Assessment Protocol at a Couple and Family Therapy Clinic-Isabelle Cronin

.pdf

School

Capella University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

5222

Subject

Psychology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by isabelleirenecronin

1 Assessment Protocol at a Couple and Family Therapy Clinic Isabelle Cronin Capella University MFT5106: Assessments, Tests Measures for MFT Practice Dr. Raquel Campbell December 10, 2023

2 Assessment Protocol at a Couple and Family Therapy Clinic Assessments help us gather valuable information that can help a therapist provide both efficient and ethical care for their clients. Each client is unique making it important to gather as much information as possible about the client/s so appropriate treatment plans can be developed. While each individual is different from the next there is vital information that must be gathered from each client that steps into the room. Assessments allow the therapist insight into the strengths/weaknesses of the client/s, and the interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships that surround them (Lavee & Avisar, 2006). Developing an assessment protocol that can be referred to for every client will make sure accurate and useful information is collected to create a basis for the therapist to work off of to provide care. For detailed information to be included, we must first have a basic protocol in place to make sure a basis of the client/s is available to work from. Assessment protocol The first area of information that is collected when the client/s enters the therapy room is regarding their presenting concern. The presenting concern is gathered from each person involved in the therapy (Sperry, 2019). Presenting concern is the reason for the client/s to seek treatment, gathering this information from each client can help the therapist see the full picture of how each views the situation and what the main area of concern is (Sperry, 2019). Questions such as “What brought you in today?” What made you seek treatment?”, can be used to gather this information and develop a starting point. This area is the most important because no treatment can be provided if the therapist isn’t aware of what situation/issue is present. This creates a starting point for the therapist to grow off of. Within this first area of information gathering it is also important to put the therapeutic alliance as the priority. Make sure to grow a connection with the client so they feel more comfortable sharing and answering questions

3 throughout each session. Without a therapist-client relationship, the therapeutic process would not get far. The client's previous therapeutic experiences are an important area for information to be gathered. This can help the therapist know if the client has tried to seek help in the past and why or why not it helped, why they sought treatment at that time, and what brought them to find someone else for treatment this time. If they have not sought treatment before this information can bring insight into why they are now, and how they feel about therapy. If someone has not had previous experience with a therapist or negative previous experience it can take longer for the client to open up and discuss their struggles. Understanding their relation the the therapeutic experience can give more insight into who the therapist is working with and how to guide treatment. A client's Relational History/dynamics is important to understand the dynamics and history of a client whether individual, family, couple, or any relationship. (Sperry, 2019). The information gathered in this area can inform the therapist of boundaries, power, stressors, intimacy, etc. Deeper knowledge can be gained concerning the client's presenting problem and the environment that surrounds it. For couples questions such as “How did you meet?”, “What attracted you to another?’. These questions can give you an idea of some aspects that are important to the couple or that give insight into aspects of their relationship. This is also a great area to use a genogram to get a better picture of the family. Genograms can show patterns, and connections, and show many different histories present in the family. Genograms provide information about the family in all areas from health, emotional issues, and relational patterns (Sperry, 2019).

4 Cultural Dynamics is another area of importance to gather when working with clients. Making sure to include questions that look at the differences that can arise from cultural perspectives is very important (Sperry, 2019). Culture and family structure have a big influence on who an individual; is, their morals, beliefs, etc. (Sperry, 2019). One’s culture influences many aspects of who that individual grows up to be and how they structure their lives. A lot can be missed in an assessment if information is not gathered in this area. Questions such as “What shapes your decisions in life?”, “Tell me about the structure of your family at home, the roles that each member has”, “Tell me about traditions you hold”, and “Do you and your family hold similar beliefs?”. Cultural background can affect the assessment process by indicating how certain information should be interpreted. Some cultures value independence while others don’t, some cultures have more traditional roles while others don't. This is important to understand when interpreting information from assessments, and when choosing treatment methods and interventions. If this is not recognized it could lead to the client feeling misunderstood and inaccurate treatment being provided. Treatment expectations are another important area to gather information from your clients. One's expectations can affect the overall outcome of the therapeutic experience. Knowing upfront what each client's expectations are for the therapeutic experience and outcome can help gauge treatment plans and interventions. The therapist can get a better idea of the beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, and determination of the clients based on their expectations. This is also a helpful area for the therapist to be able to explain the process and how the explained expectations align with the process. This can allow for a better connection with the clients and a transparent experience for the clients.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Recommended textbooks for you

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)

Psychology

ISBN:9780134477961

Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White

Publisher:PEARSON

Cognitive Psychology

Psychology

ISBN:9781337408271

Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce.

Publisher:Cengage Learning,

Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ...

Psychology

ISBN:9781337565691

Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition)

Psychology

ISBN:9780393265156

Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga

Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company

Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a...

Psychology

ISBN:9781285763880

Author:E. Bruce Goldstein

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List)

Psychology

ISBN:9781305652958

Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz

Publisher:Cengage Learning

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Ciccarelli: Psychology_5 (5th Edition)
Psychology
ISBN:9780134477961
Author:Saundra K. Ciccarelli, J. Noland White
Publisher:PEARSON
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology
ISBN:9781337408271
Author:Goldstein, E. Bruce.
Publisher:Cengage Learning,
Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and ...
Psychology
ISBN:9781337565691
Author:Dennis Coon, John O. Mitterer, Tanya S. Martini
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Psychology in Your Life (Second Edition)
Psychology
ISBN:9780393265156
Author:Sarah Grison, Michael Gazzaniga
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research a...
Psychology
ISBN:9781285763880
Author:E. Bruce Goldstein
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Theories of Personality (MindTap Course List)
Psychology
ISBN:9781305652958
Author:Duane P. Schultz, Sydney Ellen Schultz
Publisher:Cengage Learning