Assessment is the first experience we have face to face with a client. It is a skill and an important tool in helping us think about what the client is bringing, and can we be of use? It is ‘the potential space’ where there is no commitment but, a time to explore possibility.

We can never think about this process too much. There are numerous ways to assess and explore what we need to know. This workshop will give structure to initial interviews and encourage therapists to think about creative and appropriate ways of assessing for their own and their clients’ needs.

Lisa and I approach the discussion initially by considering the psychological backdrop of assessing and assessment. We follow this by considering the particular process for assessing SCC clients. This is split about 70:30 ish.

· We start with us, the therapist, with our experiences of being assessed. In the knowledge that we have all been assessed and this will have left its mark.

· We'll do our best to recognise the therapist's bias including our own.

· We'll consider what a psychodynamic assessment is - what are we assessing?

· We'll lightly consider various theoretical positions put forward by Malan, James Mann on human conflict, Erikson and Bowlby.

· We'll consider risk.

· Various breakouts to consider and reflect including everyone's favourite an opportunity to role play.

· We'll walk through the SCC process and what you see within CMS.

We will look at the struggles we experience about the process of assessment. Please feel free to bring your own questions and struggles with this topic.

Simon Peck

Simon is an accredited counsellor and superviser to SCC counsellors. He initially trained in an integrative model in Bath. Overtime his practice became more firmly rooted in psychodynamic ways. Seeing the impact of trauma on many clients and recognising how stuck both client and himself were led him to embrace EMDR.

Lisa Purchase

Lisa has been a counsellor at SCC since 2018. She is both an artist and therapist and works creatively within practice. She trained integratively and loves dogs.