Clinical Interviewing 6th Edition – Sommers-Flanagan

The Challenge It Addresses

Every mental health professional faces the same challenge: how to conduct an initial clinical interview that is both comprehensive and therapeutically effective. Without a structured approach, interviews miss critical diagnostic information, fail to assess suicide risk properly, and leave clients feeling unheard. This gap between textbook knowledge and real-world application costs clinicians time, confidence, and—most importantly—client trust.

The Clinical Interviewing, Sixth Edition directly addresses this gap. It provides a systematic, evidence-based framework for mastering the art and science of clinical interviews, suicide assessment, mental status examinations, and psychotherapy skills. Whether you are a graduate student training for licensure or an experienced practitioner seeking to refine your technique, this book delivers the practical tools you need to succeed.

Clinical Interviewing 6th Edition – Sommers-Flanagan at a Glance

Clinical Interviewing is the definitive guide for mental health professionals on conducting effective initial interviews. Authored by John Sommers-Flanagan and Rita Sommers-Flanagan, this Sixth Edition (published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2017) is widely regarded as the essential text in its field. It covers everything from establishing rapport and gathering history to conducting suicide assessments, mental status exams (MSE), and developing psychotherapy micro-skills.

The book is organized into three core parts: Foundations and Preparations, Interview and Assessment Skills, and Advanced Clinical Interviewing. Each chapter integrates current research, real case examples, and actionable techniques. This edition includes expanded coverage of diversity and multicultural considerations, motivational interviewing, and collaborative assessment—reflecting the latest standards in clinical practice.

Is This Book Right for You?

This text is mandatory for graduate students in clinical psychology, counseling, social work, and related mental health fields. It is also an indispensable reference for licensed practitioners—therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurses—who want to update their interview protocols or specialize in suicide risk assessment and crisis intervention. Supervisors and clinical trainers will find its structured approach ideal for teaching and supervising interview skills.

Additionally, psychiatric residents, marriage and family therapists, and school counselors will benefit from the book’s clear, step-by-step guidance on handling challenging interview scenarios with diverse populations. If your work involves direct client contact and diagnostic assessment, this book is your roadmap.

Skills You Will Gain

• How to structure the initial interview from opening to closing, ensuring comprehensive data collection while building therapeutic alliance.
• Suicide risk assessment protocols that are both ethical and practical, including evidence-based questioning and documentation strategies.
• Conducting a thorough Mental Status Examination (MSE) with standardized language and observation techniques.
• Motivational interviewing techniques to engage resistant or ambivalent clients effectively.
• Multicultural interviewing competencies to work sensitively across diverse backgrounds and avoid cultural bias.
• Diagnostic interviewing for DSM-5 disorders, including differential diagnosis strategies.
• Psychotherapy micro-skills such as empathic reflection, open-ended questioning, and challenging clients constructively.

Why This Book Stands Out

Competing texts like Interviewing and Change Strategies for Helpers or Mental Status Examination: A Comprehensive Guide cover narrower ground. Clinical Interviewing is unique because it integrates interview structure, assessment procedures, and therapeutic skills into one cohesive framework. While other books focus on either diagnosis or therapy, this text bridges both—giving you the tools to gather accurate data while simultaneously building the therapeutic relationship.

The Sixth Edition includes updated research on suicide prevention (reflecting the latest National Suicide Prevention Guidelines), expanded coverage of trauma-informed interviewing, and new chapters on clinical interviewing via telehealth. No other resource combines this breadth with this depth of practical application. The companion video resource center further differentiates it, offering demonstrations of key interview techniques by the authors themselves.

Who Wrote This Book

John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Montana and a licensed clinical psychologist with decades of experience in both practice and training. Rita Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D., is a professor of counseling at the University of Montana and a nationally recognized expert in ethics and assessment. Together, they bring a rare combination of academic rigor and real-world clinical wisdom to every chapter.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. — a globally respected academic and professional publisher — the book undergoes a rigorous peer review process that ensures the information is both current and trustworthy. The Sixth Edition (2017) reflects the most recent advances in clinical interviewing practice and research, making it the most authoritative edition available.

Is It Worth It?

Yes, unequivocally. For any student or professional who conducts clinical interviews, this book is not just a purchase—it is an investment in clinical competence. The evidence-based techniques alone can improve diagnostic accuracy and client outcomes, which directly benefits your career and the people you serve. The video resource center adds a dimension that no other text matches: observing expert clinicians in action.

Compared to the cost of a single supervision session or a professional workshop, the price of this ebook is minimal. Moreover, it serves as a lifelong reference that you will return to whenever you confront complex cases, ethical dilemmas, or the need to sharpen your skills. The Sixth Edition is the most current and complete version—there is no reason to settle for an earlier edition or a lesser book.

Get Your Copy Today

You are preparing for licensure exams, starting a new practicum, or refining your clinical skills with the most trusted guide in the field. The Sixth Edition of Clinical Interviewing gives you the structured, evidence-based approach you need to conduct effective interviews and assessments with confidence. Don’t settle for incomplete or outdated resources—get the edition that thousands of programs and professionals rely on. Add to cart now and start mastering the clinical interview with a proven text from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.