Stephen Palmer (2) (1955–)

What information do you need to assess the therapeutic needs of a client? Could you identify a suicidal client? Do you know what your clients want and need? How can you tell whether or not you are dealing with appropriate clients? Client Assessment answers these questions and more providing clear, straightforward guidelines. It covers a crucial, but often neglected, area of counselingùthe assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of clients and the help they need or are receiving. Transcending specific counseling theories, the book adopts a broad-brush approach, covering the main issues involved at different stagesùfrom meeting the client to ending the counseling process, and including on-going monitoring of the therapeutic program, such as: + assessing the best type of therapy for the client; + assessment of the clientÆs therapeutic goals; + choosing techniques and strategies to suit the clientÆs needs; + history taking; + referral; + and evaluating goal achievement. The ability to assess and evaluate clients successfully is a necessary part of being an effective counselor, and this book, written by practitioners with many years experience, will be a valuable resource for training and practicing counselors as well as to all those in the helping professions.… (more)