Checkpoints: A New Way to Strengthen Mental Health Care Together
At Psychotherapy Matters, we’ve always believed that collaboration is the cornerstone of great care. Whether it’s between a therapist and their client, or between professionals working as a team, the relationships we build directly shape the outcomes we see.
But how do we nurture those relationships? How do we know when something’s working or when something needs attention?
That’s where Checkpoints come in.
Why “Checkpoints”?
We’ve been searching for a better way to describe what’s often called “measurement” in mental health care. But “measurement” can sound clinical, even intimidating. It can suggest distance, data, and diagnostics.
In practice, though, it’s much simpler and more human.
In mental health, measurement is often just about asking thoughtful questions. And more often than not, they come in the form of a checklist. That’s why we’re calling our new initiative Checkpoints. They’re brief, purposeful moments to pause, reflect, and connect—with our clients, and with one another.
Two Questions That Can Change Everything
We’re starting with two deceptively simple questions:
🌱 “Did you feel understood?”
🌱 “Was this session helpful?”
These are Checkpoint questions. They can be asked at the end of every session, every consult, every interaction. They get to the heart of what makes therapy work: empathy and utility.
Empathy is about connection: being seen and heard. Utility is about value: whether the session met the client’s goals. When one or both of these are missing, the therapeutic alliance weakens. And that can lead to dropout, stagnation, or harm.
As providers, we don’t always know when that rupture has occurred. Clients might not tell us. But if we don’t ask, how will we ever know?
What About Collaboration?
Therapeutic alliance is only one part of the story. In our collaborative model, the alliance between professionals is just as critical.
That’s why we’re introducing a second set of Checkpoint questions, this time, for the interprofessional relationship:
🌿 For therapists: “Did the psychiatrist help you better understand your client?” and “Did the psychiatrist support you in helping your client?”
🌿 For psychiatrists: “Did the therapist help you better understand the patient?” and “Did the therapist support you in helping the patient?”
This feedback loop supports one of our most important values: mutual respect. In a system where professionals often work in silos, these questions help us build trust, clarify roles, and ultimately provide better care.
What Happens Next?
The true value of a Checkpoint lies not just in asking, but in what happens after.
When the answer is “yes,” we have a chance to reinforce what’s working. When it’s “no,” we have an opportunity to lean in with curiosity and care.
We’re encouraging a three-step response to negative feedback:
1. Acceptance – Receiving the response without defensiveness.
2. Investigation – Asking open, sincere questions like “What could I do to better understand you?”
3. Responsibility – Owning our part and being willing to adapt.
This isn’t just about quality improvement. It’s about creating space for reflection—for therapists, for clients, and for all of us as a professional community.
Moving from Feedback to Culture
The Checkpoints initiative is designed to be frictionless and flexible. We’re starting with post-consultation surveys—simple, secure, and optional. With client consent, a short form will be sent to both the client and therapist, asking them those same two questions, with space for optional comments. We’re also here to help facilitate conversations when needed.
This Is a Beginning
At Psychotherapy Matters, we believe that feedback isn’t just data. It’s dialogue. It’s an act of care.
Checkpoints are about making that dialogue part of our routine. Because care improves when we listen, and when we listen together, clients benefit most. Let’s build a culture of collaboration, reflection, and appreciation one Checkpoint at a time.