The counselor will ask what brings the client to therapy, how long the problem has been ongoing and under what circumstances it occurs. Patterns of problematic thought and behavior will be assessed along with current medications, medical problems, social history, available social support, life history, marital status, and prior attempts at therapy. The assessor will determine which, if any, diagnostic criteria for emotional disorders the client meets, in order to begin designing a treatment plan and compiling a list of recommendations.

Consent to contact the client’s physician, psychiatrist, former therapists, and/or referral source may be obtained, and an assessment of the client’s childhood will be conducted. The assessor will also begin asking about a history of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse the client has experienced, as well as other possible traumas or emotional stressors. Work history, social history, family history, drug and alcohol history, and a variety of other such concerns will be assessed. Obviously, this process may be ongoing not just on the first session but on many subsequent sessions thereafter.