Checklist for Getting Started with Clients Facing Anxiety and Depression

Starting therapy or coaching with a new client can feel uncertain — especially when anxiety or depression are part of the picture. How can you set the right foundation for effective, compassionate care?

Mindful Institute, in partnership with physician and mindfulness expert Dr. Patricia Rockman, has created a structured, mindfulness-informed approach that helps practitioners feel more confident and clients more supported.

To help you apply this framework in your own practice, we’ve created a free Checklist for Getting Started with Clients — a practical guide based on Dr. Rockman’s evidence-based teachings.

Why Structure Matters in Mindfulness Therapy

A structured approach to therapy or coaching doesn’t mean rigidity — it means clarity. It keeps sessions focused on what matters most: your client’s goals, needs, and capacity for change.

Dr. Rockman recommends beginning every client engagement by exploring three essential dimensions: 

• Risk: Is the client safe and supported?
• Functioning: How are they managing daily life, relationships, and work?
• Symptoms: What specific challenges are causing distress?

As Dr. Rockman explains, “Having a framework helps us stay focused and avoid missing critical details.”

Setting Clear, Measurable Goals

Many clients want to “feel better” — but what does that actually mean? Using mindfulness-based approaches and tools from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), practitioners can help clients identify specific, achievable goals.

Dr. Rockman encourages asking, “Where are you now on a scale from 1 to 100?” This simple question helps clients visualize progress and keeps both therapist and client aligned.

Balancing Acceptance and Change

In mindfulness therapy for anxiety and depression, success often depends on helping clients balance acceptance with action.

“Experiential avoidance works well in the short term,” says Dr. Rockman, “but it perpetuates problems in the long term.”

Mindfulness practices — such as self-compassion, grounding, and body awareness — reduce avoidance and build resilience. They teach clients how to meet difficult emotions with awareness instead of resistance.

Download the Free Client Intake Checklist

To make these insights actionable, the Mindful Institute has created a free downloadable resource:

📝 Checklist for Getting Started with Clients

Inside, you’ll find:

• A step-by-step structure for client assessment and goal-setting
• Guidance for understanding risk, functioning, and symptoms
• Practitioner self-reflection prompts

Use it as a quick reference before every new session or intake — and start each client relationship with greater clarity, confidence, and compassion.

A Mindful Beginning

Mindfulness reminds us that progress in therapy doesn’t come from fixing — it comes from meeting experience with wisdom and care. With Dr. Rockman’s structured framework and the Mindful Institute’s free checklist, you’ll be equipped to guide clients toward real, sustainable change.

👉 Download your free checklist now.

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