First Impressions Matter
What is the first step in a counseling session where the counselor gathers background information, explains confidentiality, and sets expectations?
What is the intake interview (i.e., initial assessment)
This type of instrument is commonly used by counselors to assess a client’s level of functioning. While often administered during the initial interview, it can also be used at other points throughout the counseling process.
What is the Mental Status Exam (MSE)
These two parts of a safety plan help a person identify elements that risk is increasing and develop methods to manage those feelings.
What are warning signs and coping strategies
Introduced in the DSM-5, this tool uses open-ended questions to explore a client’s cultural background, beliefs, and treatment preferences to support culturally responsive care.
What is the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI)
Revised in the 1990s, this self-report measure assesses depressive symptom severity by asking about mood, guilt, and changes in sleep or appetite over the past two weeks.
What is the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II)
Cultivating this early in sessions is critical to encourage openness and accurate self-reporting from clients.
What is the therapeutic alliance/building rapport
These brief assessment tools are designed to identify potential concerns by providing preliminary insights early in the counseling process.
What are screeners
Chapter 7 defines this term as including self-injury, suicidal thoughts, and unsuccessful suicide attempts; behaviors that indicate serious risk but do not result in death.
What is non-fatal suicidality
This interview tool blends anthropology and epidemiology to examine illness-related beliefs, using open-ended and structured questions to explore cultural views of symptoms and treatment preferences.
What is the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC)
Among U.S. adults, co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders are common, with about this percentage experiencing both at the same time.
What is 38%
During the initial assessment, this type of information includes the client’s physical health, mental health history, social supports, and presenting problems.
What is biopsychosocial information
When using a screening instrument, counselors should consider not only how many symptoms a client reports but also this aspect, because clients may under or over report.
What is symptom severity (or intensity)?
A client in acute crisis who requires continuous monitoring and overnight stabilization would most likely be referred to this level of care.
What is inpatient treatment
This semi-structured interview explores detailed personal narratives of illness, including symptoms and help-seeking behaviors, and is widely used in cross-cultural health research.
What is the McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI)
Adapted from a four-question alcohol screener, this version expands the assessment to include illicit drug use concerns.
What is the CAGE-AID
A client reports to her college counselor that she recently drove home drunk after a fight with her partner. She continues to discuss throughout the session how she has been unable to cope with the loss of her brother, and the counselor focuses the session on minimizing risk for substance abuse. Which of the following errors of judgment is most likely happening?
What is anchoring
This widely used self-report instrument assesses a broad range of psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology across nine dimensions, helping counselors understand overall symptom patterns rather than provide a diagnosis. What instrument is it?
What is the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R)
When assessing suicide risk, counselors focus on these four critical factors.
What are ideation, plan, intent, and means
Developed as a streamlined assessment, this interview explores how clients explain their problems and reveals cultural and personal beliefs shaping their illness experience.
What is the Short Explanatory Model Interview (SEMI)
This acronym-based framework helps counselors and educators identify behavioral patterns and emotional changes that may indicate emerging risk or crisis, supporting early intervention.
What is the REDFLAGS Model
Asking clients to clarify or rephrase responses during the intake helps ensure the counselor understands their experiences. This technique is part of what broader interviewing goal?
What is enhancing clarity and accuracy in information gathering
This process uses structured tools, client history, and professional judgment to evaluate the likelihood of behaviors that could threaten safety or well-being, guiding urgent interventions and monitoring.
What is suicide risk assessment
This approach emphasizes safety, empowerment, and collaboration to recognize trauma’s impact and prevent re-traumatization, supporting client recovery and resilience
What is trauma-informed care
Used to evaluate co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns, this approach combines standardized measures with client narratives to distinguish overlapping symptoms while accounting for stigma and cultural beliefs.
What is the integrated or holistic assessment approach
During assessment, counselors collect information that allows them to detect significant changes in a client’s condition, enabling prompt intervention. What is this benefit called?
What is early identification and timely response to worsening symptomology