During counselling, the relationship between therapist and client is integral to the outcomes. If the relationship is not strong, then the level of outcomes will pale in comparison to what would be expected as a result of a strong client-therapist relationship. Outcome Measures are typically used in a therapy setting and can be important to the overall success of therapy. This may help determine the course of your treatment intervention.But what exactly are Outcome Measures? Why are they so important? What benefits can you stand to make? And how can Outcome Measures be used within a therapy setting?Read on to find out more:

What are Outcome Measures?

Outcomes can be defined as “a material difference in an aspect or aspects of the client’s circumstances that come about during therapy.” There are many different forms of outcomes, which include improvements in wellbeing, reduction of symptoms, achievement of goals etc. Whatever it may be, therapy works towards achieving the outcomes for all clients.Outcome Measures, on the other hand, are the tools which are used to help measure changes in the client’s condition during their therapy sessions. Of course, change can also occur outside of the therapy sessions as the therapist can’t control all the outcomes, but they can measure them.

Why are Outcome Measures so important?

Outcome Measures are vital in helping clients to achieve their end goals and get the right support they need to help enhance their sense of self. Questions such as “What’s the problem?”, “How would you rank your mood out of 10?”  - or something similar - may perhaps be answered by the Outcome Measures which have been set. Not only that but they can also be used to better understand the impact that therapy is having on the client and to improve support for them where it is possible to do so.If a client’s condition were worsening, the Outcome Measures put in place would be there to help detect any signs that additional support is needed. So, in essence, they are in place to help save lives, as mental health conditions can lead to circumstances that the therapist will want to avoid. Clients’ voices will be heard more, and information that may have been missed is typically noticed as a subject for discussion when making full use of Outcome Measures.

What are the benefits of Outcome Measures?

Being able to monitor client symptoms, wellbeing, and care experience will allow your therapist to make the most of accurate diagnoses from the outset. This, in turn, will impact the type of support your therapist provides to you. Without Outcome Measures, there would be less focus. Therapists need to be on top of things so that they’re able to provide the best type of therapy for you. This is unachievable if there are no Outcome Measures. They help you stay on the right path and continue to get better. With Outcome Measures, therapists can also tell if interventions need to be established such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy).

How are Outcome Measures used within a therapy setting?

Firstly, the therapist needs to consider existing data collection requirements for service commissioning, national guidance on assessment and outcome measurement, and many more aspects. When the Outcome Measure is chosen, it is introduced into routine clinical practice very carefully and with the full support of senior management. After a number of sessions, the results are recorded appropriately and comprehensively before being stored away safely. Intervention outcomes are usually easier to collect and analyse with digital care records.The aims of intervention include rehabilitation, habilitation, adaptation, prevention, stabilisation, and palliative. This covers a whole range of different problems other than those covered by talk therapies, and there may be overlaps where possible for a variety of reasons. Single interventions can happen for each specific goal that is set. Some people may require fewer interventions than others, and few can take much longer. This is not mutually exclusive to one person over another.

Who to turn to for therapy in Warrington, Cheshire.

If you are looking for therapy sessions in Warrington, visit my website today to learn more about my Zoom or in-person appointments. I have a wealth of experience supporting clients with a wide range of mental health concerns - everything from trauma and abuse to depression and anxiety. I understand that starting therapy can be a scary time, but I will be with you every step of the way. Get in touch to book an initial consultation.