LibGuides: MFT-6305 v1: Week 2 Resources

Week 2 Required Resources

 Assessment in Counseling: Practice and Applications
Balkin, R. S., & Juhnke, G. A. (2018). Assessment in counseling: Practice and applications. Oxford University Press.
Chapter 4: Current Standards for Validity
This chapter helps to explain formal tools like the BDI-II, and ethical use of assessments in counseling. It supports empathy and reflection, and highlights how the integration of standardized measures (scores) can become a valuable assessment tool.
Couple and Family Assessment: Contemporary Measures and Cutting-Edge Strategies
Sperry, L. (Ed.). (2024). Couple and family assessment: Contemporary measures and cutting‐edge strategies (4th ed.). Taylor & Francis Group.
Chapter 4: Standardized Assessment of Couples and Families
The chapter provides systemic context for linking individual findings to family and relational dynamics. It reinforces how systemic theory informs interpretation and risk understanding.

Code of Ethics, Sections 1, 2, and 3
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). (2015). Code of ethics, Sections 1, 2, and 3. [Website].
https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/Legal_Ethics/code_of_ethics.aspx
Ethical principles guide every stage of the assessment process. Standards 1–3 of the AAMFT Code of Ethics serve as the foundation for professional integrity and accountability in marriage and family therapy. This is a crucial component of ongoing therapeutic work. It serves as a reference for mandated reporting, client protection, and cultural responsibility in assessment and safety planning.

Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II)
Beck, A. T. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). [PDF]. Harcourt Brace & Company. The Psychological Corporation.
The BDI-II helps students understand how depressive symptoms are measured and categorized in clinical practice. This tool supports the development of clinical judgment by showing how symptom severity informs assessment, documentation, and early treatment planning.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
Spitzer, R. L, Williams, J. B. W., Kronenke, K et al. (n.d.) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). [PDF]. Pfizer.
The PHQ-9 is one of the most widely used brief depression screeners and models how primary symptoms are captured during intake. Learning this tool helps students recognize depressive patterns quickly and apply results within a systemic and relational context.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K, Williams JBW, Lowe B. (n.d.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder. Arch Inern Med. 2006;166:1092-1097. [PDF].
The GAD-7 introduces students to a reliable measure of anxiety symptoms that is frequently used in mental health settings. Reviewing this tool helps learners connect anxiety scores to client functioning, cultural factors, and treatment planning decisions.