ABSTRACT
The face-to-face interview in which the professional directly collects information from the client or an individual familiar with the client constitutes the most widely used of all assessment tools. Interview-based assessments have always played a critical role in therapeutic, counseling, personnel selection, and research situations. They are particularly important, for example, in clinical settings where they are used to generate information about biographical factors, presenting problems, and responsivity considerations. That information may then be used to make decisions about the type of treatment to provide. Interviews may also be used in these settings for evaluating the progress and outcomes of therapy.
