Relational and Interviewing Skills for Assessment and Formulation in Cognitive Behavioral Practice

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject Psychology - Consulting, Therapy, grade: B, University of Derby, course: Psychology, language: English, abstract: This essay evaluates the therapist's relational and interviewing skills in conducting CBT assessment critical in establishing, developing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with the client. Research suggested that therapist interpersonal skills facilitate therapy processes and good client-therapist collaboration. Therapeutic relationship is a helpful and positive relationship, whereby a client is reliant on the therapist's help. The helper relational skills include empathy; genuine, receptive, good communicator and can reflect client's feelings and thoughts accurately without prejudice. In a person-centered approach, the therapist creates therapeutic conditions based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) framework and evidence based treatment models. Unlike other talking therapies, the person-centered CBT instills client's collaboration and determination in making choices about the therapeutic process. The declarative, procedural and reflective (DPR) model provides theoretical guidelines for CBT therapists important in acquiring and maintaining the technical and relational skills throughout their profession. The DPR framework is an information-processing model, within which interpersonal flexibility, conceptual knowledge and technical skills are core components vital in establishing developing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with the client. Client-therapist inter-personal variables, perspectives about CBT and cultural differences risk causing ruptures in the collaborative efforts. Hence, a good interviewing skill that conveys empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard can be used to clarify underlying problems, build confidence, trust, commitment to therapy and motivation to carry out CBT tasks and treatmen. Reflective practices and Socratic supervision help therapists to identify their strength, limitations and respond effectively.