Clinician's Thesaurus
Ninth Edition
The Guide to Conducting Interviews and Writing Psychological Reports
Edward L. Zuckerman and Bradley W. Estes
Digital professor copy available on VitalSource once published ?New to This Edition
- Updated for DSM-5-TR and ICD-10-CM code changes for 2025.
- Updated and new listings of assessment and screening tools.
- Revised descriptors and terms pertaining to internet use, gender and sexuality, relationships, race and ethnicity, and more.
- Updated treatment planning tips, web links, and psychiatric drug information.
“The Clinician’s Thesaurus is like having a trusted colleague nearby to consult with. It helps you develop more nuanced, clinically relevant descriptions when writing a report, treatment plan, or case conceptualization. The Thesaurus has been beside me since graduate school, and continues to be a clinical companion that I enthusiastically recommend to colleagues and supervisees.”
—Joseph G. Potaczek, PsyD, private practice, Chicago
“Psychological interviews and psychological reports are among the most important aspects of working with patients—and have the least amount of published guidance. The Clinician's Thesaurus text fills a gap in the literature by providing a wealth of information, strategies, and practical suggestions. In its ninth edition, this book remains by far the most thorough, comprehensive, and helpful guide that I have seen for both psychological interviewing and report writing.”
—Andrew S. Davis, PhD, School of Education, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
“The ninth edition of this comprehensive resource is useful for clinicians at all stages, from trainees writing their first reports to seasoned professionals. It offers practical content including relevant questions across a range of clinical presentations; rich descriptive terms for behavioral, cognitive, and emotional phenomena; and guidance for describing the person and their behavior in everyday contexts. The authors describe key aspects of clinical reports and other types of documentation and discuss ethical considerations in interviewing and report writing. The ninth edition provides fully updated online resources and guides, along with current and inclusive language. This is an invaluable resource and text for mental health training programs, as well as for teaching and supervising integrated clinical assessments.”
—Jill D. Stinson, PhD, Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University
Table of Contents
Getting Oriented to the Clinician’s ThesaurusA Functional Guide to Report Construction
I. Conducting a Mental Health Evaluation
1. Beginning and Ending the Interview
2. Mental Status Evaluation Questions/Tasks
3. Questions about Signs, Symptoms, and Other Behavior Patterns
II. Standard Terms and Statements for Wording Psychological Reports
A. Introducing the Report
4. Beginning the Report: Preliminary Information
5. Referral Reasons
6. Background Information and History
B. The Person in the Evaluation
7. Behavioral Observations
8. Responses to Aspects of the Examination
9. Presentation of Self
10. Emotional/Affective Symptoms and Disorders
11. Cognition and Mental Status
12. Abnormal Signs, Symptoms, and Syndromes
13. Personality Patterns
C. The Person in the Environment
14. Activities of Daily Living
15. Social/Community Functioning
16. Couple and Family Relationships
17. Vocational/Academic Skills
18. Recreational Functioning
19. Other Specialized Evaluations
D. Completing the Report
20. Summary of Findings and Conclusions
21. Diagnostic Statement/Impression
22. Recommendations
23. Prognostic Statements
24. Closing Statements
III. Useful Resources
25. Treatment Planning and Treatment Plan Formats
26. Formats for Reports, Evaluations, and Summaries
27. Treatments for Specific Disorders and Concerns
28. Listing of Common Psychiatric and Psychoactive Drugs
29. Psychiatric Masquerade of Medical Conditions
Appendices
A. Abbreviations in Common Use
B. Annotated Readings in Assessment, Interviewing, and Report Writing
Feedback Solicitation Form
References
About the Authors
Edward L. Zuckerman, PhD, consults and creates effective practice tools for clinicians. He found his life’s passion while working as a psychiatric aide at New York’s Bellevue Hospital in the 1960s. Dr. Zuckerman has worked with adults in a variety of clinical contexts, acted as liaison with state hospitals, taught undergraduates and professional clinicians, and maintained an independent practice in general clinical psychology for many years. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Bradley W. Estes, PsyD, is a clinical neuropsychologist with a passion for serving others through diagnostics, psychotherapy, and professional consultation. Dr. Estes has worked with children and adults of all ages in a variety of settings, including psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and schools. He lives in Indiana, where he has an independent practice focused on clinical and forensic neuropsychological and psychological assessment. Dr. Estes is also a faculty advisor for the Brain Health Initiative.
Audience
Clinicians, graduate students, interns, and residents in all mental health disciplines, including clinical psychology, psychiatry, social work, counseling, and psychiatric nursing.Course Use
Serves as a text in graduate-level courses such as Clinical Assessment, Diagnostic Interviewing, and Professional Practice.Previous editions published by Guilford:
Eighth Edition, © 2019
ISBN: 9781462538805
Seventh Edition, © 2010
ISBN: 9781606238745
Sixth Edition, © 2005
ISBN: 9781572304376
Fifth Edition, © 2000
ISBN: 9781572305694
Fourth Edition, © 1995
ISBN: 9780898628425
New to this edition:
- Updated for DSM-5-TR and ICD-10-CM code changes for 2025.
- Updated and new listings of assessment and screening tools.
- Revised descriptors and terms pertaining to internet use, gender and sexuality, relationships, race and ethnicity, and more.
- Updated treatment planning tips, web links, and psychiatric drug information.