Case Example 1

Abstract

Addressing disclosures of sexual assault in an empathic manner while being efficient with time is a crucial assessment skill for clinicians to develop. This chapter provides a case example of an intake evaluation with a survivor of sexual assault. The authors provide recommendations for handling discrepancies in reporting across measures, limiting the level of detail obtained during an assessment, using the client’s language to describe the experience, discussing social reactions to disclosures, and presenting case conceptualizations that link the client’s sexual assault to their current mental health symptoms. The importance of these recommendations is discussed along with the case example.