September 2020 Clinical Supervision Topic: Eliciting Feedback

Nothing like a group of pecking hens to represent eliciting feedback!

If you’ve been with me long enough, you’ve definitely heard me say,

The best clinicians get the most amount of negative feedback. . .

…because they are asking for it!

When I first learned about eliciting feedback and all the research around it, it made a lasting impression on the way I formulated treatment. Finally, I could do my own session-by-session qualitative research on what was actually helping my clients. I could cut out a lot of the guesswork. I changed my practice and approach immediately. You can read this post from last year to get a good write-up on it and see an article with research explaining the value and the best process for it.

Bottom line: eliciting feedback is necessary if you want to do effective work as a social worker, professional counselor or marriage and family therapist.

This 3 minute video does a great overview.

Please go over these questions and come ready to discuss:

• How am I currently eliciting feedback?

• What feedback do I most pay attention to?

• Which feedback do I not want to hear?

• What do I do with the feedback I am given?

And in settings in which you’ve been a recipient of services, or the person in the relationship with less power (think: doctor’s office, a professor in grad school, your administrator at work, as a therapy client):

• What did the other person do to either elicit or not elicit feedback?

• What made it easier or harder to share what you really felt and thought about them, about the experience of working with them?

• What helps you feel comfortable giving people honest feedback?

Lastly, here is a handout, created by my dear mentor Susie Snyder, LCSW. It is pure gold, and i have referred to it so often in developing my own skills to elicit feedback. Feel free to download, print and keep it somewhere easily accessible. Eliciting feedback is a muscle, just like any other skill. Time, intention and practice make it strong.

Susie Snyder: Integrative Approaches to Working with Trauma

Susie Snyder, LCSW is providing an attachment, narrative therapy, polyvagal therapy (and more) informed trauma training on April 17, 2020. Susie is a well-known PSU professor and does really great work in their school of social work (which is where I initially met her).

Susie Is providing an Integrative Approaches to Working with Trauma training on April 17, 2020. Susie reached out to me shortly after COVID-19 cases appeared in Washington state and hired me to help her move her all-day in-person training to an on-line workshop experience. Many of you know Susie has been an important mentor to me for years, so working with her in this capacity has been so enjoyable and informative.

Susie’s approach is warm, supportive, direct and so well-informed. Working with her helps me also come from a very informed and intentional place and keep my focus on connecting with and guiding the client towards improved mental health. Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when working with trauma; Susie provides a really solid foundation in this workshop.

The training is held in Portland, Oregon via ZOOM, and will be available for viewing after as well. You will receive 6 CEUs upon completion.

You can sign up for the training here.

Do you have any questions about working with trauma? Drop them below, I’ll help you out or connect you with Susie. You can also reach out to Susie directly at susiesnyder@msn.com.