The Handbook of Counselling Psychology
Fourth Edition
Questions to Discuss with Clients
- Name and dose of any drugs being taken.
- How long have these drugs been taken?
- How are the drugs being taken? Regularly or intermittently?
- Has the client taken any drugs in the past?
- What problems was the client having when the drugs were first prescribed?
- Did the drugs help then? If so, how?
- What did the doctor say about how the drugs should be used and for how long?
- What does the client think the drugs do or are for?
- Are the drugs still helping? If so, how?
- Does the client still have the problem that the drugs were prescribed for, or do they have different problems?
- Has the client sought any other help where drugs might have been prescribed?
- Has the client ever reduced or stopped taking their drugs? What happened?
- What effects does the client notice the drugs have? Physical? Psychological?
- Do the drugs affect the client’s thinking, concentration or memory?
- Do the drugs affect the client’s ability to feel emotions or express them?
- Do the drugs affect the client’s behaviour or relationships with others?
- What are the advantages of taking the drugs?
- What are the disadvantages of taking the drugs?
- Has the client informed the prescriber that they are seeking therapy? What did he/she say?
- Has the client discussed their drug use with the prescriber recently? What did he/she say?