In our Tuesday 5 pm drop-in, I start with a 3-choice agenda the client picks and end with a 1–10 confidence check tied to a next step they name. What early moves are helping you center client power in the first session and keep recovery goals truly theirs?
I hand them the marker in the first minute and ask them to rewrite or add to the 3-choice agenda — when we skip that, , it drifts into my plan. On the “next step they name”, I write their words on a small card and they take it; the only caveat in a Tuesday 5 pm drop-in is I set a 10‑minute timer so the edit doesn’t swallow the session. Does handing off the pen feel workable in your flow, or would that be too clunky with your 1–10 wrap?
I start with a 60-second preferences check — “how do you want me to work with you today: more coach or more listener (0–10)?” — then we choose a stop word so they can pause/redirect anytime, like a shared remote; @s_collins89 your marker move pairs well with this. Small caveat: with teens or crisis I ditch the numbers for emojis or just “what would make the next 10 minutes useful?” — would that fit your 5 pm flow?
I co-write the note on screen and ask, “What exact one-liner do you want this to say you chose today?”; they OK it before we close — like letting them hold the pen for the record. If that feels clunky in drop-in, I add a simple “not-for-today” line they can name to protect pace; anyone else co-author notes, @e_cartwright99?