The Clinical Report: Integrating Family Assessment Instruments into Family Counseling Practice

Abstract

Family counselors have viewed the use of standardized family assessment instruments with considerable ambivalence. This article briefly describes this ambivalence and argues that the use of self-report questionnaires and observational rating scales can enhance a practitioner's clinical assessment in three ways. First, it complements the practitioner's initial assessment; second, it helps in the development of treatment goals; and third, it provides information for evaluating treatment effectiveness. Furthermore, the author contends that the use of assessment instruments can create a collaborative working relationship between client and family counselor. The clinical report and its instruments are discussed, and a case example illustrates the application of the clinical report.