Counselor Magazine, the Magazine for Addiction Professionals - Client Satisfaction with Therapy Interview (CSTI)

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Client Satisfaction with Therapy Interview (CSTI)

Columns - Assessment Tools

Thursday, 31 March 2005

The following brief open-ended interview contains 20 questions designed to assess client satisfaction with various aspects of the therapeutic experience once therapy has terminated. The CSTI can be administered orally during an interview or over the telephone. It can also be administered in written form, although its length might inhibit some clients from providing complete answers. The CSTI addresses issues such as services, costs, privacy and confidentiality, evaluation, professional behavior, therapeutic interventions, and therapeutic outcomes.

Information generated from the CSTI is qualitative in nature and no statistical statements can be made about the results. However, the interview can yield useful information about how satisfied clients are with therapeutic services provided in many settings, including private practice. Accordingly, the interview can be administered shortly after therapy has terminated or sometime after the fact, ranging from 3 to 12 months.

Counselors can benefit from reviewing client responses to identify areas of strength they can continue to emphasize with clients and/or weaknesses that can be improved with new and/or returning clients. Some questions may not pertain to a given client; therefore, please tailor the interview to the client by simply skipping items that are not relevant.

YOUR THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE

* Did you and your counselor work together to directly identify personal goal(s) for therapy?

* Were you satisfied with the goal(s) that you and your counselor identified for therapy? Why or why not?

* Did you and your counselor periodically review your progress? Evaluate success(es)? Identify any areas for improvement?

* Describe any positive aspects of your therapeutic experience.

* Describe any negative aspects of your therapeutic experience.

* Could your experience in therapy have been improved? [IF YES] How so?

FEES/COSTS OF THERAPY

* Were fees/costs explained to you before or during your first session?

* Did the fees/costs or insurance issues reduce either the number of sessions or the amount of time you spent in therapy?

* Did you think the therapeutic services you received were worth the fees/costs of therapy? Why or why not?

ASSESSMENT

* Did you feel your counselor properly evaluated your problems?

* [ONLY IF TESTING WAS COMPLETED] Were the results of psychological tests explained to you?

COUNSELOR ETHICS & PROFESSIONALISM

* Were sessions scheduled at a time that was convenient for your personal needs?

* Did sessions begin on time? End on time?

* Were your telephone calls and/or requests returned within a reasonable amount of time?

* Did you feel your counselor understood your cultural background? Was your counselor
sensitive to your cultural issues/needs?

* Were you treated with respect by your counselor?

* Would you describe your counselor as behaving with integrity?

* Was your privacy/confidentiality preserved and respected?

* Was there a follow-up interview/call after therapy was completed?

YOUR OVERALL EVALUATION

* Overall, what has been the effect of the therapy you received on your life?

* Would you refer a close friend or family member to your counselor for therapeutic services? Why or why not?

Sylvia Kay Fisher, Ph.D., Educational Measurement and Evaluation, has significant program evaluation experience and was formerly a counselor and psychological evaluator. Ronnie Fisher is a retired psychology teacher and a former social worker and counselor.