From Therapy Revolution (HCI Books), page 98, section one of the treatment plan, the problem statement.
A treatment plan is like a personalized map of your therapy. The therapist can be thought of as your GPS system, guiding you step-by-step. First, you have to know your starting point. Knowing where you are starting out is defined in the problem statement, which is based (at least initially) on the evaluation.
The therapist should share his findings from the evaluation with you. Your individualized treatment plan will begin with a summary of your problems as they are presented in the evaluation (as well as in any subsequent conversations). It will be written in the form of a problem statement or statements. These problem statements might read something like: “Jennifer dropped out of school because of failing grades,” or “Mark exhibits signs of depression,” or “Tyler is angry and oppositional when speaking to his wife and children.”
Most people will have more than one problem, and generally between two and eight problems are listed in the problem statements section. That doesn’t mean that all these problems will be addressed during the course of therapy; these statements are simply stating that the problems exist. Problem statements that are not relevant initially can be deferred to a later time when the time is right to address them.
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