A Phenomenological Study of Stakeholders' Experiences With Integrating Client Feedback in the Counseling Process

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of stakeholders with accessing and integrating client feedback into counseling through a constructivist phenomenological approach. Participants included clients, counselors, and administrators from one outpatient counseling clinic at a not‐for‐profit hospital system. Client participants included three clients (one male, one female, one nonbinary) who ranged in age from 27 to 63 years and identified as White ( n = 2) and Hispanic/Latino ( n = 1). Counselor participants included six counselors (four female, two male) who ranged in age from 50–71 years and whose racial identity consisted of African American ( n = 1), White ( n = 4), and unknown ( n = 1). Administrator participants included four administrators (three female, one unknown), who ranged in age from 34 to 58 years and all identified as White. Researchers conducted five interviews with three clients, two counselor focus groups, and one administrator focus group. Findings from the clients’ perspective included themes of: Feedback Shared and Not Shared, Counselor Creating an Environment of Safety is Foundational for Feedback, Process of Eliciting Feedback, and Perceived Outcomes of Client Feedback. Findings from the counselors’ perspective included themes of: We Don't Know What Clients are Thinking Unless We Ask Them, Client Autonomy, Collaboration with Client, and Organizational Climate. Findings from the administrators’ perspective included themes of: We Don't Know What Clients are Experiencing if We Don't Ask and Organizational Climate. Themes from each stakeholder perspective are described along with implications for clinical practice.