Collaboration and Feedback
When people ask me what I do or what to expect from therapy, I compare my role to a music producer or coach.
During interviews, the most sought after producers and coaches speak speak the most about listening and showing respect to the player or artist. Writing music and teaching skills matter, but they describe the relationship as the foundation people need to believe in themselves, face their problems. and persist.
I begin therapy by exploring each person's reasons for seeking services, their interests, and what kind of life they want to be living. I offer client's the opportunity to say as much or as little as they are ready for, including the opportunity to participate in activities to help them relax and connect (e.g. making art, fidget toys, games, storytelling). I find that this process helps to reveal what approach will do the best job helping people tap into the abilities they need.
For families I start by helping people define what they are ready to discuss, and what ways of communicating they would like me to help them do more and less. This is followed by helping them reconnect, identify the things they still share that are often hidden by conflict, and their hopes or goals for the sessions.
Where ever possible I try to keep the approach creative and flexible. That being said, I have noticed some themes in the feedback that my client's give me on what has helped them most with different concerns. You can learn more about these themes under Specialties and Services.
Whenever needed or requested, I offer the people I meet with options for concrete steps they can take to change a pattern they want to get out of.
Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT)
Feedback Informed Treatment or FIT involves using brief questionnaires (as short as 3-4 questions) to gather feedback from clients on their experience of therapy sessions, with the therapist responding to the feedback in real time. The therapist seeks feedback on two key areas; Outcome (is the client’s well-being improving) and the client’s experience of the session itself (how supportive, respectful, and effective does the interaction feel).
Feedback-Informed Treatment gives therapists a practical way to ask
Are we focusing on what matters?
Is this approach working for you?
Do you feel heard and understood?
Are things improving outside the session?
Should we adjust the way we are working?”
(MyOutcomes for mental well-being inc. 2026)
Rigorous scientific research has show that FIT can significantly improve the likelihood that client’s see benefit from therapy. Benefits include more clients seeing improvement, more clients seeing significant improvement in their well-being, and clients being more likely to maintain their participation in therapy (i.e. less likely to stop going to therapy).
Bovendeerd, B., De Jong, K., De Groot, E., Moerbeek, M., & De Keijser, J. (2022). Enhancing the effect of psychotherapy through systematic client feedback in outpatient mental healthcare: A cluster randomized trial. Psychotherapy Research, 32(6), 710–722. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2021.2015637