Search Categories:

How to Get Ahead in Therapy: Keep Your Eye on the Goal

PsychCentral.com not only features today’s Therapy Soup blog (its about setting treatment goals–very important reading–if you read nothing else about therapy this month, read this), but it is simply the most comprehensive resource for those seeking information about mental health topics. For example want to understand the symptoms and treatments for a specific mental illness? Here’s the Link. Our resource page at richardzwolinski.com is short but sweet. However, if you want the mother of all online mental health resource pages, try this PsychCentral.com Link.

Posted in Mental Health Treatment Plan, Psychotherapy, Therapy Patients.

Tagged with treatment goals.

No comments

By richard – February 3, 2010

0 Responses

Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.

« Stating the Problem Assess Yourself at StopStressingNow »

For Email Marketing you can trust

"A valuable resource for patients and practitioners alike, setting the standard for therapy and counseling practice. If you know anyone considering therapy, or who is unhappy with their therapist, make sure they read this book."

-Tom Butler-Bowdon, author of 50 Psychology Classics, 50 Self-Help Classics

Amazon Bestseller, NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) Advocate Book Pick, Dec., 2009

From Therapy Revolution (HCI Books), Chapter 4, Focus on Your First Appointment, Page 90

For Therapy Patients, Their Families, and Support Networks: You need to be prepared for every step of therapy, from finding a therapist, to the first few visits, to the very last session, and beyond. Become an educated patient and you will get more effective treatment.

During your first or second psychotherapy session, your therapist will ask you plenty of questions (and write down all your answers) in order to get to know as much as possible about you. These questions are collectively known as the Evaluation or the Biopsychosocial History. This and other useful checklists, charts, and questionnaires are included in Therapy Revolution, along with easy-to-understand tips and pointers, real-life patient interviews, and more.

Biopsychosocial History/Evaluation Checklist
[When your therapist does your evaluation], make sure that at least the following topics are included in the questions he or she asks:

1. Identifying data/demographic data (social security number, date of birth, sex, race, emergency contact information, living situation)
2. Alcohol and drug history (including over-the-counter and prescription medications, herbal or nutritional remedies, and illegal drugs and alcohol; how drugs are administered; frequency of use; age first used; date last used; progression of use; withdrawal symptoms; history of treatment programs/hospitalizations; symptoms and complications of alcohol and drug history)
3. Mental health history (including medication history and compliance, allergies to medications, history of treatment programs/hospitalizations, and symptoms and complications of that history, including harm to self or others)
4. Medical history (including medication history and compliance, allergies to medications, hospitalizations, chronic and/or life-threatening illnesses, and symptoms and past and current complications of that history)
5. Other topics (sexual history, educational history, vocational history, financial history, legal history, social history, family/significant other, gambling history, nicotine history, eating disorders, spirituality, leisure, military history)
6. Reason for seeking treatment
7. Questions specific to present stage of life (childhood, adolescence, geriatric, etc., as needed)

Created by SmartAuthorSites ... Websites for Authors