Historically, therapy involved mainly a search
for insight into the origins of one’s problems or the
purposes served by one’s undesirable behavior. In
other cases, therapy consisted primarily of a relation-
ship between client and therapist designed to pro-
duce an atmosphere of trust that would help dissolve
the client’s debilitating defenses. Today, therapy
may involve some “insight-oriented” work, but
research suggests that therapies involving specific
skills may be more useful for reducing client’s pro-
blems. For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapies
involve a structured format to help the client learn
new and more satisfying ways of thinking and
behaving. Sometimes the goals of therapy are
sweeping and involve major changes in behavior.
Other times patients desire help only with a single
type of symptom (e.g., a troublesome fear) that pre-
vents them from achieving certain goals. Therapy
varies, then, along many different dimensions.
Diagnosis/Assessment. All practicing clinicians
engage in assessment of one form or another.
Take, for example, the following cases:
■ A child who is failing the fourth grade is
administered an intelligence test and an
achievement test. Does she have a learning
disability?
■ Personality tests are given to a client who is
depressed and has lost all zest for life. Can the
test results shed light on personality factors
contributing to the depression?
■ An adolescent has been talking excessively,
moving quickly, switching from one idea to
another, and has been engaging in more risk-
taking behaviors. A diagnostic assessment is
conducted to determine whether he may have
Bipolar Disorder, ADHD, or some other pos-
sible psychological disturbance.
■ A father has been charged with child abuse. He
is interviewed and tested to determine whether
he suffers from a mental disorder that influ-
ences his judgment and impulse control.
Common to all these examples is the effort to
better understand the individual so that a more
informed decision can be made or the mostSome clinical psychologists specialize in psychological testing and assessment.
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