The Integral Intake

Using formal assessment instruments in counselling and psychotherapy is an efficient and systematic way to obtain information about clients and to subsequently tailor a counselling approach most likely to serve clients optimally. The more information a counsellor obtains during the initial interview and first sessions, the more likely the client will be deeply understood by the counsellor, which in turn increases the likelihood that an appropriate course of counselling will be taken, ultimately leading to a more successful outcome.

The Integral Intake is an idiographic, biographical, multidimensional assessment instrument based upon the Integral Psychology pioneered by Ken Wilber. From the perspective of Integral theory, comprehensive and holistic conceptualization of clients seeking counselling and psychotherapy includes knowledge of four distinct perspectives (quadrants) of each client: the client’s experience (the individual viewed subjectively/from within), the client’s behavior (the client viewed objectively/from without), the client’s culture (the client’s system viewed subjectively/from within), and the client’s social system (the client’s system viewed objectively/from without).

The intake form is designed to provide the practitioner with a range of background information that can then be used to more quickly and effectively formulate a counselling/treatment approach. The assessment form and accompanying materials will be included on a downloadable resource, formatted to be printed and reproduced for use with each new client.

The book will provide an overview of the Integral Psychology model, describe the development of the assessment form and its use, and provide general guidelines for the evaluation of responses and planning for an appropriate counselling approach. A series of case examples, based on actual completed intake forms, will provide insight into the use of The Integral Intake.