Brammer and Macdonald (1996), referring to the counselling process, irrespective of the
context, describe the essence of individual counselling by the two steps involved: the
creation of the client – counsellor relationship, and the enhancement of change (positive
action), both in a context characterized as “work alliance”. The authors speak about the
conditions to attain a level of interpersonal relationship that might enhance change and
development: counsellors must use their special personal talents and adopt a series of
adequate attitudes, while clients respond with trust and willingness to the communication
offer. The authors call the counselling relationship a helping relationship. Practically in
the process of individual counselling, a moment of maximum importance is that of
gathering significant information on the client.
The intake interview is presented by Hackney and Cormier (1996) as an essential element
to attain desirable efficiency in counselling. Considered both a moment of initiation of the
information exchange between counsellor and client, and an assessment method, the
intake interview is different than other discussions the two might have because it involves
collecting general information on the client: identification, lifestyle, current problems,
personal and family history.
I. Identification data:
- Name, address, telephone number, brief description of his/her living space
(with the family, on campus, renting, alone or not, etc.). - Age, gender, marital status, year of study (pupils or students), job (for adults
and pupils or students working part-time, temporarily or with flexible hours).
II. Presentation of the problem for which counselling is necessary:
- When did the problem first occur, in what context and how frequently since?
- In what way does the incident affect the client’s day-to-day life?
- Can the client identify a pattern to this situation? When does it appear? In
whose presence? Under what circumstances? - What was the factor underlying the client’s decision to seek counselling?
Why now?
III. Client’s current lifestyle:
- How does the client spend a typical day? What about a typical week?
- What social activities (with friends, sports, religious, in the community) or
individual ones does the client prefer in the spare time? - What is the client’s education?
- Special situations: ethnic, sexual, religious minority, chronic disease, special
medical treatment.