What Makes Counseling Work? Here’s My Answer.

What makes counseling actually work?

It’s a question clients often carry into their first session, and one I’ve asked myself for years as both a client and a therapist. The truth is, most therapy doesn’t give you a clear answer. You talk, you process, and you hope something shifts, but too often, there’s no way to measure whether it’s working.

At Untangled Mind, I’ve built my practice around a different answer: accountability, clarity, and results. Every client I work with has a timeline, measurable goals, and monthly summaries of progress. That’s how I know what I do works and how clients know it too.

When I began Untangled Mind, I wasn’t content with counseling that left clients wondering whether anything had changed. Too many in this field rely on good intentions and warm feelings, but as I’ve written in my Catching Flak series, feelings aren’t facts. Therapy must be accountable. It must produce results.

I Say What I Mean

I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I hold myself to a high standard. I follow through.

Is it tough at times to manage client sessions, clinical notes, treatment planning, continuing education, all while running monthly psychometric assessments and writing summaries? Absolutely.

Is it difficult to ensure I’m consistently providing free resources like blogs and podcasts? Yes.

Is it challenging to navigate my personal life on top of all of it? Without a doubt.

But here’s the truth: I do it.

There’s a saying I often return to: “Hands and Feet.”

Words matter less than where your hands and feet go.

What you do shows who you are. That’s integrity for self and accountability to the client.

How I Know It Works

Every client who comes to Untangled Mind receives more than sessions. They receive a clear timeline for their treatment, an evidence-based estimate of how long it should take to reach their goals. I track progress against those timelines, and here’s what I’ve found:

• 94% of my clients meet their goals within the suggested timeframe—and most achieve them sooner.

• Each month, clients receive written summaries of their progress. These aren’t just notes for my files; they’re tangible evidence of their own hard work. Clients can literally see how their effort and consistency translate into measurable change.

  
  

Accountability isn’t optional; it’s the backbone of real transformation.

What Makes Counseling Work

• Accountability: Clients need more than talk; they need a therapist who sets timelines, tracks progress, and follows through.

• Clarity: A clear treatment plan with defined goals and a roadmap makes therapy purposeful instead of aimless.

• Evidence: Monthly assessments and written summaries give clients tangible proof of their growth.

• Structure: Tools like workbooks and psychometric measures keep sessions grounded in action, not just conversation.

• Consistency: Progress happens when both client and therapist show up, commit to the process, and stay the course.

• Respect: Getting a client’s name right, listening well, and building trust aren’t “extras;" they’re the foundation.

• Integrity: Therapy isn’t about filling the therapist’s calendar. It’s about creating lasting results that empower the client.

• Adaptability: Each client’s needs are different. Counseling works when the approach adjusts to their pace, stage of change, and life context.

  
  

Client Satisfaction Speaks for Itself

It’s one thing for me to say this works. It’s another for clients themselves to confirm it. In my most recent Client Satisfaction Survey:

• 100% of clients said I listen well, treat them with respect, and show warmth and trustworthiness.

• 96% said they were able to fully express themselves during sessions.

• Over 92% said my approach made sense and was helpful.

• 86% were strongly satisfied with scheduling and the client portal.

• 100% said they would refer a friend or relative to Untangled Mind.

  
  

That’s more than positive feedback; it’s proof that a data-driven, accountable model makes clients feel both cared for and successful.

Why Tracking Matters

Tracking isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about building confidence. When clients receive monthly summaries, they see where they started and how far they’ve come. They aren’t left wondering, “Am I getting better?” They can point to the evidence: lower assessment scores, improved regulation skills, and stronger daily functioning.

That clarity fuels motivation and keeps therapy purposeful.

Looking Ahead: Premier Counseling and Group Work

In January, I’ll fully launch Premier Counseling, the culmination of my vision for a structured, results-oriented model that sets a new standard in therapy. But that’s not all. In February, I’ll launch an Anxiety Skills Group, a high-impact, small-group format where participants learn and practice key strategies to manage anxiety. Every participant will use a custom workbook, making the group a practical, results-driven experience.

This group launch is part of the bigger picture: Untangled Mind is about transformation you can see and measure, whether in one-on-one sessions or a group setting.

Why I Do This

I didn’t create Untangled Mind because I wanted another counseling practice. I created it because I got sick of hearing the same stories:

• “I’ve tried seven therapists before you.”

• “They didn’t even make sure they said my name right.”

• “I didn’t learn anything—I just complained and left feeling worse.”

• “I felt like my therapist’s piggy bank, nothing more.”

  
  

These aren’t outliers. They’re symptoms of a system that has allowed low standards, lack of accountability, and a “just talk it out” mentality to pass for therapy.

Clients deserve better.

Counseling doesn’t work because we hope it will. It works when it’s built on integrity, accountability, and results.

That’s why I built Untangled Mind differently. Data-driven assessments, clear timelines, progress summaries, and client accountability aren’t extras; they’re essentials. Therapy should never feel like a guessing game or a financial drain. It should feel like growth you can see and trust.

And yes, I’ll keep catching flak for challenging the way the industry has “always done it.” But that’s exactly the point. Clients deserve better than vague assurances. They deserve results.

This is the dream behind Untangled Mind. And with Premier Counseling on the horizon in January, and our new group work beginning in February, that dream is becoming a reality.