What is it and how is feedback effectively used during therapy?
Feedback informed treatment is an evidence-based approach to therapy where the therapist and client (individual, parent, older-child or adolescent) together evaluate how therapy is progressing. There are times when a therapist may use a structured questionnaire, this will evaluate both therapeutic alliance (how well the therapist and client are working together) and client outcomes (how is the client going and progress towards goals). Recent research has described Feedback Informed Treatment as a transtheoretical, evidenced-based approach which is shown to have a 2.5 times benefit for clients.
The routine use of feedback measures, such as the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and Session Rating Scale (SRS), provides a structured approach to facilitating connection between client and therapist, tracks progress, and places an emphasis on a client-centric approach. Alternatively, your therapist may check in on progress towards goals, what therapeutic work you may feel will be most beneficial at this time. Establishing a culture of collaboration early in the therapeutic relationship, it is hoped that the therapeutic work becomes tailored to improved outcomes through building the supportive relationships.
Other beneficial components of Feedback Informed Treatment include monitoring progress through a standardised measure, with progress being clearly defined such as a reduction in symptoms, positive or negative affect, valuased-based living, or parental stress. Real-time adjustments to therapeutic approach to best suit the clients needs. And finally, the use of standardised measures aligns with evidenced-based practice.
While it is becoming more common place for therapist to use measures directly with their clients, the same principles can be implemented at the practice level. The practice may request feedback about the quality of a service to support client care and refine clinic processes. This approach to feedback informed treatment maintains the benefits while not incorporating it into the therapeutic process itself.
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