2012

In our view, clinical assessment takes many forms, and includes a combination of clinical interview and assessment tools. More importantly, clinical assessment should not be viewed as merely a one-time client intake but rather a component in the counseling process. However, the main function of clinical assessment is to establish an effective relationship with the client during the first meeting (Sommers-Flanagan & SommersFlanagan, 2008) and collect essential clinical information from them (Jones, 2010). It serves as a foundation for subsequent counseling procedures. This article intends to discuss the role and functions of clinical assessment in the counseling process to provide counselor educators a teaching model that depicts how clinical assessment fits in the counseling process.