Corroborating data from a number of sources helps create a more thorough understanding of the client and his or her presenting concerns. The counselor can then interpret these data and formulate hypotheses related to the client's strengths and weaknesses. Data gathered and the hypotheses formed, thereby, contribute to the creation of an effective counseling strategy. This digest discusses how counselors can use assessment as a continuous process throughout treatment. It also reviews three common forms of assessment techniques which can be used in conjunction with testing.
Continuous assessment influences the direction of treatment in two ways.
First, presenting concerns and client circumstances are not static. Goals identified by the client during the initial assessment often must be modified or re-ordered to meet new and urgent client needs. Continuous assessment apprises the counselor of possible new and urgent needs which have arisen since the initial assessment. These needs can then be addressed through the counseling process. Second, assessment can aid in evaluating the efficacy of treatment.