ABSTRACT

The assessment process is divided into three parts: observing the client's approach to the task; viewing the pictorial content; and gathering the written and/or verbal free associations. During the assessment procedure, John was extremely fastidious. He viewed and handled each magazine photo with care. The eating disorder assessment continues as five of good images point to an obsession with weight loss. Mary's manic state was obvious and grandiosity a possibility. Yet, without examining the pictorial content and free associations, even educated guesses were premature. When the MPCs were completed, Mary's collage images and the free associations demonstrated: inflated self esteem, excessive sexual activities, a disenchantment with friends and relatives, and a zealous attitude toward her religious belief. The therapist's hypotheses may be validated or negated when the free associations are made. After information has been gathered through procedural process and by the image selection, the free associations are critical to validate any type of theory or assumptions regarding the client.