What is the difference between assessment and formulation?
The Assessment Report
Report Structure
Introduction
You need an introductory paragraph to introduce your report, this is your chance to set up for the reader what you will be exploring in the report. You should signpost in terms of what the report will be covering.
In this introduction you need to also demonstrate your knowledge of assessment and it is a good idea to discuss the differences here between assessment and formulation. You will need to present your chosen position on these topics in this introduction. You are illustrating what your own working assessment model which you are going to be drawing upon in the report is going to be. You may also want to discuss here what formulation you are using to guide your practice, what is your formulation informed by? Are you using an already existing form of formulation, if so, explain why.
You will need to look in the literature for this, an important component being assessed is your ability to read and disseminate knowledge, and convey your own understanding of this knowledge. See the reading list if you are unsure where to start on this.
Introduction to the client
Here you will be presenting your client. Don’t forget that this client has been assessed for talking therapy. Consider how this informs your assessment. What information do you need (in line with your chosen assessment methods) to gather here?
Key information here is the presenting problem, and goals for therapy.
Further key information is how you are proposing to work with this client. This leads to the formulation.
The formulation is best described as how you use theory to understand your client. If you are still unclear on the difference between assessment and formulation read the slides from the week one lecture. Also look at the core text.
The formulation should include a consideration of aspects relating to the aetiology, maintenance and change in regards to the presenting problem.
(For more details of what must be included in this section see the main assessment guidance document.) This is the main part of the report and markers will expect a detailed problem formulation is steeped in relevant theory, which is cited throughout the text.
Critical perspectives
This section gives you a chance to utilize your critical gaze when considering your chosen client and your own assessment process, as well as how they may have been assessed in the past. For example, you may have a client who has multiple diagnostic labels previously assigned to them, how has this impacted their life? How could your own assessment and formulation process adversely affect them? What ethical consideration have you factored in? What literature have you drawn on to help you understand these dilemmas? What socio-cultural factors have you considered? What about the role of power in diagnosis for example? This section gives you a chance to unpack your own ideas and explore the nuanced complexities in the field of diagnosis, assessment and mental health.
Meta-analysis
If you continued to work with this client delivering a talking therapy how was this, was your formulation helpful? Did you deviate from it? If so, why? How did you manage that? How did the assessment or and formulation contribute to the creation of the working alliance? Did aspects of this also impact the development of the therapeutic relationship?
Again, we want to see all of your points raised here as being located in the theory and research literature. This is still an academic piece of writing although you are carving your own report out of your clinical practice. Don’t forget to cite the authors of ideas and theories.
General points
You need to use the structure described in the assessment report guidelines. You need to remember to cite relevant theory and research. You need to read around the subject areas. For example, if you are presenting a client with depression, you need to present at least two theoretical understandings of depression, describe which you are drawing from and link this to your aims in the therapy. You should also in that instance be drawing on relevant research on depression to illustrate that you have researched this subject area.
- What is the difference between assessment and formulation?
- The question then to ponder on is what is your rationale for the formulation you have chosen? Is it the client and the presentation? Is it your own way of working?
