Have you ever worked with a patient and noticed that they suddenly became distant, detached or stopped showing up altogether? You may be curious why this happened or what might have caused the patient to feel less involved in their sessions with you. Fortunately, there are ways to track your patient’s progress and how they feel about their time in therapy.
One way councillors and therapists can track their patient’s involvement is through the feedback informed treatment model (FIT.) This feedback process allows your patients to provide insightful feedback about their experience and helps inform you on ways to adjust your treatment plan.
Not all councillors and therapists utilize the FIT model, but it has several benefits. And many believe this method helps maintain client engagement for longer periods. Here are a few other ways the FIT model can help you keep your clients engaged in therapy.
It gives your client a say in their treatment
While some people like to have their therapist or councillor manage their treatment plan, others may want to try something new. They may feel like the techniques they’re trying aren’t as rewarding or helpful, or perhaps they want to approach a new topic in their sessions. FIT allows your clients to tell how they feel things are going, which helps you gauge the effectiveness of your approach.
It offers real-time feedback
Some clients let their therapist or councillor know that they don’t need any more support but don’t give any reason why they wish to stop. You either continue on without knowing why they stopped or found out later they didn’t like how sessions were going. By then, it’s usually too late to get them engaged again. Feedback informed treatment continually asks your clients to provide their thoughts about their sessions. This ongoing engagement keeps a pulse on their progress, so it’s never too late to switch tactics.
It helps you grow
Many therapists and councillor learn about themselves when working with their clients, and always want to find ways to better help others. But very few clients have the opportunity to offer their therapist direct feedback about ways they could improve. The FIT method creates an easy-to-answer way for your clients to let you know how you shine and where you could grow. This invaluable information will help you learn about what your clients need and give you awareness of how you can improve.
One of the most important things in therapy or counseling is ongoing interaction with clients. And the FIT model ensures they stay involved with the process from start to finish. Studies show that providers who use the FIT model have higher client retention and higher success rates, too.
If you’re curious to learn more about the FIT method, we here at MyOutcomes For Mental Well Being Inc. would be happy to help. We even offer an eLearning program online, so you can start using the FIT method at your practice in no time. Contact us today to learn more!