Skip to main content
Feedback-informed practice for PACFA & ACA counsellors

Outcome measures & progress tracking for counsellors

See whether your clients are actually getting better — session by session. Free CORE-10, recurring check-ins, and 190+ validated instruments, scored the moment your client submits.

190+ Assessment Tools
Free to Start
Cliniko Connected App
Instant Scoring & Trends
Illustration of a counsellor and client in a calm session reviewing outcome measures

ClientForms gives counsellors routine outcome monitoring — the feedback-informed practice PACFA encourages but that around 67% of Australian counsellors have no formal system for (PACFA, 2025). Send CORE-10 (free, validated distress measure), ARM-5 for the therapeutic alliance, and GAS for client goals — on a recurring schedule — and each result is scored the moment your client submits, charted on their trend with clinical-range bands. Beyond outcomes, counsellors have 190+ validated instruments covering common presentations (DASS-21, K10), couples work (Relationship Health Profile), alcohol and other drugs (AUDIT, DAST-10, DUDIT, PGSI), and trauma (PCL-5, ITQ). Uses the counselling register — “client”, not “patient”. Cliniko Connected App — results sync into treatment notes with the PDF attached. Free tier includes 10 responses; paid plans from $9/month.

Free CORE family

CORE-10, CORE-OM and YP-CORE — the free, validated outcome measures built for counselling.

Instant scoring & trends

Every result is scored on arrival, with severity bands and a progress trend across sessions.

Cliniko Connected App

Results written into treatment notes with the PDF attached. Client list syncs. Included on every plan.

Feedback-informed practice

Routine outcome monitoring for counsellors

See whether your clients are actually getting better — session by session.

PACFA encourages routine outcome monitoring, yet most counsellors have no system for it. ClientForms is that system: send CORE-10 for distress, ARM-5 for the therapeutic alliance, and GAS for client goals — on a recurring schedule — and watch each client’s trend build between sessions.

Spot the clients who aren’t improving early, when you can still change course.

1
Baseline and track CORE-10 at intake, then re-sent on a schedule, so change over time is measured — not guessed.
2
Watch the alliance ARM-5 surfaces a fraying therapeutic relationship early — often before it ends in a quiet drop-out.
3
Evidence for supervision Bring real outcome data to supervision and CPD, the routine monitoring PACFA encourages.

CORE-10, ARM-5 and GAS are free, validated instruments — scored the moment your client submits. The CORE family is free to use under its non-commercial licence.

Counselling routine outcome monitoring — Outcome trend

CORE-10 distress scored at every check-in and charted with clinical-range bands — so you can see who is responding to therapy, and who is not.

Tools for how counsellors actually work

Organised around your fields of practice — every card lists only the instruments we actually have. No fake tools, no padded lists.

General & common presentations

CORE-OM, CORE-10, DASS-21, K10

The everyday outcome and distress measures, scored against clinical cut-offs.

Couples & relationships

Relationship Health Profile (6 instruments)

A side-by-side radar comparison for couples work — see section below.

Alcohol, other drugs & gambling

AUDIT, DAST-10, DUDIT, PGSI

Screen for alcohol, drug, and problem-gambling severity in minutes.

Trauma

PCL-5, ITQ, IES-R

DSM-5 and ICD-11 trauma screening for trauma-informed practice.

Grief & loss

CORE-10 + recurring check-ins

We don’t yet have a grief-specific tool — track distress over the grief journey with CORE-10 on a schedule.

Wellbeing

WHO-5, SWLS, WEMWBS*

Strengths-and-wellbeing measures to balance a distress-only picture.

* WEMWBS requires a licence for commercial use — we recommend WHO-5 or SWLS for the wellbeing slot.

One assessment, the whole picture

When you want more than a single-domain score, two composite measures give you a structured, one-look read.

Outcome Profile

CORE-OM

34 items. Four domains. One score.

The full Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation measure folds four domains into a single clinical score with a dimensional breakdown — a structured outcome picture in one assessment, free to use.

Browse the assessment library →
CORE-OM result for a client: a total clinical score of 62 out of 136 in the moderate band, with a four-domain subscale breakdown — well-being, problems, functioning and risk
Counsellor reviewing a relationship health radar chart comparing both partners
Couples Assessment

Relationship Health Profile

6 instruments. ~28 minutes per partner. One comparison report.

Both partners complete the same battery independently. ClientForms generates a side-by-side radar chart comparing satisfaction, communication, trust, and shared meaning — surfacing where perceptions diverge before the first session.

CSI-32 — Couples Satisfaction Index
PRQC — Perceived Relationship Quality Components
Brief-PPR — Perceived Partner Responsiveness
CPQ-SF — Communication Patterns Questionnaire
Trust Scale — Trust in Close Relationships
RFS — Relationship Flourishing Scale
View scoring guide & sample report →

Popular instruments for counsellors

Validated tools counsellors reach for most — every one scored instantly with clinical severity bands.

DASS-21

Depression, Anxiety & Stress Scales — 21 items, 3 subscales with severity cut-offs

Most used by AU counsellors — PACFA 2025

K10

Kessler Psychological Distress Scale — 10 items, the Australian distress anchor

Distress

CORE-10

Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation — 10-item session-by-session outcome measure

Outcome monitoring

CORE-OM

The 34-item CORE — wellbeing, problems, functioning and risk in one score

Outcome monitoring

AUDIT

Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test — 10-item WHO alcohol screen

Alcohol & other drugs

PCL-5

PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 — 20 items measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms

Trauma

Frequently Asked Questions

Which outcome measures should counsellors use?

CORE-10 is the counselling outcome workhorse — free, validated, and just 10 items, built for session-by-session use. Pair it with ARM-5 for the therapeutic alliance and GAS for client goals, or use the 34-item CORE-OM for a fuller four-domain picture. DASS-21 and K10 are the Australian anchors most counsellors already know, and both are included.

Do I need to be AHPRA-registered to use ClientForms?

No. Counsellors in Australia are self-regulated through PACFA and ACA (the ARCAP register), not AHPRA. ClientForms works for any counsellor or psychotherapist — you don’t need AHPRA registration or a Medicare provider number to send assessments and track outcomes.

Is CORE-10 free?

Yes. CORE-10 and the wider CORE family (CORE-OM, YP-CORE) are free, validated outcome measures, scored instantly in ClientForms. The CORE instruments are free to use under their non-commercial licence, applied unaltered with attribution to the CORE System Trust.

Can I track client progress over time?

Yes. Send the same outcome measure on a recurring schedule — fortnightly, monthly, or your own cadence. Each result is scored on arrival and charted on the client’s trend with clinical-range bands, so you can see who is responding to therapy and catch anyone who isn’t improving early.

Does ClientForms work with Cliniko?

Yes. ClientForms is a Cliniko Connected App. Assessment results are written into Cliniko treatment notes with the full PDF report attached, and your client list syncs automatically. The integration is included on every plan, including the free tier.

How is my clients’ data kept private?

All clinical data is hosted in Sydney, Australia, with AES-256 encryption, and handled in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. You control what is collected, and clients complete assessments through a secure link.

How much does ClientForms cost?

ClientForms has a free tier with 10 responses included — no credit card required to start. Paid plans begin at $9/month for unlimited responses, instant scoring, recurring check-ins, and Cliniko integration.

Start tracking outcomes today

Free to begin — CORE-10, recurring check-ins, and 190+ validated instruments. No credit card required.