What is Client Engagement?

  • Client engagement includes all the efforts clients make towards change, inside and outside of sessions, throughout the course of care. 
  • It involves attendance, participation, application and reflection and completion of care.
  • Engagement starts from the outset, continues throughout, and is dynamic, changing with circumstances.

Why is Engagement Important?

  • Engaged clients are more involved, motivated, and more likely to see results.
  • Engagement is associated with improved satisfaction, symptom reduction, and goal achievement.
  • Strong engagement benefits both clients and practitioners.

What Influences Engagement?

  • Engagement is influenced by various factors:
    • Client characteristics: Demographics, motivation, beliefs, symptom severity, external circumstances.
    • Therapist characteristics: Warmth, empathy, optimism, experience, flexibility, responsiveness.
    • Intervention factors: Therapeutic/coaching relationship, content (following the evidence-base), dose, method and quality of the delivery.

How to Strengthen Engagement

  • Before the First Session:
    • Offer instant booking and short wait times.
    • Send a personalized message
    • Review client information (reason for booking, PHQ-9, GAD-7, work-impact measures). 
  • During the First Session:
    • Acknowledge: anxiety and ambivalence, and normalise. 
    • Praise for taking the first step and instill hope.  
    • Encourage: questions throughout, family/friend support.  
    • Assess: timing, approach, modality, barriers, dose.
    • Explain: what to expect through the sessions, confidentiality, your role, their role and how to make the best use of sessions.
    • Agree: meaningful goals and next steps.
  • Throughout Care:
    • Build a supportive and collaborative relationship
    • Empower the client 
    • Be culturally sensitive and aware 
    • Follow the evidence-base 
    • Personalise sessions 
    • Regularly reflect on progress and goals together 
    • Actively seek and use feedback 
    • Set actionable tasks and take-aways
  • Practical Considerations:
    • Discuss and problem-solve potential barriers to engagement 
    • Set consistent session times but be flexible when needed
    • Remind clients of session limits and cancellation policies
    • Check-in between sessions (if appropriate)
    • Use supervision and self-reflection 

Managing Late Notice Cancellations, Lateness, and No-Shows

  • Late Notice Cancellations:
    • Approach with empathy and respect
    • Explain the loss of a session credit.
    • Agree on another time and reiterate the cancellation policy.
  • Lateness and No-Shows:
    • Reach out, check in, and encourage rebooking.
    • Follow up if there's no response.
    • Reflect on own practice and the previous session
  • Consecutive Issues:
    • Do not rebook after three consecutive late cancels or no-shows.
    • Make use of supervision 
    • Understand the root cause

You can have a read through our Attendance & cancellation policy here.