Module 3: How To Onboard Clients & Conduct Client Sessions

In this training module, you will learn how to onboard new clients and progress through a client session for both individuals and couples. Conducting a one-on-one session is completely different than conducting a couples session. This module will teach you how to effectively execute each type of session. Please note, when you first start doing sessions with clients, you will go through a phase of being nervous before every session. This is normal and will pass in time as you gain more experience and grow in confidence. As with anything you do, you will become really good at what you practice. The more sessions you do, the better you will get. When you get to Training Module 6, you will have the chance to get plenty of practice!

To complete this module:

• Read everything in the white blocks below.
• Listen to the example client sessions.
• Schedule your review session using the "Have a Question?" form below.

Onboarding Clients

All new clients are onboarded through a Contact Information Form (CIF) that they submit online through your website (you will create your website in Module 5). A CIF allows you to gather all relevant information needed on a prospective client in advance of your first session with them. When someone is interested in working with you, do not call or text with him or her as a way of first response. Rather you should direct him or her to submit a CIF, which will be located on the "Contact" page of your website (see example below). Otherwise, your first contact with him or her could turn into a full session and this is not professional. If they are not willing to take the time to submit a CIF and schedule a session with you, then he or she is not ready to engage in a counseling relationship at this time.

​Example: Contact Information Form (CIF)

The following fields and questions will need to be included on your CIF. Feel free to add additional questions/fields and customize your CIF to fit the type of counseling you are providing:

• Name
• Address
• Phone/Cell
• Email
• Age
• Martial or Relationship Status
• ​How many children do you have?
• When would you like to get started?
• Which day of the week works best for you?
• What time of the day is best?
• Do you prefer Zoom sessions (audio or video) or phone?
• What are you currently struggling with?
• What would you like to see change or be different?
• List all medications you are currently taking
• List all professionally diagnosed current conditions
• List all previous counseling, psychiatric hospitalizations, and/or suicide attempts with approximate dates
• Are you a Christian?
• How did you hear about me and my ministry?
• ​Additional comments
• Include a ​confidentiality and indemnification under the CIF (see verbiage below)*

*It is recommended you add the below confidentiality and indemnification clause under your CIF. Include a checkbox for your client to check that states, "I have read and agree to the clause above". To see an example, click here and scroll to the bottom. Feel free to use the verbiage below on your own site.

Confidentiality and Indemnification Clause: The counseling provided through this ministry is offered by a certified Christian counselor INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL COUNSELING DEGREES/CERTIFICATION YOU HAVE and not by a state licensed counselor. Any advice, suggestion, or recommendation provided through this ministry is based upon biblical principles and should not be considered professional legal, financial, medical, psychiatric, or technical advice. Therefore, if you have a significant legal, financial, medical, psychiatric, or technical need, please seek assistance from an independent licensed professional, accordingly. Confidentiality is an important aspect of the counseling process, and the information you entrust to this ministry will be carefully guarded and not shared outside of this ministry. I acknowledge that any advice, suggestion, or recommendation made through this ministry will be acted upon by my own volition and free will. I take responsibility for all decisions and choices I make based on the counsel I receive through this ministry. I further promise and agree to indemnify and release NAME OF YOUR MINISTRY, and YOUR NAME, of any and all liability arising from any known, unknown, or any unanticipated damages to myself, others, or property caused by the decisions and choices I make as a result of the counsel I receive through this ministry. I am fully aware of, understand, and agree to all the terms and conditions of this release and indemnification provision, and that it is binding and enforceable by law.

​New Client

Once you receive a CIF from a new client, send him or her an email to schedule a 60-minute initial counseling session. After your new client has confirmed the day and time of his or her first session, email him or her a calendar meeting invitation (include a Zoom link or phone number in the invite). Zoom is recommended for conducting client sessions. Once the session has been booked, you have successfully onboarded a new client!

Now that your new client has been onboarded, create a "New Contact" for him or her in your contact management tool (see example below). This is where you will record your new client's contact information and maintain all ongoing session notes. In the notes section of your client's contact profile, include the following:

• Date of first session
• How client found your ministry
• Headings: Intention, Treatment Protocol, Homework, and Background​​

Your new client is now all set up in your contact management tool and you are ready to start your first session. During your first session, record your session notes here. Record what your client shares about his or her background under the "Background" heading. Feel free to include any other information that you think is important for you to know or remember about your client in the notes.

Example: New Contact Set Up

How To Conduct a One-On-One Session

When conducting a session, think of it as taking a verbal walk with your client. As you take this "walk", let your client choose which direction to go. Your role is to be his or her "guide" along the way. Remember, you are there to hold space for your client to share and explore his or her innermost thoughts and emotions. You want to create an atmosphere in each session where your client feels safe, respected, comforted, supported, understood, and encouraged.

Never push or force a client to discuss what he or she is not ready to talk about. You are, in a metaphorical sense, holding your client's hand as you take this guided inner journey together. As your client talks, "stay in the question". This means, staying curious and continuing to ask thought provoking questions. Keep digging until you discover the root cause of your client's issue, challenge, or conflict. Asking good questions not only helps you better understand your client but will also help your client gain more clarity about his or her current struggle(s). Keep in mind, finding effective solutions first begins by clearly identifying the root problem.

You can ask questions like:

• Why do you think you feel that way?
• Is there something different you think you could have said in that situation?
• What could you have done differently?
• Do you feel you are holding onto any unforgiveness?
• When did you first start feeling anxious?
• Why do you think you remain in this abusive relationship?
• Do you notice that you tend to be a people pleaser?
• Why do you think you feel so far from God?
• What is your relationship with your dad/mom like?
  
• What is it that you fear most about asserting yourself?
• And so on​

COUNSELING TIPS TO PRACTICE DURING SESSIONS

Reflect your client:  This means repeating back to your client what you heard him or her say. Throughout your session try to reflect your client when appropriate. This will help your client feel heard and ensures that you understood what he or she said correctly. For example, you can reflect your client by saying, "Let me repeat what I understood you to say....", then ask, "Is that correct?" Allow him or her to provide any correction or clarification. ​

​Ask great questions:  Effective counseling is all about asking good questions (sometimes even having to ask difficult questions that your client may be trying to avoid confronting). When you get to a point in a session where you have asked enough questions and feel it's time to offer a suggestion, different perspective, scripture, story, or some wise advice - then do it. But remember, 70% of your sessions will be you 1) actively listening, 2) letting your client lead directionally, 3) reflecting your client, and 4) asking questions; 30% will be you offering direction, suggestions, advice, recommendations, and take-aways. Further, if you notice your client rushes through answering a question - or avoids answering it altogether - this is an indication that you need to dig into this area a little more. You can bring them back to this place by saying, "Let's go back to the question I asked you earlier about how you felt when your husband left you."

Use the "power of the pause":  When you want your client to keep talking, pause. When there is silence, your client will keep talking.

Maintain professional boundaries:  Therapeutic relationships are professional. They are not friendships or romantic relationships. Clients should feel a sense of security in knowing that you are committed to a consistent experience. This includes avoiding or limiting the amount of self-disclosure you share with clients as much as possible. Generally speaking, clients shouldn’t have to guess what your boundaries are.

First Session Call Format

When conducting your first session with a new client, be sure you are on time, well rested, clear minded, and ready to listen. The goal of your initial session is to 1) gather information about your client's background, 2) understand his or her challenges, 3) identify his or her intention/goal, and 4) create a treatment protocol. By the end of your first session, you will want to have completed these four objectives. See the suggested call format below for how to conduct a first-time session with a new client.

Step 1	When you open the call, welcome your client. Make your client feel relaxed. You may also want to open in prayer.
Step 2	Go through their CIF. React to your client's responses with curiosity, and ask questions such as, "So I see you are married, how long have you been married for?", or "I see here you never worked with a counselor before, so let me explain how this works", and so on. Allow yourself to be curious. Ask questions that will help you gain more clarity and understanding about your client's situation and challenges. Note, if your client indicates that he or she is a Christian, explore more about his or her understanding of Christianity. Remember, not all professing Christians are "saved", so you will want to do your best to determine if your client is caught up in a false religion or not.
Step 3	Walk the client through what will happen on the call. Explain to your client that during the first session you will be doing a lot of listening and notetaking to gain a better understanding of his or her background, challenges, and intention and that he or she will be doing most of the talking. Inform your client that you may jump in at times to ask clarifying questions, and depending on what comes up in the session, you may or may not assign homework or take-aways.
Step 4	Start by asking your client to give you an intention statement. Ask your client, "What is it that you hope to achieve or change as a result of the work you do together?" Repeat back what you understood your client's intention to be and write it down in his or her client contact profile. Your client's intention statement will serve as your focus throughout the work you do with him or her. This statement helps you know what it is he or she is seeking help and support with.
Step 5	Invite client to begin sharing. Invite your client to share his or her story, background, problems, and challenges. Actively listen as your client begins to share and take good notes. Ask questions and try to identify any areas of challenge. See if you can discover the root issue of your client's problems. For example, if your client mentions having resentment towards his or her mother, then it could mean he or she is holding onto unforgiveness and could benefit from some forgiveness work. Or, if your client mentions being a people pleaser, this could indicate codependent tendencies and a possible rejection wound. If so, he or she could benefit from learning more about assertive behavior, personal boundaries, and possibly healing from a rejection mindset.
Step 6	As your session comes to a close, establish a treatment protocol. Your treatment protocol will be based on what you discovered your client's root issues are. For example, if you discover that the root issue is unforgiveness, your treatment protocol could include having your client read materials on forgiveness. If you discover that your client needs to learn how to be more assertive and set healthy personal boundaries, your treatment protocol could include working your client through the Better Boundaries book, listening to an audio lesson on assertive behavior, and so on. You would then communicate this treatment protocol to your client and get his or her agreement. Then, note this course of action under the "Treatment Protocol" heading in the client's contact profile.
Step 7	Assign a take-away or homework and schedule your next session. If appropriate, go ahead and assign a take-away or homework from the resources in your ministry tool kit. Be sure to schedule your next session with your client before ending the call. In general, I recommend scheduling weekly or bimonthly sessions with new clients, and then gradually taper down to monthly check-in calls as your client achieves his or her intentions and goals and requires less support. End the session in prayer.

Live Example: First Session with New Client

Listen to the below live first-time session with a new client. As you listen, see if you can follow along with the call format above to see how an initial session is conducted.

Follow-Up Session Call Format

When it's time to do a follow-up session with your client, be sure to review the notes from your last session. See the suggested call format below for how to conduct a follow-up session.

Step 1	Begin by opening in prayer and checking in with your client. Start by checking in with your client by asking some of the following questions, "How is your day going today?", "Is there anything on your heart that you want to discuss today before we jump into the homework?", or "Are there any updates that you want to share before we begin?"
Step 2	​Review the homework or take-aways that were assigned. Invite your client to share what he or she learned from the homework that was assigned. You can review any writing assignments that were given and see where there can be further discussion based on what your client wrote. If there was any part of the homework that your client had trouble with, help him or her resolve any confusion and gain a better understanding of it. If action steps were assigned, hold your client accountable by asking if he or she completed the take-aways. If not, probe further as to why your client was not able to complete the take-aways.
Step 3	Throughout the session, stay in the question. Practice reflecting your client and offer insights, advice, encouragement, scripture, and suggestions as appropriate. Also, consider screensharing any handouts that you think might be beneficial.
Step 4	Assign a take-away or homework and schedule your next session. Assign a take-away or homework from the resources in your ministry tool kit. Be sure to schedule your next session with your client before ending the call. Close the session in prayer or invite your client to say the closing prayer.

Live Example: Follow-Up Session

Listen to the below live follow-up client session. As you listen, see if you can follow along with the call format above to see how a live follow-up client session is conducted.

Client Feedback Form

Once a client gets to a point of needing less support, consider asking him or her to complete a Client Feedback Form to assess his or her progress. Include questions on the form that will let you know what your client has learned so far, any areas of struggle he or she may need further support with, what your client likes most about his or her sessions, what could help improve his or her counseling experience, and what he or she may want to work on moving forward. The feedback form can be something you create online or as a word document that you ask your client to complete.

How To Conduct a Couples Session

Conducting a couples session is different from conducting an individual session. Your primary role in a couples session is to act as the mediator. You are there to help the couple "hear" each other's concerns and needs. This may require you to rephrase or clarify what one person is trying to communicate to the other. It also means asking the couple to "reflect" (repeat back) what they heard their spouse/partner say. You can screenshare the Couples Call Worksheet below during the session to help the couple identify their concerns and needs and to keep everyone on track throughout the discussion.  A copy of this worksheet should already be saved in your Ministry Tool Kit folder.

Periodically throughout the session, you will want to offer recommendations and suggestions. Generally, when facilitating a couples session, 70% of your responsibility is to mediate the communication between the couple and help them to identify their challenges and needs; 30% of the session should be you offering suggestions, insights, and direction. As mentioned in the prior module, it is important to "walk the walk" in your own marriage/relationship and be clear on what the scriptures teach regarding biblical marriage, dating, and sex before counseling couples.

When ending a couples session, assign a take-away or homework to the couple, and schedule a follow-up session. Close in prayer or invite the male client to close in prayer.

​Example: Couples Call Worksheet

Live Example: Couples Session

Listen to the below live couples session to hear how a couples session is conducted.

Schedule Review Session

Congratulations for making it this far in the course! The next step is to schedule a review session before progressing to the next module. Using the "Have a Question?" form below, please type in the comment box, "I have completed Training Module 3 and would like to schedule a review session on [enter a day/time] to review what I have learned in this module. Please confirm."

​Once your request is received, a review session will be scheduled. The purpose of this session is to review what you have learned in this module to ensure that you have a firm grasp on how to onboard new clients and conduct client sessions.

It is important that you understand this material before progressing to Training Module 4.

PROGRESS TO MODULE 4

<< Back to Module 2