Trying to make my 2013 Goodreads Challenge slightly less pathetic by including assigned reading. And since I think I might be the only actual review on Goodreads, I should probably try to say something moderately useful.

This book was an excellent resource for those of us who are in the very early stages of clinical work (aspiring psychologists, counselors, social workers). You could probably go ahead and retitle this Intake Interviews for Dummies. On the whole it was very accessible, and acted much like a nice set of water wings for fledging clinicians drowning in that seemingly enormous sea of "What the Hell Am I Doing." Some chapters were more engaging than others, but overall it's worth a read for students beginning (or soon to be beginning) their first year of practicum. Note though that when they say "a practical guide," they mean it--this book is geared toward the nuts and bolts of conducting an intake interview. Readers interested in insight into longer-term relationship building and the therapeutic process should look elsewhere.