Purpose Of A Clinical Interview

A quality clinical interview differs from a casual “helping” conversation because the clinical interview has purpose, structure, a contract, and different roles. The purpose of a clinical interview is the “intentional focus on the client’s story, needs, and goal” (Murphy, B.C., Dillon, C., 2010 p.5). The structure of the conversation is “the overall process has a beginning, middle and end, and each phase of the process has it own tasks and emphases” (Murphy, B.C., Dillon, C., 2010, p. 7). Then we move on to the contact of the clinical interview which “is a working agreement that specifics such things as the participants, purpose, goals, roles, expectations, techniques, time, structure and cost of care” (Murphy, B.C., Dillon, C., 2010, p. 7).