At the end of the session or your work day, you wonder if what you’re doing is helping. Do your clients feel like the work you’re doing together is helpful? Are they getting what they need from sessions and you as a therapist?
Therapists need feedback too, so you can improve how you serve clients. That’s why it’s essential to understand how to solicit feedback from clients.
Why Client Feedback Matters
Feedback plays a crucial role in therapeutic practice, serving as a bridge between a therapist’s intentions and the client’s actual experience. By seeking client input, you can learn what is working, what isn’t, and where adjustments may be needed. This process can lead to continuous improvement, helping you refine your approach and better support your clients.
Benefits of gathering feedback from clients include:
- Strengthening the therapeutic relationship
- Fostering a stronger sense of trust
- Empowering the client to take an active role in their healing process
- Identifying blind spots in your practice
- Making you more accountable as a therapist
- Improving your abilities
Types of Feedback Therapists Can Solicit
What type of feedback do you need? It really depends on where you have questions, think you may not be serving clients as well as you could, or would like to grow more.
You can ask for feedback on:
- Specific Sessions. How effective are individual sessions with you? This type of feedback might include asking questions like, “Did today’s session meet your expectations?” or “Was there anything that resonated with you or felt unhelpful?” Gathering this type of feedback helps you make real-time adjustments, ensuring that each session is as valuable as possible for the client.
- Overall Experience. Understanding the client’s experience with therapy as a whole provides a more comprehensive view. This type of feedback could involve asking clients about their general progress, whether they feel therapy meets their expectations, or if they feel connected and supported by the therapist. Feedback about the overall therapy experience helps you assess if clients feel engaged and see the therapy as beneficial, allowing for larger course corrections when needed.
- Individual Techniques or Approaches. Clients may have preferences or responses to particular therapeutic approaches. Gathering feedback on specific methods you use allows you to tailor future sessions to better suit the client’s needs and preferences.
- Your Relationship. The quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors in determining successful outcomes in therapy. Soliciting feedback specifically about the relationship, such as whether the client feels understood, respected, and supported, can provide insight into the rapport between you and your client.
Methods for Collecting Feedback
Giving face-to-face feedback or even recalling past sessions in an attempt to provide helpful comments can be difficult. It’s important for you and your client to feel comfortable with the feedback method and have an open line of communication. For this reason, it may be best to collect feedback from clients at various times and through differing methods.
Collect feedback through:
- In-Session Conversations. Asking for feedback during the session is a straightforward way to gauge the client’s experience. At the end of a session, you might ask, “How did you find today’s session?” or “Was there something you wish we had spent more time on?” This approach makes feedback an ongoing part of the therapeutic dialogue and encourages clients to voice their thoughts in real time.
- Checking In Periodically. Regular check-ins, such as every few sessions, can be an opportunity to gather informal feedback on how the therapy is progressing. Asking questions like, “Do you feel like we’re making progress on the issues you want to address?” or “Is there anything you’d like to change about our sessions?” helps ensure that the therapy remains aligned with the client’s goals.
- Surveys and Questionnaires. Using structured feedback forms or surveys can help gather detailed insights on various aspects of the therapy. These can be anonymous or named, depending on the client’s comfort level.
- Exit Interviews. When therapy concludes, conducting an exit interview or asking for feedback in the final session can provide valuable insights. This is an opportunity to discuss the client’s overall experience, progress made, and any suggestions for future improvement. This type of feedback can offer clues about areas for professional growth.
- Regular Progress Checks. Establishing a routine for feedback, such as a monthly or quarterly review, encourages ongoing dialogue about the therapy’s effectiveness. During these reviews, you and the client can discuss progress toward goals, adjust treatment plans, and explore any new concerns that may have emerged.
- Follow-Up Emails or Online Forms. For clients who prefer to reflect on their experiences outside of sessions, sending follow-up emails or providing online feedback forms can be effective. This gives clients time to think about their feedback and express it thoughtfully. It can also be helpful for clients who may not feel comfortable providing feedback in person.
Best Practices for Soliciting Feedback
Asking clients for feedback is a sensitive process that requires thoughtful planning. To encourage an honest and useful discussion, consider the following best practices.
Create a Safe and Open Environment
Clients need to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences openly. Explain to them that feedback is a regular part of the process right from the beginning of the therapeutic relationship. Emphasize that you welcome feedback and will use it to improve their experience.
Understand the Purpose
Yes, feedback will hopefully make you a better therapist, but it’s not about you. Feedback is meant to help you improve professionally so you can better serve others. Be sure to keep this right in your head and ensure that you aren’t attempting to collect feedback for self-serving purposes.
Ensure Anonymity When Appropriate
Offer anonymous methods to clients who may be uncomfortable providing feedback directly. Anonymity can encourage more candid responses, especially when clients are sharing critical or sensitive feedback.
Be Clear About the Purpose of Feedback
Let clients know how their feedback will contribute to improving therapy. Then, show them that you take their comments seriously by enacting changes. Also, clarify that you accept all their feedback, but you may not implement all suggestions.
Avoid Leading Questions
Ensure that questions are unbiased and don’t lead clients toward a particular response. For example, instead of asking, “Did you find today’s session helpful?” consider, “How did you feel about today’s session?” This allows for a broader range of responses.
Reinforce that there are no right or wrong answers and that all feedback is valuable, even if it’s critical.
Time the Request for Feedback Thoughtfully
Refrain from asking for feedback immediately after a particularly challenging or emotional session, as clients may not be in the right frame of mind to provide constructive feedback.
Establishing regular intervals for soliciting feedback (e.g., every few sessions or monthly) can help avoid putting clients on the spot and allow for consistent feedback over time.
Frame Feedback Requests Positively
Frame feedback as a tool for growth and enhancement rather than criticism. For instance, saying, “I’d love to hear your thoughts on how I can make our sessions even more helpful for you,” positions feedback as a collaborative effort.
Follow Up on Feedback
Show appreciation for the client’s input and discuss any changes or actions made based on it. When feedback identifies a potential issue, work with the client to find a solution or adjust the therapy. This demonstrates that you’re listening and value their insights.
What to Do with Client Feedback
Collecting feedback from clients is only the first step. The true value lies in how you use the information to improve your practice, address client concerns, and enhance the therapeutic process. Here’s how you can effectively use client feedback to benefit you both.
Reflect on Feedback
Carefully review the feedback to identify common themes, strengths, and areas for improvement. Consider positive and critical responses, as both types of feedback can provide valuable insights.
If feedback is collected regularly, look for recurring patterns or trends. For example, if multiple clients mention feeling rushed during sessions, it may indicate a need to adjust session pacing.
Not all feedback will be applicable or actionable. Use clinical judgment to determine which suggestions align with the goals of therapy.
Discuss Feedback with the Client
If a client provides specific feedback, bring it up in a session and discuss it openly. For instance, “You mentioned that you’d like more time to discuss coping strategies. Let’s explore how we can make space for that in our sessions.”
If feedback is vague or unclear, ask the client for more details. For example, if a client says, “I wish the sessions were different,” follow up by asking, “Can you share more about what you mean by different?”
When addressing feedback, collaborate with the client to find solutions. This reinforces the idea that therapy is a joint effort and empowers them to shape their own experience.
Make Adjustments to Your Approach
If a client indicates that a particular approach isn’t helpful, consider modifying the treatment plan. This could involve trying a different technique or adjusting the way you apply the current technique.
Feedback may indicate that changes to the structure of sessions could be beneficial. For example, some clients might prefer starting with a check-in or ending with a brief summary of key takeaways.
Use Feedback to Improve Client Satisfaction
When clients see that their feedback is taken seriously and leads to changes, it can increase their satisfaction and strengthen the therapeutic alliance. For example, if a client suggests having a brief discussion at the beginning of each session to set an agenda, implement this change, and acknowledge the client’s contribution.
If feedback reveals issues with administrative aspects such as scheduling, billing, or communication, address these issues promptly. Improving logistical elements can help remove barriers to therapy and reduce client stress.
Incorporate Feedback into Professional Development
Critical feedback can be a valuable tool for identifying areas where additional training or supervision could benefit you. Use feedback as a measure of professional growth. Over time, compare feedback trends to see if previously identified issues have improved and if new strengths have emerged.
Document Feedback and Actions Taken
Documenting feedback helps track changes over time and provides a reference for evaluating progress. This approach is especially useful if you work with multiple clients or are part of a larger practice. Documenting changes can help you review their impact and refine future practices.
Know When Feedback Suggests the Need for Referral
If a client’s feedback consistently indicates a lack of progress or dissatisfaction, it may be appropriate to discuss referring them to another therapist who may be a better fit.
If feedback reveals that your skills or approach may not be meeting the client’s needs, acknowledge this openly. Referrals should be framed as an effort to best support the client’s well-being.
Let All Counseling Help with Client-Therapist Fit
At All Counseling, we understand the importance of client-therapist fit in creating positive therapeutic outcomes. That’s why we help match you with the clients who need your help most. Whether you’re looking to connect with new clients or attempting to refer an existing client, our therapist directory is an excellent resource. You can use it to make a referral, to list your own practice, or both.
