Sub plenary: The many faces of feedback

ABSTRACT

The tradition for informal client feedback and user involvement within family therapy theory and practices is long. However, the resent use of more formal procedures for client feedback is increasing within our field, and by some regarded as one way of enhancing user involvement in therapy. Feedback procedures clearly offer the client/family a stronger voice concerning important therapeutic issues. Less attention has been given to the therapist’s profound role in feedback procedures as well as facilitator for user involvement.

Feedback procedures developed for clinical use typically moves through three steps. 1) The client/family completes a structured self-report questionnaire, 2) the therapist studies the self-report questionnaire, and 3) the therapist and client/family talks about the self-reported information.

A review of the available literature on therapists’ experiences with different feedback procedures revealed a substantial lack of publications on this theme. Based on two empirical interview-studies, this lecture will focus on therapists’ expectations for and experiences with clinical use of the comprehensive feedback procedure STIC (Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change) in Norway.

The overall findings indicate that how therapists used STIC in clinical practice was related to what STIC represented to them, theoretically as well as practically, regardless of training. Their system of meaning also influenced the conversation with the client in the subsequent session about the feedback information that was given. Furthermore, the feedback procedures seemed to represent opportunities for therapists to develop their understanding of the clients, their professional role, as well as vital aspects of the collaboration in therapy processes.

Opportunities for user involvement through STIC were related more to the therapist and less to the inclusion of a feedback procedure. However, STIC influenced the therapy. In order to understand these extra sets of interaction in therapy that includes a feedback procedure, systemic and dialogical theory is helpful.