title: The effectiveness of collaborative/therapeutic assessment for psychotherapy consultation: a pragmatic replicated single-case study.
abstract: This pragmatic study evaluated the effectiveness of a collaborative assessment intervention as an approach to midtherapy consultation, which has yet to be empirically tested. Ten adult participants in ongoing psychotherapy with a variety of presenting concerns, primarily consisting of general mood and adjustment issues, received a brief assessment-based intervention based on Finn's (2007) Therapeutic Assessment model. Following the collection of assessment questions and the administration of a multimethod assessment battery, clients and therapists participated in a joint feedback session with the assessor. Clients were then followed as their psychotherapy continued. The results of idiographic and aggregate analytic approaches revealed significant reductions in client-reported symptomatic distress, as evidenced by a medium effect size (d = -.50) and a significant change in the trajectory of distress. Client reports of the process of psychotherapy revealed a significant increase in the clients' ratings of the working alliance. The findings suggest that a midtherapy consultation using collaborative/therapeutic assessment methods is beneficial but that further rigorous investigation is needed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , Baylor University.
authors.forename: Justin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Wendy C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Eichler
authors.forename: Kaila R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D055815:Young Adult