Don't Stress when it comes to DSM Diagnosis!

Providing a DSM diagnosis can seem complex, can be frustrating, or even seem "just not right." As clinicians, we want to provide the best possible care for our clients and often a diagnosis is necessary.

Just remember:

• "diagnostic categories are just a convenient format for organizing observations that help professionals communicate, study and plan. If we reify a category (such as depression), we literally make it a 'thing', thus assuming that 'it' has meaning that, in reality, does not exist."(Barlow and Durand 2009)
• This is a young science and the science is changing rapidly. If your client fits two or more categories, that's OK. Don't expend too much energy trying to get a unique client to fit into a category.
• And most importantly, there is strong evidence, that despite your theoretical approach and system of organization, the service that you provide as a clinician is of psychological benefit and the therapeutic alliance contributes to positive outcomes. (See Empathy next)

Resources

The Importance of Empathy in the Therapeutic Alliance
Journal article by Candi P. Feller, R. Rocco Cottone; Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, Vol. 42, 2003

Therapeutic alliance perceptions and medication adherence in patients with bipolar disorder.

Therapeutic Alliance and Psychiatric Severity as Predictors of Completion of Treatment for Opioid Dependence Nancy M. Petry, Ph.D. and Warren K. Bickel, Ph.D.

Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach (with Abnormal Psych Live CD-ROM), 5th Edition Barlow/DurandISBN-10: 0-495-09556-7ISBN-13: 978-0-495-09556-9