A key aspect of our clinical role is to provide assessment, where we undertake a clinical interview, implement a variety of tools (e.g. screening questionnaires or psychometrics) as well as clinical observations. This is often the first step in developing our relationship with you, a service user or team, and is also the first step in understanding one’s mental health needs, challenges, struggles or areas you/they would like support with.
After completing an assessment with us, we will endeavour to provide you with some recommendations for how our team may be able to support you. This could include recommending further assessment, therapy or signposting you to other services and/or specialists that may be better suited to your needs. We may provide you with an outline of any intervention to help you decide if this is something you would like to engage with or commit to. Therapy requires personal investment and may not always be the most appropriate avenue.
During this process we will also aim to provide an understanding of your difficulties. This may be informed by a variety of clinical/therapeutic models, but will also be collaboratively developed with yourself/service users, to incorporate your/their understanding and experience. Formulations tend to be the starting point of therapeutic work, tend to be referred to throughout the work and are subject to revision as the work progresses.