Submitted by: Maira Sarwar

Submitted to: Mam Sobia

Department Of Applied Psychology (ADCP EVE)

Roll No # NUML-S23-43978
  Clinical Interview and Phases

o Clinical Interview

Mental and behavioral health professionals learn and use the clinical interview as a core
diagnostic and intervention technique throughout their employment. Several interviewing
techniques are used by psychotherapists from all theoretical perspectives, occupational
specialties, and therapeutic contexts, including but not limited to nondirective listening,
questioning, confrontation, interpretation, immediacy, and psychoeducation. The clinical
interview is a procedure that serves as an evaluation or denotes the start of counseling or
psychotherapy. Clinical interviewing may involve formal or informal assessment in either case.

Every interview is a special interpersonal engagement, and interviewers use cultural awareness,
knowledge and abilities as necessary. Clinical interviewing is dynamic and flexible. Without
conducting an initial clinical interview, it is difficult to see how clinicians could start a treatment
plan.

o Definition of clinical Interview

o According to the Sommers-Flanagan

“a complex and multidimensional interpersonal process that occurs between a
professional service provider and client or patient.
The primary goals are (1) assessment and (2) helping. To achieve these goals, individual
clinicians may emphasize structured diagnostic questioning, spontaneous and
collaborative talking and listening, or both. Clinicians use information obtained in an
initial clinical interview to develop a therapeutic relationship, case formulation, and
treatment plan”.
 o There are 5 phases of interview

1) Introduction

When two people first meet, the introduction stage starts. An introduction can happen over the
phone, online, or when potential clients read about their therapist in informational materials (e.g.,
online descriptions, informed consents, etc.). Central concerns and actions include client
expectations, role introduction, first impressions, and first rapport-building.

Initial impressions can have a significant impact on the interview process and therapeutic
outcomes, whether they are created through informed consent documentation or informal
greetings. When mental health practitioners interact with patients in courteous and culturally
sensitive ways, they are more likely to foster trust and collaboration, which will lead to more
accurate and trustworthy assessment results .Technical techniques include genuine introductions
that encourage cooperation. The therapist can add, "I'm looking forward to getting to know you
better," as an example.

2) Opening

An initial focus is provided by the opening. Usually mental health professionals start clinical
evaluations by inquiring about the issues that brought the patient in for counseling today. This
inquiry directs clients to describe their presenting issue, or "principal complaint" as it is known
to psychiatrists. Therapists should be aware that asking more social beginning questions, such as
"How are you today?" or "How was your week?," may unintentionally induce clients to engage
in a less focused and more meandering opening stage. Similar to this, asking direct questions
first rather than building rapport and trust might cause defensiveness and deception.

Positively worded introductory comments or queries are preferred by many modern therapists.
For instance, therapists might ask, "What are your goals for our relationship, rather than
inquiring about problems?
3) Body

What takes place during the body stage of an interview is determined by its objective. The body
of the questionnaire contains questions that are diagnostic in nature if the goal is to gather data
for psychiatric diagnosis. If the goal is to begin psychotherapy, on the other hand, the discussion
may rapidly shift to the history of the issue and what particular actions, persons, and experiences
(including prior therapy) clients have found more or less beneficial.

When acquiring information is the goal of the interview, the body stage is information gathering.
Patients who have unpleasant symptoms are actively questioned by clinicians regarding these
symptoms' frequency, duration, strength, and quality. Structured interviews adhere to a set of
questioning guidelines. These guidelines are intended to support physicians in maintaining
concentration while methodically gathering accurate and valid assessment data.

4) Closing

As the interview goes on, it is the clinician's duty to set up and wrap up the session in a way that
ensures there is enough time to complete the main interview objectives. The closing tasks and
activities include

(1) Giving clients support and assurance.

(2) Going back to role-induction and client expectations.

(3) Summarizing important themes and issues.

(4) Giving an early case formulation or mental disorder diagnosis.

(5) Instilling hope, and, as necessary.

(6) Concentrating on future homework, future sessions, and scheduling.

5) Termination

Termination entails calling a close to the meeting and severing ties. The termination phase calls
for strong time management abilities as well as deliberate sensitivity and reactivity to how clients
may react to endings in general or to leaving the therapy office in particular. Termination can be
difficult to deal with. The information clinicians acquire at the end of an initial session is
frequently insufficient to make a diagnosis. Clinicians may need to continue collecting data on
client symptoms during a second or third session when there is diagnostic doubt. Collateral
informants may be valuable or necessary when triangulating diagnostic data.