Treatment Planning

Skills Practice: Mock Counseling Session

Find a friend, family member, or classmate to help you role-play an initial interview. As the counselor, practice basic attending and communication skills to gather information from your client. When you feel you have sufficient information, begin to help the client formulate some initial goals for counseling. Then, discuss a treatment plan with your client that would be appropriate for them and their situation. This would probably also include a discussion of your counseling style and theoretical orientation. (Remember that theoretical orientation is not the same as a therapy.)

• How well did you do in constructing an effective treatment plan in your skills practice this week?
• What else do you need to know about treatment planning?
• What other skills do you need to develop to be able to create effective treatment plans in collaboration with clients?