Your client is unhappy with the slow progress on their case. How can you effectively address their concerns?

In my experience, listening actively and carefully will solve half of the problem faced by client, wondering how? here is the answer, as listening actively will make client more expressive and will psychologically affects his/her unhappy inner mind to get relief as he/she is addressing his/her problem to a person who is actively listening them.

Practice empathy, unconditional positive regard and authenticity. Communicate effectively and in a timely manner to your clients. Return voice mails and phone calls, and answer any questions that your clients may have.

Be present now. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by outside influences. Reiterate what you’ve been told so the other person knows you were actively listening and paying attention to their frustrations. For example, “Ms. Smith, let me make sure I’m truly understanding your frustrations with the situation you just described. You have a standing appointment scheduled for every Thursday at noon and week after week you experience issues with your medical transport. To further clarify, they are habitually late if they show up at all, is that correct?”

Listening to others makes a huge impact to gaining respect. We begin to understand what the other person needs and want from the situation.

I often tell my counselling clients that frustration at their progress is a sign of personal growth. When we bring new things into awareness, we can get caught up in the 'I know what's happening and where I want to be, why can't I just do?' mentality. I educate my clients that personal growth has a teething process, where grief and loss over who we could have been or what we could have acheived can surface. Or self-blame and anger can try to take hold. I also remind clients that brute forcing our way through makes things worse, not better. I invite more self-compassion and acceptance by working on being kind to ourselves, reveiwing the progress already made, and acknowledging lapses are part of being human.

It helps to allow your clients to be a participant in the process so they can see first hand the reason things are moving slowly. Allow clients to observe relevant, necessary phone calls, documentation, and meetings, whenever appropriate to do so.

Ensuring that my client has a clear understanding of the timeline and what can realistically be achieved is the first step. Knowing what. To expect and when to expect it will give them a sense of control over their care.

I've found it equally important after actively listening and setting realistic expectations to make sure to offer solutions. A part of this should also be addressing any positive actions and progress that have taken place that the client may not be aware of or failed to acknowledge and from there focusing on the things that can be done to see more forward movement. Including, collaborating with other departments and channels if necessary, as well as addressing any actions the client may be able to take on their own and from there scheduling follow-up.

Keeping my client regularly updated on the progress of their case has been helpful in my experience. Set a time for them to expect to hear from you, regardless if there has been new information to share. Let them know of any delays or obstacles and what steps are being taken to overcome them.

I have cultured trust by validating their emotions. Simply acknowledging their frustration or disappointment strengthens the relationship. Just letting them know you sincerely understand can go a long way in building trust.