If the "Getting" workshop is so good - how is that so few therapy clients attend it?

Virtual Town-Hall ending with Think Tank meeting - 7 May

A summary is given below - for the full results from the survey follow this link

Nearly all Imago therapists encourage some or all of their clients to attend a workshop

• It’s an incredible growth experience for couples
• It makes therapy much more effective

Most couples who attended a workshop made much better progress in therapy

• Few couples discontinued therapy as a result
• Some of these came back later for help
• Most of the couples appear to have liked the workshop

Most therapists find it difficult to persuade their couples to go to the workshop

• Couples are reluctant
• They don’t want to reveal their private lives to other couples
• They can’t fit it around family obligations
• They can’t afford it
• They feel they are being “sold” another expensive service
• They don’t understand the difference between therapy and the workshop and what it would offer them

Most therapists knew and trusted the workshop presenters in their area, although nearly a third did not.

Ideas from people on the Think Tank Call – May 7

Helping therapists refer to the workshop

• It’s cost effective for couples – worth 3-6 months of therapy
• Good to mention in the first phone-call, the workshop is part of the program, so they expect to go sooner or later
• Invite therapists to attend for free and re-experience the workshop
• Use regional group meetings
• Send brochures several tim es a year to therapists who refer. (It doesn’t seem to pay off to send them to past attendees)
• Message to clients “If two-days of intensive work don’t make a difference – an hour at a tim e in my office probably won’t either”
• Concern from some therapists who refer – they don’t get a thank you back

Suggested Actions:

1. Provide Therapists with better information for couples to help them decide to come to the workshop. This should help therapists present convincing arguments – “its cost effective, worth 3-months of therapy, it’s different etc:”

· Printed materials

· Online resources

2. Raise the consciousness among therapists that the combination of the workshop and therapy appears to be more effective that either one alone.

• Conference
• Mailing

3. Encourage Workshop Presenters to invite therapists to re-take the workshop to be reminded of what an incredible experience it is.

4. Suggest codes of practice that Workshop Presenters can share with therapists so they can feel safe and good about referring. Include recommendations for appreciating those who refer.

5. Encourage workshop presenters to regularly mail their workshop schedules to therapists in their region.

6. Encourage regional groups to work together on partnering therapists with workshop presenters and ensuring there are referrals both ways – including of Workshop attendees back