Introduction to Therapeutic Assessment

Overview

Psychological assessment is typically viewed as something one does to diagnose psychological disorders or to plan for or evaluate an intervention. This workshop presents a new paradigm for the psychological assessor, where psychological testing itself is a powerful intervention for individuals, couples, and children and adolescents. Moving beyond the traditional view of assessment as an information-gathering tool, Dr. Finn has developed and researched Therapeutic Assessment, a collaborative effort between the client and the assessor with the goal being therapeutic change.

In this introductory workshop, Dr. Finn will provide his conceptualization for how Therapeutic Assessment works and will present the different steps for how to conduct this method in practice. In addition to the presentation of didactic material and discussion, Dr. Finn will show video vignettes from his sessions with clients to demonstrate the power and impact of his model. The workshop assumes some familiarity with standard psychological assessment instruments such as the WAIS-III, the MMPI-2, the Rorschach, and the TAT and is the introductory step toward advanced training in and practice of Therapeutic Assessment.

Objectives

At the end of the workshop, participants will:

• understand a model that uses psychological assessment as a therapeutic intervention as well as an information gathering tool
• understand the active therapeutic factors in psychological assessment and how to maximize them
• understand the goals of an initial session in therapeutic assessment
• know how test instruments can be used to demonstrate assessment findings to clients
• understand how test feedback sessions can positively impact clients
• learn about a style of psychological report that can be shared with clients

Schedule

December 4, 2009

December 5, 2009

Continuing Education Credit

SPA is approved by the American psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, and SPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Thirteen (13) CE credits will be granted to those completing this two-day workshop in its entirety.

Stephen E. Finn, Ph.D.

Dr. Finn is an international expert in personality assessment and has pioneered work on Therapeutic Assessment, a method that systematically integrates psychological assessment with depth psychotherapy.

Dr. Finn is the founder of the Center for Therapeutic Assessment in Austin, Texas, a private practice group specializing in the integration of psychological assessment and psychotherapy.

Dr. Finn received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1984 from the University of Minnesota and currently is Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He also is a Fellow and former President of the Society for Personality Assessment and a Fellow of Division 12 of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Finn is the author of In Our Clients' Shoes: theory and Techniques of Therapeutic Assessment (2007, Erlbaum), of A Manual for Using the MMPI-2 as a Therapeutic Intervention (1996 by the University of Minnesota Press), and of many articles and chapters, especially on psychological assessment and psychodiagnostics. Dr. Finn frequently lectures around the world on topics related to assessment.

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