Referring a Client to a Therapist

coachingHave you ever wondered, in the course of a CDP feedback session, whether your client might benefit from therapy?  The decision about whether to raise the issue with a client can feel tricky or uncomfortable.  For most feedback coaches, the decision about whether to refer a client to a therapist is a very intuitive process which may be affected by a myriad of factors, including

  • the person’s ability to absorb and understand the feedback in a realistic way

  • any apparent damage to a person’s self-esteem as a result of the feedback

  • the amount of distress the person might be experiencing in his or her life and how that distress is affecting functioning or well-being

  • other issues in the individual's personal and/or professional life

  • feedback from other assessment instruments confimring a specific problem area

  • the individual’s overall resilience

Although you should never make a determination based on the written report alone, there might be “signals” in the feedback session that would prompt you to raise the issue of therapy.  Sometimes a client can’t get past his current state to consider making changes in the future.  When that shift is difficult, and the person keeps dwelling on the current state, it can indicate that he is stuck in some way.

Extremely high scores on the Active Destructive scales and/or Passive Destructive scales sometimes lead to a discussion about current stress levels.  Does the client feel that her coping resources are being taxed to the point that professional and/or personal relationships are being damaged?  Does she feel overwhelmed?

Marital issues sometimes come up in a feedback session, especially if the client’s conflict behavior is causing similar problems at work and at home. If a client raises the issue of discord with his partner, it might make sense to ask whether they have considered couples therapy.

Another indicator might be the amount of anger you sense in your client.  Is it at such a level that she has trouble absorbing the data?   Is she able to find any value in the perspectives of the respondents?  If the person’s anger is persistent or seems unreasonable, it is valuable to explore it in more detail.

Admission of a problem with drug or alcohol use is also a sign that another professional’s help might be beneficial.

 Before even raising the issue of therapy, it’s important to remember these general tips: 

  • Remind the person that the CDP feedback is developmental in nature; it’s intended to be just one source of data designed to increase effectiveness in the workplace.  It does not capture the essence of the individual’s overall functioning or value as a person or a leader. 

  • Ask lots of open-ended questions to try to get a grasp on how the person views the situation.  Do not jump to any conclusions about a person’s mental health.

  • Reflect back what you hear.

  • I f you do decide to explore the idea, avoid making any prescriptive statements, instead inviting your client to consider the possibility of therapy.  You might ask something like, “What is it like to talk with me about this?  If you find this beneficial, have you ever considered talking to other professionals who can provide support?” 

  • Consider using the term “counselor” or “professional” if you sense the client may have a negative reaction to the term “therapist” or “psychologist.”

  • If the person is not interested, say no more about it and proceed as you normally would.

  • Remind the person that confiding in a good friend or spiritual leader about the issues can also be helpful.

  • If the person shows interest in working with a therapist, they can get specific names from a family physician, friends and family members, an EAP provider, or the APA Web site.

Back to eNewsletter >