Practicum-Assessing Clients

Assess clients presenting for psychotherapy

Develop genograms for clients presenting for psychotherapy
To prepare:

Select a client whom you have observed or counseled at your practicum site.
Review pages 137–142 of the Wheeler text and the Hernandez Family Genogram video in this week’s Learning Resources. Reflect on elements of writing a Comprehensive Client Assessment and creating a genogram for the client you selected.
The Assignment
Part 1: Comprehensive Client Family Assessment

With this client in mind, address the following in a Comprehensive ClientAssessment (without violating HIPAA regulations):

Demographic information
Presenting problem
History or present illness
Past psychiatric history
Medical history
Substance use history
Developmental history
Family psychiatric history
Psychosocial history
History of abuse/trauma
Review of systems
Physical assessment
Mental status exam
Differential diagnosis
Case formulation
Treatment plan
Part 2: Family Genogram

Prepare a genogram for the client you selected. The genogram should extend back by at least three generations (great grandparents, grandparents, and parents).

Required Readings
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Chapter 5, “Supportive and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy” (pp. 225–238 and pp. 245–258)
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.



Young, J. M., & Solomon, M. J. (2009). How to critically appraise an article. Nature Clinical Practice. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 6(2), 82–91.



How to Critically Appraise an Article by Young, J.; Solomon, M., in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Vol. 6/Issue 2. Copyright 2009 by Nature Publishing Group. Reprinted by permission of Nature Publishing Group via the Copyright Clearance Center. 

Select one of the following articles on psychodynamic therapy to evaluate in your Assignment:

Aznar-Martinez, B., Perez-Testor, C., Davins, M., & Aramburu, I. (2016). Couple psychoanalytic psychotherapy as the treatment of choice: Indications, challenges, and benefits. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(1), 1–20. doi:10.1037/a0038503

Karbelnig, A. M. (2016). “The analyst is present”: Viewing the psychoanalytic process as performance art. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 33(supplement 1), S153–S172. doi:10.1037/a0037332

LaMothe, R. (2015). A future project of psychoanalytic psychotherapy: Revisiting the debate between classical/commitment and analytic therapies. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 32(2), 334–351. doi:10.1037/a0035982

Migone, P. (2013). Psychoanalysis on the Internet: A discussion of its theoretical implications for both online and offline therapeutic technique. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30(2), 281–299. doi:10.1037/a0031507

Tummala-Narra, P. (2013). Psychoanalytic applications in a diverse society. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 30(3), 471–487. doi:10.1037/a0031375