The Power of Partnership: the importance of staying with the same TACPAC partner

Most important of all, though, is building a successful partnership between giver and receiver. This partnership is central to the whole TACPAC experience. These two roles are given absolutely equal status in TACPAC sessions, and work together to build a partnership based on trust where communication is open and effective.

Such a relationship takes time to build. After all, it takes time to get to know anyone in life; but learning someone else’s sensory vocabulary – getting to a place where you both understand what each other mean and need – takes even longer. That is why it is crucial that the same giver always works with the same receiver.

The receiver will appreciate the consistency of working with the same partner every session, and will come to know and trust that partner and relax in their company. More importantly, giver and receiver  become familiar with each other’s specific ways of communicating. They eventually may be able to spot even the most subtle cues that can let them know what their partner wants to communicate, and respond accordingly, thus strengthening their attachment.

This level of understanding is not something that can be picked up in one or two sessions, especially if you are having to work hard to build up enough trust – and indeed focus – to encourage your partner to communicate with you in the first place. Learning someone’s sensory vocabulary will take weeks and months of consistent, patient work together, but can result in a truly meaningful and rewarding partnership – not to mention some great fun in your TACPAC sessions!