Multi-Lens Approach to Psychological Assessment

$0.00

Add to Wishlist
Add to Wishlist

SKU: B1815-B25 Category:

Description

This presentation by Dr. Stephanie Nelson challenges the predominant diagnostic lens in psychological assessment and advocates for a more multidimensional approach to understanding client’s concerns. The core argument is that while diagnosis serves important practical functions, it represents only one way of viewing human struggles. Dr. Nelson proposes eight additional lenses through which to view client problems, emphasizing that most human experiences fall along power law distributions rather than normal curves, meaning approximately 20% of people experience clinically significant levels of most concerns.

The presentation demonstrates that when assessors look beyond diagnosis to consider dimensional traits, narrative history, behavioral patterns, life stage challenges, skills gaps, existential growth edges, universal human struggles, and modern cultural pressures, they can provide richer, more empowering feedback that reduces shame and increases agency. Dr. Nelson emphasizes that insight alone doesn't produce change—labels can actually reduce expectation of improvement and increase experiential avoidance. The goal is to create assessment narratives complex enough to survive the negative impacts of labeling while still validating suffering and opening access to resources.

Target audience: Psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, addiction counselors, nurses.

This CE course is designated as beginner level.

Format: Asynchronous, distance learning. Non-interactive. Text format only.

Content Category: Testing/Assessment

This course does not offer ASWB ACE CE credit to social workers.

Conflict of interest or commercial support disclaimer: No known.

Do you have questions about this course? Please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help.

Contents

Upon completing this program, you should be able to:

  • Integrate at least four additional conceptual lenses beyond diagnosis (dimensional, narrative, behavioral, developmental, skills-based, existential, universal human, and cultural) when conducting psychological assessments and writing reports to create more comprehensive case formulations
  • Recognize the potential negative impacts of diagnostic labeling (including reduced expectations for change, altered social perception, decreased actual behavior change, and over-identification with labels) and implement strategies to mitigate these effects while maintaining the validating and practical benefits of diagnosis
  • Utilize reframing techniques during assessment feedback sessions to help clients view their problems as meaningful information, protective mechanisms, or temporary states rather than fixed deficits, thereby promoting agency and reducing shame while maintaining clinical accuracy

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Multi-Lens Approach to Psychological Assessment”