Introduction
Assessment and formulation are arguably the most important phases of any therapeutic engagement as they establish the direction for the work, any aims or goals, what the therapeutic process might entail and who else might need to be involved (e.g. family members or other health care professionals). Assessment and formulation are also central in deciding whether therapy is suitable at all, and whether the therapist is best placed to deliver the needed service to a particular client at a particular point in time.
The focus of counselling psychology has always been on people rather than pathology (Sanders and Tolan, 2023). The aim of this chapter is to consider how to approach assessment and formulation from the perspective of the person rather than the theory, regardless of how valuable a theoretical perspective can be. We introduce a framework that can scaffold assessment and formulation without providing a misleading simplification of therapeutic work. While it can feel more comfortable to jump into “doing something” under pressure from clients or service settings, without a clear understanding of the client’s needs, therapists are at risk of reacting rather than having a thought through approach. Undertaking a careful assessment and developing a formulation provide the compass and the map that can increase the likelihood of a better outcome.