Clinical Interviews

1. PRINCIPLES OF CLINICAL INTERVIEWS
• Remember, an intake interview is an
assessment!
• There are various types: structured,
unstructured and semi-structured.
• Clinical interviews offer the ability to obtain
reliable information from clients.

2. Validity of intake interviews
• Validity refers to how well a test measures
what it is supposed to measure.
• Our job as counselor is to gather information
from our clients.
• So, it would be appropriate for us to gather a
wide range of information as a basis to begin
our work with clients.

3. Validity of intake interviews
• Whiston (2009) states:
• “…validity is not a quality that an instrument
either has or does not have, rather it is a
description of the situations in which it would
be appropriate for a counselor to use the
particular instrument and how the results
should be interpreted.” (p.67).

4. Therefore…
• A clinical interview is appropriate for a
counselor to use in the initial intake phase of
gathering information from our clients.

5. Strengths & Purposes of the Clinical Interview

To communicate & clarify the assessment
process

Understand the client’s expectations

Obtain information about past and current
events in the family

Document the context, severity, an chronicity
of problem behaviors.

Use flexible procedures to ask questions

Resolve ambiguous responses

6. Ordinary Conversation
• May occur spontaneously
• Parties may end conversation at any time
• Not always purpose-driven
• Involves an exchange of ideas
• No planning necessary
• Flows without specific direction
• Parties may reaction emotionally
• Some content may be presumed to be understood
• Parties are under no obligation to keep
confidentiality.

7. Clinical Interviews
• Usually a formally arranged meeting
• Follows rules of confidentiality
• Interview obliged to stay until end
• Has definite purpose
• Well defined relationship with specific roles
• Interview plans/organizes his/her behavior
• Interviewer directs interaction
• Interviewer does not reaction emotionally
• Interviewer doesn't presume understanding

8. Strength & Purposes of Clinical Interview

Clarify misunderstandings that the client may
have

Compare verbal/non-verbal behaviors

Verify collected information

Formulate hypotheses about client that can be
tested using other assessment procedures

Learn beliefs, values, & expectations held by
client.

Assess client’s reaction to intervention
strategies