Common Factors: Soliciting Feedback & Measurement
What Are Common Factors?
Common factors are important factors or ingredients that make therapy and the therapist effective based on research.
These factors can be incorporated into any therapeutic treatment approach/model/framework.
Why Soliciting Feedback And Measurement Is Important
Feedback is necessary to see what is working and not working for the client
Measurement is crucial to see if the treatment approach is working for the client (increase or decrease in symptoms)
Questions To Reflect On
How do I prefer to receive feedback from clients? Verbally? Written? Through a structured questionnaire? Or more open ended?
How often do I ask for feedback?
How often do I utilize measurement tools?
How do I respond when a client mentions they have no negative feedback for me consistently and everything is great?
How do I respond when na client mentions they consistently have negative feedback for me and things aren’t working?
What setting do I work in? Hospital? Agency? Private practice? Setting can dictate how strict or lax measurement tools and feedback is given and received.
How do I know clients are getting better if I don’t use measurement tools or inquire for feedback?
What’s my relationship to receiving constructive feedback? What happens for me when I receive negative feedback?
How do I continually check my areas of growth/weaknesses?
What are my areas of strengths?
How do I implement changes or edits to the client’s treatment when I do receive feedback?
Statements And Questions You Can Try Out
During intakes/first sessions
What has been your experience working with someone who looks like me?
What’s been your past experience working with therapists?
What has been helpful in previous therapy?
What has been unhelpful in previous therapy?
After a session
Did we talk about everything you wanted to talk about today?
How was today’s approach for you?
Did you feel heard and understood?
Feedback
How comfortable do you feel bringing up conflicts and disagreements with me?
How do you typically handle and engage with conflicts and disagreements?
How comfortable do you bringing up feedback to me?
Resources