title: The action formulation: a proposed heuristic for clinical case formulation.
abstract: The authors propose the action formulation (TAF), a heuristic for clinical case formulation. The action formulation relies on the action perspective, which depicts individuals as actively shaping their environment, and is premised upon four guidelines: (a) map the client's social environment, focusing on sources of support, chronic interpersonal difficulties, and negative and positive life events; (b) identify how the clients, in the context of their personalities, psychopathologies, and strengths, actively influence their environment; (c) differentiate between maladaptive, risk-related, interpersonal cycles, and adaptive, protective-based ones; and (d) tailor integrative techniques to short-circuit the former cycles and bolster the latter ones. Links between TAF and emerging issues in clinical assessment are discussed.
authors.affiliation: The Risk/Resilience Lab, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. shaharg@bgu.ac.il
authors.forename: Golan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shahar
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Porcerelli
mesh_terms: D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012931:Social Environment