Outcome Measures and Evaluation in Counselling and Psychotherapy

This book sets in context the role of outcome measurement research - taking you step-by-step through the research process and beyond to consider the wider professional and ethical issues involved. This book will provide you with everything you need to know and more, helping you develop the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful research-informed practitioner. Written for trainees and counselling and psychotherapy practitioners, this book:        - Provides you with a brief overview and history of research and measurement in mental health contexts. - Sets out a framework for understanding the core features of outcome measures and their scope. - Takes you step-to-step through the process of implementing a SMART outcome evaluation. - Addresses the benefits and limitations of outcome measures research for the individual client, practitioner and service provider. Packed full of case studies, activities and tools for real-life practice, this book throws a life belt to all counselling and psychotherapy trainees and practitioners looking to make the best start in their research-informed career. Chris Evans is Visiting Professor at the University of UDLA, Ecuador and an Honorary Professor at the University of Roehampton. Jo-anne Carlyle is Director of PSYCTC.com

Table of Contents:
Part I: Outcome Measures and Evaluation 1. An Introduction to Outcome Measures and Evaluation Part II: Outcome Measures 2. A Framework for Outcome Measures 3. How to Judge the Quality of an Outcome Measure 4. An overview of outcome and change measures 5. Analysing Change Data from Outcome Measures Part III: Evaluation – Applying Outcome Measures in Practice 6. Designing a SMART evaluation. What’s your design and who is your audience? 7. Outcome Measurement for individual practitioners 8. Service level change and outcome measurement 9. Working with clients and supervisors when using outcome measures Part IV. Communication and Critique 10. A “snapshot” review. Survival and Critique as a core practitioner skill

About the Author :
Chris Evans, Honorary Professor, Universities of UDLA, Ecuador, trained in medicine and psychiatry, specialising in psychotherapy with trainings in individual analytic therapy, group analysis and family/systemic therapy. He always combined research with clinical work and his driving interest has been "how is it that we think we know what it is that we think we know?" ... which he admits may have been a bit generic for a really focused research career! However, it drove wide exploration of research and assessment methods, led him to co-create the CORE system (www.coresystemtrust.org.uk) and to co-lead over 30 translations of CORE instruments. He co-authored the first paper naming, as a vital complement to "evidence-based practice", "practice based evidence": the theme of this book. He is now a full-time freelance researcher holding personal chairs in Sheffield, UK and at UDLA, Quito, Ecuador. Jo-anne Carlyle, PSYCTC.com, trained in clinical and forensic psychology, psychoanalytic psychotherapy and organisational consultancy. She has worked in health, education and third sector settings and has expertise in delivery of clinical services; leadership development and strategy; professional regulation and governance; research; project management and outcome monitoring. Her consulting work has been in the UK, Canada, Ecuador, India, Lithuania as well as internationally online. She has an interest in humanitarian and development work and is transitioning her activities to projects with more social impact. She currently sits as a non-executive director on education and charity boards.

Review :
In their new book Outcome Measures and Evaluation in Counselling and Psychotherapy, authors Chris Evans and Jo-anne Carlyle have pulled off a rare feat. In making some important statistical concepts accessible, presenting ‘for’ and ‘against’ arguments for measurement in a balanced way, and leading the reader through a range of implementation scenarios, they have written the guide I wish I’d read twenty five years ago. In fact, they’ve written the book I wish I’d written myself. If you have no other guide to outcome measurement and evaluation in psychological therapy on your bookshelf, make sure you have this one. This book is refreshingly pragmatic and undogmatic in its approach to outcome measures and evaluation, which is surprisingly rare. The authors pair their accessible and honest writing style with case illustrations and examples to really speak to practitioners who are engaging with outcome measurement at all levels: from the very early ‘inquisitive’ to the more experienced ‘implementer’. What I really love about this book is the way it takes the reader on a journey from ‘why’ to ‘how’ outcome measures might be used and really encourages the reader to think about what will work for them in their own context. It isn’t prescriptive in that it tells you what you must collect, when and how, but gives the reader the appropriate tools – and identifies the benefits and drawbacks – to each approach. It very clearly acknowledges throughout that no single measure, or approach to evaluation, is going to be 100% perfect and that’s the reality of working with outcome measures! I would highly recommend this book to trainees and experienced practitioners alike, as there really is something in there for everyone. Most importantly, I think this book captures something that is often missing in similar texts: an on-going encouragement of self-reflection and constructive criticism.