Meeting the Client Where They Are: Using Therapeutic Movement

The Challenge

An individual with communication difficulties had been referred for an intermediary assessment to understand what support they would need to take part in legal proceedings.

On the day, it quickly became clear the standard approach was not going to work.

Seated in a meeting room, the individual was restless, distracted, and unable to focus. Engagement dropped to the point where even informed consent was difficult to establish.

At that stage, the risk was simple. The assessment would be cancelled. That would either delay proceedings or mean the individual went without the support they needed.

The Approach

Rather than pushing through with a format that clearly wasn’t working, the intermediary adapted.

The entire assessment was moved out of the room and carried out while walking in a circle around the court building.

It’s a small change on paper, but it made a big difference. The movement gave the individual a way to manage anxious energy, making it easier to engage and stay present.

The assessment itself remained structured, but the delivery flexed around the person, not the other way round.

The Outcome

The assessment was completed successfully.

That meant the intermediary could clearly identify communication strengths and needs, and provide the court and legal team with practical recommendations to support participation.

Just as importantly, it avoided cancellation.

Without that adaptation, the individual may have gone without support or required further assessments, adding cost and delay to the system.

Instead, a simple, responsive change ensured the process worked for the person involved.