Assessment Skills in Psychotherapy and Counselling: A Hypothetical Case of Procrastination and Resistance

Abstract

In this article I wish to demonstrate the value of a quality relationship and good communication in the therapeutic process of counselling and psychotherapy. From the very first session, it is important to establish a trusting interaction between the client and the therapist in order to achieve a correct assessment and to establish a meaningful therapeutic alliance. The article focuses on the skills of the therapist which are needed in psychotherapy and counselling, and critiques the restricted dogmatic positions in the literature that classify cases and methods according to pre-conceived criteria. I advocate for skilled therapists, who are able to use wisdom, discernment and intuition, and who are free from any binding external sources, so that they may assess every case according to its own complexities and uniqueness.