Chapter 3: Integration & Case Formulation

Question 1

What does a case formulation involve?

Answer 1

• understanding, integration, and formulation of all the information into a coherent and organised set of hypotheses about the client and their problems
• underlying beliefs, current automatic thoughts, emotional reactions and behaviours…
• completed collaboratively with the client

Question 2

What are the goals of case formulation?

Answer 2

1. guide therapy in order to relieve client distress and build client resilience
2. goal setting and treatment planning logically and naturally follow from the case formulation

Question 3

What is the case formulation?

Answer 3

• the place where clinicians take assessment results and apply their inferences and interpretations to the facts of the case
• summary of descriptive and factual information -> development of hypotheses regarding the relationship between the information and the clients development, circumstances, thoughts and beliefs -> begins to consider interventions

Question 4

steps in case formulation (3)

Answer 4

1. developing the problem list
2. developing the initial case formulation
3. communicating the case formulation and assessment results

Question 5

steps in case formulation: 1. developing the problem list

Answer 5

• client should list all the major problems related to their presentation to therapy
• therapists organises, prioritises and categorises these problems
• best not to include diagnosis or primary symptoms into the problem list

Question 6

steps in case formulation: 2. developing the initial case formulation

Answer 6

• describe interactions among life events, core beliefs, and current thoughts, emotions and behaviours
• identify likely obstacles and barriers that could stand in the way of treatment, as well as facilitators
• consideration of biological, psychological, and social factors that may be related to the genesis of the problem in the clients past

Question 7

steps in case formulation: 3. communicating the case formulation and assessment results

Answer 7

• be quite transparent, individualised to the client
• pay attention to:
  1. not overwhelm
  2. lay terms
  3. consider using quotes from the client
  4. check for accuracy of the factual parts
  5. ask for feedback, questions and input