ABSTRACT
An assessment consultation begins with a perceived need. The referral letter can sometimes be very informative, and it may be accompanied by copies of previous medical or psychological reports. Especially in relation to these kinds of fact, but to some degree in relation to all the facts that become available before and in the course of a consultation, it is important not to jump to conclusions. It is not easy both to take the facts seriously and to wait until one is in a better position to make informed judgements over what the facts mean. In any consultation, it matters that, for enough of the time, a therapist is emotionally available to the patient and what the patient expresses and enacts. This does not mean that the therapist is totally exposed, nor is at a patient's mercy. The second qualification concerns the best interests of the patient.
