Hi, Rapunzel!

Thank you so very much for being brave and open enough to share this assessment with the community. During most of my life people have told me I'm "too sensitive" or that I "tell too much about myself," etc. It was a breath of fresh air to be told just the opposite by my profs and colleagues while I was pursuing my Master's program. "Sensitivity" and "openness" are HIGHLY desirable traits for a good therapist.

For those who have not seen or written an intake assessment before, it can appear harsh. It is not meant to be. It is meant to be neutral; objective observation and only one component of other diagnostic tools. Certainly many of us see ourselves more harshly than others do, so a self-assessment is a lot harder in which to stay objective.

From my past experience in writing initial assessments as class assignments and professionally when I worked for Hospice, I say "well done!" And as you do more of them, you will find your own ways of "shorthand" so to speak. And each agency is different. The Hospice I worked at had its own set of intake questions so to speak.

P.S. I think one of the most "challenging" aspects of being a therapist (or at least trained as one) is not being able to relax and "be the client." When I saw my pdoc on Monday, I "informed" him which med I wanted taken out of my "treatment plan." *chuckles*