Certificate in clinical assessment skills

This course will take place online, via Zoom.

The psychodynamic assessment can be “one of the most momentous days of [a client’s] life.” (Coltart 1986).

The first meeting between assessor and client can be highly charged. The skilled assessor must quickly engage the client in a complex and emotional encounter which may surprise, disturb or disarm. The quality of the assessment meeting and the skill of the assessor form a crucial part of the process of beginning and its emotional impact often resonates well beyond the encounter itself.

Sound assessment skills are crucial to effective clinical practice. However, professional training can often give insufficient time and focus on developing an understanding of the assessment process.

The aim of this course is to understand the importance of the assessment as essential to good beginnings, to gain an overview of some theory and practice of clinical assessment and an understanding of the emotional impact of the assessment encounter, and its transference implications, to develop skills in assessment interview technique, facilitating brevity and depth, psychodynamic formulation and approaching the assessment report.

Day 1: Introducing Assessment: Saturday 13th February 2021

This day will introduce some key clinical concepts and attitudes for sound psychodynamic assessment. Participants will consider the impact and influence of the assessment encounter and a range of assessment skills including the conduct of the psychodynamic assessment interview, the maintenance of an evaluative/therapeutic balance, making a recommendation and considering limits. All content will be considered in terms of providing formal clinical assessment in organisational settings and in private practice.

Day 2: Assessment – Essential Skills: Saturday 20th February 2021

This day will build on learning and skills from Day 1. Participants will explore a range of assessment techniques including approaches to initial contact, risk assessment and management, psychodynamic formulation skills and writing the assessment report. All practice will be considered in terms of providing formal clinical assessment in organisational settings and in private practice.

Day 3a or Day 3b: Live Assessment Supervision: Saturday 13th March or Saturday 20th March 2021

Participants on this day will engage in a live supervision of clinical assessments presented by course participants who have volunteered to conduct an assessment following Day 2. This day will consolidate learning from Days 1 and 2 and enables both presenters and participants to engage fully in the assessment process through live supervisory discussion.

Please note: Those wishing to volunteer to present an assessment on Day 3 should ensure they are in a position to do so and have secured permission from their organisations where necessary. Assessments can only be conducted at WPF Therapy Clinic by participants who are currently WPF Honorary Assessors and with the prior agreement of their supervisor

Comments from previous participants:

• "The pace and sensitive attention to detail at each level of the assessment process felt just right."
• "Invaluable information for both experienced and inexperienced assessors."
• "Cate communicated a sense of pleasure in carrying out assessments. I enjoyed her relaxed but erudite style."
• "The course was very well balanced - theory, insight, practicalities."

Course leader

Cate Lyon is a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist trained at WPF Therapy. Cate is Counselling Lead in NHS Primary Care (IAPT). She has a specialist interest in brief therapeutic encounters, working at pace and depth. Cate practices and supervises in Private Practice. Cate teaches and trains extensively in the field and consults in these roles in a range of public and private organisations.

Course requirements

The course will be helpful to qualified and training counsellors and psychotherapists who are interested in developing their understanding and technique in clinical assessment. This course is psychodynamic in orientation although practitioners of other modalities are welcome to attend. You must be currently engaged in clinical work in order to be eligible to attend this course.

This is a course which focuses on being able to practice conducting an assessment and ideally, you should be in a position to carry out assessments in your work. Participants who volunteer to conduct and present an assessment for Day 3 must be qualified practitioners or in supervised honorary placements with permission to conduct an assessment. We will need volunteers to present on Day 3. If you are interested in volunteering to present please indicate your availability to do so and ensure that you can make arrangements to conduct an assessment.

Please note: Those wishing to volunteer to present an assessment on Day 3 should ensure they are in a position to do so and have secured permission from their organisations where necessary. Assessments can only be conducted at WPF Therapy Clinic by participants who are currently WPF Honorary Assessors and with the prior agreement of their supervisor.

Participants must complete all three days of the course to receive a Certificate for Continuing Professional Development purposes.

Applications must be received by Thursday 4th February 2021.

Before booking please read our terms and conditions for CPD events.

If you experience any problems during the application process then please contact events@wpf.org.uk.