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 The Client is Important In Therapy

There are factors outside of therapy that impact outcomes such as:

• Client’s level of motivation and engagement

  • Dedicating time outside of session to practice skills

  • Completion of homework

  • Coming into session with topics to discuss

  • Readiness to delve into the therapeutic work

• Perceptions of the therapy

  • Does therapy work?

  • Is therapy effective?

• Commitment to the therapy framework

  • Understanding of therapy and the process

  • Understanding the phases of treatment (beginning, middle, and end)

  • Boundaries

  • Expectations

• Integration of concepts into everyday life

  • Practicing skills

  • Utilizing strengths and support system

  • Taking relational risks

  • Exposure to previously avoided stimuli/experiences

• Hope that therapy will work

It is estimated that clients and factors outside of the therapy account for about 40% of the change that takes place (Assay & Lambert, 1999).

Questions To Reflect On

• What is the client’s understanding of therapy? Expectations? Goal consensus? Treatment models?

• What is the client’s belief of the therapist’s role? As a teacher? Guide? Advice giver? Etc.

• Does the client expect the therapist to fix/solve/give advice? Where does this expectation come from? Culturally? The media? Etc.

• What is the client’s understanding of therapeutic homework and assignments?

• Does the client come from a background or culture where therapy is valued? Where mental health issues are openly discussed?

• Does the client have a support system where others attend therapy? Is therapy normalized?

• What are the client’s strengths? Support system? Who can help them integrate what they learn into daily life? Who can they talk to about their learnings outside of therapy?

• What are the client’s challenges and barriers right now? Living situation? Finances? Etc.

• And more

Statements And Questions You Can Try Out

• Have you gone to therapy before?

• How have you resolved issues and problems before in your life? How did you get through difficulties?

• Do you ask for help when you face problems and challenges?

• What has your experience been working with someone who looks like me?

• What do you expect from me as your therapist?

• What has your past experience in therapy been like?

• On a scale from 0-10, with 10 being the most motivated and 0 being the least, what number would you rate yourself in terms of motivation for therapy?

• How easy or hard would it to be to bring up negative feedback to me?

• How easy or hard would it to be to bring up positive feedback to me?

• Do you believe therapy will work?

• Do you have experiences of others in your life who have attended therapy and it being helpful?

• Do you have any questions for me? I welcome questions because I want us to be on the same page and to understand one another.

• And more