Basic Interviewing: A Practical Guide for Counselors and Clinicians

Focusing on issues of interpretation, this book collects and translates a number of medieval mi'raj accounts. The narratives of Muhammad's heavenly journey offer a prism through which to view the medieval elite's communal, political and theological motives. These accounts reveal the historiographic process in which a single event becomes a focal point for those struggling to define the past and establish a communal, confessional and political identity by reporting the apparant facts about a particular moment in time. In other words, these tales have real stakes for both their authors and their audiences, and shed light on Muslim communal concerns from the late eighth through to the fourteenth century. Brooke Olson Vuckovic's groundbreaking study provides readers access to the documentation and translation of these lesser-known Arabic texts, and uncovers their role in building a meaningful, cohesive and coherent Muslim community in medieval times.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface. J. Faust, General Issues. M. Kenny, Beginning the Interview and Confidentiality. F. Johnston, V.B. Van Hasselt, M. Hersen, Rapport, Empathy, and Reflection. G.S. Watson, A.M. Gross, History of the Presenting Complaint. B. Falk, Social History. O.G. Bukstein, The Medical History. C.J. Golden, P.S. Hutchings, The Mental Status Examination. D.L. Segal, Writing Up the Intake Interview. S.N. Gold, Dealing With Defensiveness. W.I. Dorfman, Dealing With the Over-Talkative Client. E.F. Wagner, J.D. Kassel, S.I. Jackson, Ending the Interview. W.J. Burns, C.V. Hatziyannakis, Knowing When to Refer. W.W. Tryon, Identifying Targets for Treatment.

About the Author :
Michel Hersen, Vincent B. Van Hasselt

Review :
"This is a 'user friendly' text that guides a novice through the basics of the clinical interview. It effectively covers the basic skills and the many concerns confronting the apprentice clinician in first encounters with clients. The book is full of well written helpful information to reduce the stress for student, clinician, and client alike." —Sandra L Harris, PhD Rutgers University "Almost every therapist has experienced apprehension before seeing their first few patients or clients, wondering about basic issues. How do I begin the session? How do I phrase certain questions in the intake interview? How much personal information should I reveal about myself? Most beginning therapists turn to supervisors or more advanced students for help. Now they can additionally turn to Hersen and Van Hasselt's invaluable book on basic interviewing and clinical skills. Written in a conversational, how-to-style, it is like having a clinical supervisor in book form, always available on the bookshelf. Filled with verbatim examples, it provides down to earth guidance on what to do and what to say that is a bountiful resource for beginning mental health therapists of a variety of theoretical orientations." —J. Scott Mizes, PhD Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine "... Hersen and Van Hasselt have filled a noticeable gap in the art and science of clinical interviewing. The expertise of noted contributors take the student through difficult issues dealing with confidentiality, suicide risk, sexual abuse, and how to structure the beginning and termination of the interview. Problems frequently encountered by the novice in the process of the interview such as dealing with client defensiveness and developing empathy are dealt with through a wealth of case history material. Beginning clinicians from all disciplines will immediately feel comfortable with the practical advice and on target insights provided by this book." —Richard M. Eisler, PhD Virginia Technical University