Do you have clearly formulated assumptions when you enter a counselling session? Do you make decisions about treatment very swiftly? Professional, and pastoral counsellors generally enter the counselling relationship with certain assumptions. These assumptions may be known or implicit. They are necessary but may lead to presumptuous errors. Counsellors and therapists often make the mistake of “immediately” acting on the presenting problem because they assume they know what’s best for the client. Whole-person assessment focuses on the sharpening of observational, listening and probing skills. These skills provide a key to a deeper connection with the whole person presenting “a” problem and lead to more effective choices of interventions.
