Client Engagement

Support client self-care practices while social distancing

September 11, 2021 by Sarina Arefzadeh Leave a Comment

A self-care practice is imperative during this time where many are separated from their social networks, habitual routines, and in-person counselling sessions. A regular self-care practice is a toolbelt that clients can reach to during times of stress, anxiety or when they need a pick-me-up. There are many ways for counsellors to support their client’s self-care practices while social distancing. Keep reading to find out how.

Encourage checking in with their network

Self-care doesn’t always need to be alone. Social connections are key — especially while we can’t be physically close. It’s contradictory, but many people tend to isolate themselves while dealing with stressful situations and anxiety. This leads to rumination and negative thoughts, and worsening the situation. It’s important for clients to reach out to their loved ones for support or just for a light catch-up. Picking up the phone or sending a text can help clients remember how loved and connected they are.

As much as people are feeling fatigued by video calls, they are one of the best ways to get face time at a distance. Picking up on body language and emotions can help clients feel closer to their loved ones. So encourage clients to connect with their network virtually.

Suggest picking up a hobby

Starting a new hobby not only keeps a client occupied, but it can equip them with a sense of purpose and self-trust. If a hobby is a good fit, a client may even find themselves in a state of flow, leading to better emotional regulation, motivation, and creativity.

Depending on the client’s self-care and social needs, they can either engage in a hobby alone or with others, at a distance. An example of a great shared hobby is a virtual book club. Not only are group members connecting over a mutual interest, but it can easily be done through technology. Tools like video calls, or on an online platform like a Facebook group. No matter which hobby they choose, encourage keeping things light, fun, and casual to avoid rigidness or perfection

Utilize technology to support client self-care

Technology is an excellent way for clients and counsellors to stay connected between sessions, or when social distancing is necessary. A digital homework tool like Therachat helps counsellors do just that. Through the app, counsellors can check-in with clients and encourage self-care routines — keeping clients on-track and actively working towards their goals. Save time with pre-made activities, or customize your own to cater to your client’s unique needs.

Are you a clinician looking to elevate your practice? Therachat’s innovative features can support you and your clients. Learn more about Therachat for clinicians.

Why counselling clients struggle with homework and how to boost compliance

August 10, 2021 by Sarina Arefzadeh Leave a Comment

It’s clear: assigning homework to counselling clients comes with a list of benefits. But the positive results only come from completion. So many counsellors find themselves asking, “How can I ensure my counselling clients actually do their homework?”

Let’s take a look at why counselling clients may not be completing homework, and how to solve those roadblocks.

3 reasons counselling clients struggle with homework

1. Difficulty picking up a new habit

Homework is so much more than just another task to complete in a day — it’s a positive habit that’s going to take time to consistently implement into a schedule. As with any new habit, it’s important to make it as easy as possible in order to reduce friction. In the beginning, try assigning clients with a homework exercise that will take just minutes to complete.

This will encourage clients to simply show up and gain a level of commitment — giving them a better chance for long-term adoption. Once they’re comfortable with the minimum, slowly increase complexity.

2. It doesn’t fit into their lifestyle

One of the most important factors to successful homework compliance is lifestyle fit. For example, if your client is more engaged in the morning, encourage them to complete homework as soon as they wake up. If they’ve got a lifestyle that makes it impossible to squeeze one more thing into their mornings, encourage them to try afternoons or evenings.

In that same vein, homework should be delivered in a way that’s comfortable and familiar to clients. Many clients in today’s world prefer to receive homework digitally. As they already spend hours on their devices for school or work, receiving homework in that same way can boost compliance because it fits right into their lifestyle. A digital homework app like Therachat makes this really simple by delivering homework in a user-friendly way — right on a client’s own personal devices.

3. Re-living difficult memories

Certain homework prompts can cause clients to tap into past traumatic events. This may not have been intentional, but the nature of the homework exercise could result in avoidance from clients. This is a natural response, however it’s recommended to avoid homework of this nature while the client is still building the new habit. Counsellors can guide their clients through a set plan to build up momentum. Start with simple exercises and slowly move towards complex.

Over time, clients will begin to feel more confident completing their homework. They may even begin to enjoy reaching for homework as part of their mental health tool belt.

How to boost homework compliance for counselling clients

Better homework compliance is integral to better counselling outcomes for clients. Benefits include reaching therapy goals faster, lower remission rates, and client-reported documentation about their mental health journey. There are many reasons why counselling clients struggle with homework, but the good news is that there are tools to boost compliance.

A digital homework app like Therachat is an amazing tool to keep you connected to your clients. Therachat comes with skill-building activities, daily reminders to stay on-track, mindfulness exercises, and emotion tracking. It’s an innovative way to help your clients feel supported between appointments. That between-session connection will keep homework top-of-mind and allow clients to complete it in a way they’re familiar with.

Learn more.

How counsellors and clients can look forward to 2021

January 2, 2021 by Sarina Arefzadeh Leave a Comment

It’s time to look forward to 2021. Entering a new year is always exciting — full of goals, possibilities, and new adventures. But this year feels a little different for everyone. Some may almost hesitate to look forward to a new year after wrapping up one like 2020. We want to help you and your clients overcome that reluctance in practical ways.

Lessons learnt in 2020

In our last article, we covered what counsellors learnt in 2020, and what they can expect to take into 2021. Here’s what we found:

Be flexible: Meet clients where they are. Whether that be in-person sessions, video calls or jumping on a phone call.
Virtual counselling is here to stay: The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light just how critical technology continues to be in keeping us connected. Now that counsellors and their clients have discovered that virtual therapy is possible and effective, there’s no going back. The convenience and accessibility is important to clients.
Digital tools are a necessity: As the industry and it’s clients embrace virtual counselling, digital tools like Therachat are essential to ensure clients are staying on-track between sessions and meeting their goals.

For the full breakdown and more details, read the article on our blog.

How to look forward to 2021

For many, this year felt unpredictable, stagnant, and stressful — but it also came with many lessons. As we enter the new year, many clients, and even counsellors, may be concerned about similar themes. Here is what we expect will come up, and how to maintain a positive outlook.

Focus on what you DID do.

Not on what you didn’t. Many clients are struggling with the fact that they didn’t accomplish as much as they would have liked to. Maybe there were goals that were glossed over, or impossible to reach given the circumstances. Let us be loud and clear when we say: that’s completely okay. The world was not in its ‘normal’ state this year, so it’s unfair to expect ‘normal’ levels of productivity from everyone. Know that while wanting to meet all desired goals is great, it’s perfectly fine to not have met every single one — in a global crisis, no less. Just surviving and getting through the year is more than enough, and clients should be proud of themselves for that.

Thank yourself for how far you’ve come

This year hasn’t been easy. Maybe your clients didn’t get to do absolutely everything they wanted to. Maybe they had to cancel plans, or grieve losses. But the sheer fact that we all made it to the end of the year is an accomplishment in itself. Perhaps paused growth in specific areas left more room for clients to grow in others. For example, if they didn’t get their dream job, but they developed healthy coping mechanisms they could reach for in times of stress — that’s something to be celebrated.

Don’t put pressure on this upcoming year

While the world is moving towards normalcy, it’s not all the way there yet. And it won’t happen overnight. Instead, expect a slow and gradual shift to what we’re used to. That being said, encourage clients not to put too much pressure on this upcoming year, and themselves, to pile on goals for 2021. Remember that not every year has to start with a bang — taking slow and steady strides is an amazing first step. That way, clients can get really clear on what they really want to accomplish rather than rushing into half-baked aspirations.

Use technology to your advantage

As we enter a new year, counsellors can embrace digital tools to keep their clients on track throughout 2021. Therachat is a digital homework app that counsellors can use to support their clients from a distance. With innovative features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises, counsellors and their clients are always connected. Support your clients as they meet their goals, with Therachat.

Moving into the new year

For some, entering a new year feels exciting, with the promise of new experiences and opportunities. For others, it can feel stressful like a lot of pressure. As you and your clients look forward to 2021, we hope these practical tips can help remove negative thoughts and bring a sense of calm.

5 Reasons Why Clients Struggle With Homework Outside of Therapy Sessions

July 5, 2018 by Kouris Leave a Comment

Giving homework to clients is a technique that many therapists are beginning to adopt as a way to improve their success rate with clients. But it often times doesn’t come easy. A lot of therapy clients struggle with homework and hardly complete it. [Read more…] about 5 Reasons Why Clients Struggle With Homework Outside of Therapy Sessions

How To Use Time In Therapy Sessions As Effectively As Possible & Help Clients Get The Most Out Of It

March 27, 2018 by Kouris Leave a Comment

When we talked to Joy for the first time, we were impressed by her dedication to make the best use of therapy session time. She values a client’s time so much, that we wanted to sit down and ask her some questions about how she makes sure clients get the most out of sessions.

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