You might have seen the meme of a couple in a kitchen? The woman gives the man some ‘feedback’ on the quality of how he dries the dishes. He responds with “That’s the problem with the world these days – feedback!” It is true that we seem obsessed as a western society with measuring progress, productivity, finding efficiencies and turning tasks into data sources.
In therapy, it can be difficult to measure progress when fixated on results. But there are many measures that are helpful in showing that change is happening and life is becoming less difficult.
Why do we measure progress
People often attend counselling because life is hard, they are in distress and they are looking to ease their emotional pain. When this is the case, there is difficult inner work to be done and that can take longer than was expected. Discouragement can set in. It can be difficult to separate the wood from the trees.
It is valuable to pause the work every now and again to reflect on what has changed, how it’s different and how heightened feelings have decreased. These signs of progress and recognition of the results of the hard work are very affirming. Renewed motivation can follow evidence of change.
Reflect
Not all change is easily measurable. However, reflecting upon changes in distress levels, new coping strategies, mood, overall life management skills and general outlook on life circumstances can show personal growth. Increased self-awareness combined with a reflective practice gives the opportunity to check in and see small steps which lead to big change.
Many counsellors ask in the first session, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is……”. They do this for a reason – it gives a baseline number to compare to when they ask again after a few weeks. Highlighting the difference in the scaling score and then identifying what has changed to make the difference is good practice.
Bear cards and clients
The St Lukes Bear Cards are a pack of cards which often make an appearance in my sessions with clients. There are no words on the cards, just pictures of a bear showing a range of emotions from joy to rage. I bring them out when my clients feel a bit discouraged or stuck. The client remembers how they felt when they first came to see me and choose a corresponding bear card, then selects cards that represent the range of emotions that they’ve felt across time until they pick the card that reflects how they feel today.
Clients can see the ebbs and flows of their journey; how their emotions are responses to circumstances. This exercise highlights their progress, develops emotional literacy and increases motivation to keep doing this important work.
If we are honest, we can provide ourselves with feedback. Reflecting upon what has happened, how we responded and what we have learned can highlight surprising progress. Measuring progress is an important aspect of therapy which can encourage us on the journey towards healing.
