011 Jan 1;91(1):25-36.
- Frankel RM, Stein T. Getting the most out of the clinical encounter: the four habits model. Perm J. 1999 Dec 1;3(3):79-88.
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- The Treatment That Changed Everything — And It Had Nothing To Do With My Hands - September 30, 2026