Assessment in Counseling: Guiding Practice and Decision Making

Assessment in Counseling: Guiding Practice and Decision Making considers the real-world use of assessment by counselors and other helping professionals. The book underscores the importance of collecting data to understand a client's history, current circumstances, and future goals; provide a clinical diagnosis; develop goals and objectives for treatment; and determine the appropriate time to terminate treatment.

Section I introduces the assessment process, lists the characteristics of "good" assessments, reviews various instruments and approaches to assessment, and discusses the use of the DSM as an assessment tool. Section II describes the use of assessments across different functional areas in the counseling profession, including school-based assessment, assessment in hospitalization settings, in addictions work, in times of crisis and trauma, in forensic settings, and more. The final section discusses additional considerations, including working in interdisciplinary teams and reading and writing evaluation reports. Each chapter features an introduction, learning objectives, exercises and case illustrations, and a closing exercise to bring the chapter's material together.

Highly practical and realistic, Assessment in Counseling is an excellent resource for courses and programs in counseling, as well as practicing helping professionals.

Peter J. Boccone, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Assistant Chairperson in the Counselor Education Department at West Chester University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and an Approved Clinical Supervisor.

Eric W. Owens, Ph.D. is Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Counselor Education at West Chester University. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and is a certified professional school counselor.

Richard D. Parsons, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus in Counselor Education at West Chester University. He has authored or co-authored over 100 books, book chapters, and professional articles. He has over 40 years of university teaching experience and has had a private clinical practice for more than 40 years.