Intervention
Directive Redesign Worksheet
Rebuild a missed assignment from what the non-completion revealed — not a restatement, a redesign.
Restating a directive that wasn’t completed — with added explanation or emphasis — rarely produces a different result. The specific form of a client’s non-completion contains the information needed to redesign the assignment: what was wrong with the size, format, framing, or timing. This worksheet walks the redesign process from diagnosis to a new directive the client can actually complete.
Complete this between sessions, after using the Non-Completion Diagnostic to identify the pattern. The redesigned directive should be written before the next session, not improvised in the room.
Directive Redesign Worksheet
Client (initials or identifier): Date of redesign: Original assignment:
The original directive
State the original assignment exactly as it was offered (or as close to it as you remember):
How was it framed? (Invitation, instruction, evaluation, or unclear):
The form of non-completion
How did the client not do it? Describe specifically — not just “they didn’t do it” but what actually happened:
What did the client say about it in session?
The diagnostic dimension
Based on the Non-Completion Diagnostic, which dimension was the problem?
( ) Size — the assignment was too large or complex to start
( ) Format — the medium (written, verbal, etc.) didn’t fit how this client engages
( ) Framing — the assignment felt like a test or created performance pressure
( ) Timing — the client was not ready for what the assignment required
( ) Relational — something in the therapeutic relationship made compliance impossible
( ) Relevance — the client didn’t see the connection to their actual concern
Describe what supports this diagnosis:
What stays the same
The core therapeutic purpose of the original directive — what it was meant to accomplish:
What changes
Describe specifically what will be different in the redesigned version along the identified dimension:
Size change: (if applicable)
Format change: (if applicable)
Framing change: (if applicable)
Timing change: (if applicable — note when in the therapy this directive might be appropriate):
The redesigned directive
State the redesigned assignment in one sentence:
The framing language you will use to offer it:
What success looks like
At this redesigned level, what counts as adequate completion?
If this version is also not completed, what would be the next iteration or a different direction entirely?
Generated with Rapport7 — rapport7.com