lient. In general, assessment consists of data collection relevant to an evaluation of the client's needs as well as his/her psychiatric status; also, there is a need to obtain identifying information such as the client's name, age, sex, marital status and so forth (Siassi, 1984).
Anastasi (1986) has noted that regardless of whether the interview is used for counseling, therapy, personnel, education or some other purpose, it can take several forms. Specifically, she states:
In form, interviews may vary from the highly structured (representing little more than an orally administered questionnaire), through patterned or guided interviews covering certain predetermined areas, to nondirective and depth interviews in which the interviewer merely sets the stage and encourages the interviewee to talk as freely as possible. (p.610)
One of the key questions regarding the initial interview as used in the counseling situation centers around the form this interview should take. This matter has been discussed by Peterson and Nisenholz (1987) who discount the use of counselor-generated questions as a useful form for the initial intake interview. They state that in the formation of the helping relationsh
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