ABSTRACT
The crucial test of any assessment is whether it is useful and efficient as a means of deciding what action is appropriate to solve problems. In clinical work, the assessment should provide a means for choosing an appropriate treatment or therapeutic strategy. For a practitioner using a single theory or therapeutic method this is a relatively straightforward process. However, most practitioners in non-academic or non-specialist settings use a number of different approaches in an attempt to meet the needs of individuals in a flexible way (the ‘eclectic’ position). Working from an eclectic position makes the process of choosing a therapeutic strategy very complex, since any particular case can be viewed from a number of theoretical perspectives and thus approached using a variety of therapeutic methods.
