EngenderHealth Launches REDI: A Client-Centered Counseling Framework

November 12, 2018 (Washington, DC) EngenderHealth—a global women’s health and sexual and reproductive rights organization—today announced the launch of REDI: A Client-Centered Counseling Framework. REDI—which stands for Rapport Building, Exploring, Decision Making, and Implementing the Decision—offers a comprehensive approach and training curriculum to strengthening counseling for contraception. The REDI framework, which leverages knowledge gained through more than 30 years of counseling training experience, has been honed over 15 years in more than a dozen countries.

The REDI framework emphasizes the client’s perspective and empowers health professionals to better enable new and returning clients to make full, free, and informed decisions. For new clients, REDI emphasizes the importance of helping clients select the method of contraception that is best suited to their unique situation. For return clients, REDI focuses on ensuring correct contraceptive usage and method satisfaction.

Dr. Levent Cagatay, EngenderHealth’s Asia Regional Clinical Quality Advisor and coauthor of REDI highlighted the importance of client-centered counseling in noting, “Historically, contraceptive counseling has focused on either (1) providing comprehensive information about all methods available and then simply providing the contraceptive method of choice, or (2) deciding what method the client should select and then encouraging the client to select that method. REDI aims to resolve issues that result from both of these extremes—including dissatisfaction and discontinuation—by empowering providers to engage clients in meaningful dialogues that extend beyond pregnancy prevention and explore each client’s social circumstances and sexual and reproductive health needs and aspirations. This communication enables providers to tailor the information they give clients and to help clients develop personalized plans to ensure they can be successful in implementing the decisions they make during the counseling session.”

The REDI curriculum uses a blended learning approach, in which participating providers study the knowledge content before they attend a four/five-day training. This approach allows providers to use the time in the training to actively participate in discussions and to practice implementing the concepts and skills learned throughout the course. The REDI curriculum includes manuals for trainers and trainees, as well as presentation slide decks to be used throughout the four/five-day course, making it easy to implement.

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Tweet this: .@EngenderHealth launches REDI: A Client-Centered Counseling Framework, “We are excited to empower health providers and programs around the world in continuing to improve contraceptive counseling and increase voluntary contraceptive uptake.” [engenderhealth.org/counseling] About EngenderHealth
EngenderHealth is committed to creating transformative, sustainable change by delivering high-quality sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services; expanding access to information and training; and advancing acceptance of sexual and reproductive rights as human rights. To achieve this vision, EngenderHealth collaborates with governments, private sector partners, international experts, and local organizations and communities around the world to deliver programs that give girls and women freedom to reach their full potentials. www.engenderhealth.org.