COMPONENTS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL COUNSELING INTERVIEWS
Hood and Johnson (1991) reported that:
assessment is an integral part of counseling...[and] provides information that can be used in each step of the problem-solving model" (p. 11).
In counseling situations, assessment, in its various forms (standardized instruments, neurobiophysical tests, interviews, etc.) is used to clarify concerns and needs of clients, and to assist them in coming to better understand themselves and so re-solve their conflicts and difficulties. One form of assessment is the psychosocial counseling interview which consists of the use of interview strategies (structured or unstructured) to collect psychoemotional, social, and other data that is pertinent to the client's problem or disorder (Wells, 1985); thus, in general, psychosocial counseling interviews are a multiassessment approach. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief, general overview of the use of the psychosocial counseling interview for various psychological disorders experienced by children, adults and families, emphasizing the topics that need to be covered in these interviews.
Psychosocial Counseling Interviews For Children
Karr and Johnson (1987) have pointed out that, in general, children and adolescents receiving psychosocial counseling are often suffering from a variety of psychoemotional and social stressors in their lives. The effective psychosocial interview,
according to the authors, is one that identifies the major stressors in the child's life, the child's adjustment to and perception of these stressors, and the impact of the stressors on the child's functioning. For young children, this would include a comprehensive assessment of parenting, familial and school vari-ables. For older children/adolescents, Webb and Van Devere (1984) suggest that the comprehensive assessment made for children should occur. But this should be extended even further in order to in-clude re...