5 Ways to Evaluate Progress in Therapy
When we begin therapy, we usually start with having certain goals in mind. It’s natural to wonder what it will look like when we start making progress.
Questions might cross our mind, such as:
What are some signs that therapy is working?
How is progress measured in therapy?
How do therapists track and evaluate progress?
How do I know I’m done with therapy, or that it was a success?
Progress in therapy is shaped by the goals of each person and their unique needs, and there are different ways to measure it. In this post, I’ll cover some ways that progress is evaluated in therapy, including how art (both process and product) can be used as a tool to track progress.
Let’s get into some common methods of evaluating therapeutic progress.
Symptom Reduction
When clients seek therapy for a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, one way that progress can be measured over time is through a reduction in symptoms. Information about symptoms is typically gathered through any combination of standardized assessment, client self-report, or therapist observation.
Increase in or Strengthening of Coping Skills
Experiencing big emotions and living through difficult experiences presents an opportunity in therapy to explore and find ways to develop or learn coping strategies. Clients can use any variety of skills that work for them to use to effectively manage their stress levels and better self-regulate. Using coping skills in challenging moments is a way to measure progress.
Heightened Self-Awareness
In therapy, clients reflect on different thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which leads to more self-awareness over time. In art therapy, clients can express their unique experiences, and give form and shape to things like anger, stress, shame, identity, relationships, fears, etc. This externalizes what was previously internal. Not only does this often feel like an emotional relief for many clients, it’s also an opportunity to gain awareness.
For example, a client might come to art therapy to address their anxiety. A couple of months in, a therapist might suggest reviewing all of their artwork together. They lay out the art in chronological order on a table and begin to review and notice the differences over time. Perhaps the client notices there’s more use of color and that the art feels more flexible and fun. The therapist might notice other shifts in the formal elements, such as shifts in size, composition, or line work. A discussion of changes in the visual timeline of the art that’s been made in session allows for a greater conversation about noticing patterns and shifts that relate to progress made.
Relationship Changes
Clients often report progress in terms of changes that take place in their relationships. Discussions might be around communication skills, boundaries, or exploration of the sense of closeness and intimacy in their relationships. Making small relational changes can lead to big outcomes for many clients. Progress is measured through discussing and exploring these changes, how they feel, and the outcome.
Reaching a Goal
Clients and therapists work together on determining goals for treatment. Goals are highly individual and varied. Two people in therapy can have the same goal; for example, maybe it’s to process grief. One person might jump right in, talking openly about their experience with grief right away. For another, it can take months before they begin to share how they feel about their emotions through art. There’s no “right” way to reach a goal because the process is different for each person!
People who come to therapy will vary widely in their readiness for growth, so it’s important to appreciate the non-linear nature of change and maintain flexibility if therapy feels like it is taking longer than originally anticipated. For parents of children and teens, it’s important to check in with your own feelings about therapy, progress, and success. Therapy is sometimes one of the only spaces where young people are not evaluated for their performance or product, where they can make mistakes, and process tough feelings and experiences without judgment.
Summary
Ultimately, progress in therapy is highly individualized and may be measured in a variety of ways depending on the needs and goals of each client. The therapist may use a combination of assessments, self-report measures, and observation to track progress and make adjustments to the treatment plan as needed. In art therapy, the art might be seen as a “visual snapshot” of the client at that moment, in that session. This allows a natural timeline of progress to form, as art gathers over time, and is eventually reviewed by the client and therapist together. This invites reflection and dialogue about therapeutic progress and supports the refinement of goals or next steps.
I provide art therapy virtually to clients in New York and New Jersey and in-person in Montclair, NJ. I work with ages 5+. Art therapy is a mental health profession and a powerful form of therapy for any age; you don’t need any previous training or art skills to benefit. Reach out for more information!
