Getting clients to hear: applying principles and techniques of Kiesler's Interpersonal Communication Therapy to...

Limited attention has been paid to the process of providing assessment feedback and few concrete recommendations exist for the practicing clinician. The author proposes that principles and techniques of Kiesler's (1979, 1982, 1988, 1996) Interpersonal Communication Therapy (ICT) can be applied to guide the provision of assessment feedback. Using such an approach has the potential to increase the likelihood that information is heard, accepted, integrated, and acted upon. A review of current research on the provision of assessment results is supplied along with a description of basic ICT principles and techniques. Practical suggestions for applying elements of ICT in this context are given along with a discussion of the rationale for integrating such a model into the assessment process.