Clinical Interview

The clinical interview is foundational to psychological or mental health treatment. It involves a professional relationship between a mental health provider and a patient or client and is used across all major mental health treatment disciplines. Although defined differently by different authors, the clinical interview includes an informed consent process and has as its primary goals (a) initiation of a therapeutic alliance, (b) assessment or diagnostic data collection, (c) case formulation, and/or (d) implementation of a psychological intervention. This entry includes information about the history/evolution of clinical interviewing, an outline of the typical interview process or structure, distinctions between unstructured, semistructured, and structured interviews, and contemporary developments (i.e., the science of clinical interviewing, techniques as relational acts, and cultural adaptations). The future of the clinical interview as a central method for initiating psychotherapy or counseling is bright.