Brief encounters thinking about images in assessment

Abstract

This article discusses the different images available to the therapist in an assessment. It explores images made by the client; images which emerge in the narratives of client and family; and internal images formed through the counter-transference of the therapist. The nature of assessment both for client and therapist and the associations aroused by the word are discussed and a case is put forward for the creative use of this often brief and limited contact. At the centre of the article is a case study to allow reflection on an interactional model for assessment that needs to consider both internal and external factors.