ABSTRACT
The aim of this book is to provide guidelines for the conduct of initial interviews with people who present with some of the very common problems for which psychological assistance is sought. The book is intended to form a bridge between the numerous texts on behavioural assessment and those that review and describe the cognitive and behavioural treatments for psychological problems. Many of the texts on behavioural assessment place considerable emphasis on the assessment of the severity of the problems. Thus, they provide valuable information concerning the self-report, physiological and objective measurement procedures that the clinician may find useful in the assessment of many problems. The books on behavioural and cognitive therapies typically describe the treatment procedures that can be employed with the numerous disorders with which the clinician needs to deal. However, an important step in the process of assessment is the conduct of the initial interview in which information needs to be gathered from clients in a systematic, thorough, useful and economic manner. Such information, if well-collected, is essential for the specification of those aspects of the presenting problems that are important in designing appropriate and successful treatment interventions. The aim of this book is to assist the clinician in conducting initial interviews with clients who present with some of the most common problems.
