Counseling Intake Interview Plan
I. Introduction
a. Greet the client and introduce myself
b. Establish a comfortable environment
c. Explain the purpose of the intake interview
i. I’m just here to get to know you a little bit
d. Should we get started?
II. Discuss confidentiality
a. This is a safe space where you are free to talk about anything that is on your
mind.
What you say here is confidential and stays between us
b. There are exceptions to that, meaning I might have to involve some outside
resources if I hear anything about wanting to hurt yourself, hurt others, things of
that nature
c. It’s ultimately to keep you safe
d. Do you have any questions about the confidentiality?
III. Demographic information
a. Name spelled and pronounced correctly
b. DOB
c. Gender pronouns
d. Marital status
e. Referral source
IV. Biological
a. Medical history?
b. Current medications?
c. Physical health concerns?
d. Sleep patterns?
e. Exercise?
f. Daily energy level?
V. Psychological
a. How would you describe your current emotional state?
b. Have you noticed a shift in recent mood changes?
c. Have you had any previous counseling/ therapy?
i. If yes, discuss further
d. Do you have any immediate family members with mental health concerns?
e. What is your biggest stressor?
f. Do you know what your coping mechanisms are?
g. Have you ever had any thoughts of self-harm or doing harm to others?
h. Do you drink/ smoke/ other?
i. How much/ often?
ii. Do you think it impacts your life?
VI. Social
a. Tell me about your family
i. Include significant other if applicable
b. Current job?
c. What is your educational background?
d. Could you describe any social challenges you face?
e. Are there any cultural factors impacting your life?
VII. Spiritual
a. Is spirituality something you would like to incorporate into our time together?
b. If yes, what are those beliefs?
VIII. Primary reason for appointment
a. What brought you in today?
b. How long has this been causing discord in your life?
c. What made you decide to come in and seek some help with this?
IX. Goal setting
a. What are your expectations for counseling?
b. Do you have any goals that you know you would like to achieve?
X. Personal history (warn clients that some questions in this section can be difficult to
answer. Just take your time and answer to the best of your abilities)
a. Any psychiatric concerns?
b. History of abuse?
c. Substance use (include drinking, smoking, other)
d. What are your greatest strengths?
e. Who are your positive influences?
XI. Closing
a. Discuss next steps
b. Any questions for me?
Rationale:
Sheperis et al. (2020) explain that the mail goal of an interview is to gather any information that
could be relevant to the client’s current presenting problems. By addressing the client’s current
status as it relates to their biological, physiological, social, and spiritual self, I can get a more
holistic understanding of what is going on with the client. It may provide avenues for evaluation
that the client did not think of or that I otherwise would not have known about. Savander et al
(2024) argue that when the client offers an abundance of self-disclosure to answer the given
question, they are opening the door to a more cohesive therapeutic relationship. This approach
will also allow for the development of a more effective treatment plan for each individual client.
References
Savander, E. É., Voutilainen, L., Hintikka, J., & Peräkylä, A. (2024). What to take up from the
patient’s talk? the clinician’s responses to the patient’s self-disclosure of their subjective
experience in the psychiatric intake interview. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15,
1352601. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1352601
Sheperis, C., Drummond, R., & Jones, K. (2020). Assessment procedures for counselors and
helping professionals. Pearson.
Hi Heidi! Wow I really appreciate how thorough your intake is! The goal of an interview is to
gather any information that could be relevant to the client’s current problems (Sheperis et al.,
2020). You certainly seemed to have covered everything very well. I especially appreciate how
you started off with questions that would be relatively easy to answer. I would like to challenge
you, however, on assuming that answering a question about legal history is not or could not be
emotional. The same applies to questions about the military. If you are talking to a client with
posttraumatic stress disorder, that could be a very emotionally triggering question. I agree that
those need to be addressed! I am just trying to offer a different perspective. I also like how you
go back to, as you put it, less personal questions after the emotionally charged questions. That
would be a great way to disarm a potentially worked up client and ensure their comfortability
before they leave. Great job! You have definitely given me a lot to think about with my own
intake questions. God bless!
Reference
Sheperis, C., Drummond, R., & Jones, K. (2020). Assessment procedures for counselors and
helping professionals. Pearson.
Hey Destiny! Great job on this week’s assignment. I really liked your verbiage that you used- you
will warmly greet the client. That initial interaction is so important and can set the tone for the
rest of the therapeutic relationship. The more comfortable you can make the client feel, the
more comfortable they will be to self-disclose. In turn, the more they initially self-disclose, the
better the therapeutic relationship will be (Savander et al., 2024). You continue to build that
relationship by allowing the client to introduce themselves. That alone gives them a sense of
identity and self-worth. If the counselor just asks if the intake paperwork is correct, I can see
how that would diminish their sense of self. The client introducing themselves also allows for
the counselor to establish rapport. Maybe they find something in common or can laugh about
the same thing during the client’s introduction. I also liked that you offered time for the client to
take a break. I can see how these intakes can be overwhelming or uncomfortable for the client.
By offering for the client to step away, breathe, maybe get some water, and then regroup you
are telling the client upfront that you are there for their well-being. Overall, great job in your
interview. God Bless!
Resources
Savander, E. É., Voutilainen, L., Hintikka, J., & Peräkylä, A. (2024). What to take up from the
patient’s talk? the clinician’s responses to the patient’s self-disclosure of their subjective
experience in the psychiatric intake interview. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15,
1352601. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1352601
