How often does your therapist give you questionnaires to complete to see how you’re doing or progressing in therapy? Feedback-informed Treatment, or FIT, does just that — it uses a client’s feedback to manage their treatment. This approach empowers the client and gives them a voice in their treatment.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about the FIT feedback model in further detail below.
The FIT feedback approach allows therapists and mental health professionals to track client feedback in real time session by session, which helps them offer better treatment. Research shows clients whose therapists use a FIT approach on an ongoing basis are 2.5 times more likely to experience benefits from treatment.
Additionally, in a pioneering study conducted by psychologist Heidi Brattland, it was found that the strength of a therapeutic relationship improved more over the course of care when clinicians used the Outcome and Session Rating Scales (ORS and SRS) compared with when they did not. This shows the importance of incorporating both models when treating patients.
FIT centers on exchanging feedback between a client and therapist to improve the care provided. Allowing clients to record their input at the beginning and end of each section can help therapists gain immediate, actionable insight into the effectiveness of their practice and improve in areas where they may fall short.
This approach helps create a space where clients are encouraged to share feedback that can significantly benefit their experience during therapy sessions and ensure that therapists are aware of rising issues.
One of the most significant components of the FIT feedback model is for therapists and counselors to determine the effectiveness of their practice. They must rely on their clinical judgment and assumptions to form their understanding of the therapeutic alliance and their client’s progress.
However, therapists often have different views than their clients. And since clients’ perceptions may be a better predictor of outcome than a counselor’s perceptions, creating a regular feedback system is crucial for clients to achieve positive results.
Another key component of the FIT feedback model is determining when and how much feedback you should receive from your patients. Typically, the model centers around getting feedback before, during, and after each therapy session.
You can get feedback from your clients verbally — which can help you build camaraderie or trust with your patients. Or have them complete the survey online, provately, if they prefer.
Several benefits exist for counseling clients when FIT systems are utilized. Sharing objectives and progress has been found to increase the clients’ therapeutic effectiveness in the counseling process. In addition, it has also shown that consistent feedback results in overall prevention of premature treatment termination.
Additional benefits include:
MyOutcomes is a feedback-informed treatment software that’s meant to help your practice grow and improve, not hinder it with additional administrative work. MyOutcomes takes away the need to set aside extensive time for recording client feedback, and it takes the guesswork out of determining a strong therapeutic alliance.
Furthermore, training can be provided after signing up. Contact us today if you’d like to learn more.