1 put patient and yourself at ease

a recognize the signs [i.e. territorial/locomotor, behavioural/psychomotor, emotion/expressive,

verbal. This also includes reading the person’s categories of metaphors, i.e. visual, kinesthetic
auditory or abstract metaphors
b respond to the signs – i.e. response to the signs with similar category – i.e. a boundary issue
should require a boundary response
2 find the suffering – show compassion
a assess the suffering – not only to assess but also to show interest in client [read: rapport]
b respond with empathy – be genuine, spontaneous and accurate. Mannerisms and phony
empathy is not it, and the clients know it!
3 assess insight – become an ally
a levels of insight – i.e. full [seeing the internal problem], partial [seeing the problem, but lack
of understanding of it – i.e. attributing the internal to the external] or no insight [complete
denial – i.e. someone else brings clientin to ER]. Assessing levels of insight helps in order to
see problem from client’s side and assess reality testing. Level of insight informs which/how
questions which the interviewer will ask.
b split of the sick àappeal to the healthy part of the self of the patient. In no insight clients, offer
external security [hospital setting in more severe cases]
c set therapeutic goals – could be overt [overcome neighbor’s perceived hostility] and covert
[eradicate the delusion] àhopefully, at the end, they will converge.
4 show expertise
a put the illness into perspective – i.e. talk about the common yet unique parts of the person’s
disposition
b show knowledge – even knowing what to ask shows knowledge/understanding of mental
health
c deal with distrust – i.e. through counterquestion, confrontation or interpretation. If you resolve
distrust, you will be seen as an expert
5 establish authority – i.e. overstepping authority negates it! Authority is not authoritarian. So does
under-doing it. You can confront a suspicious person with his behaviours.
6 balance the roles (transferences) – people often lock into defined roles, for
better of for worse (Berne described a given role as either parent/adult/child). A
successful interview can balance the listed roles, as needed in order to be better at
interviewing:
a empathic listener
b the expert the authority
c carrier of the illness
d the “VIP”
e role interactions
f dependence on the “Interviewer’s Authority”