Webinar Based Exam

2 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

BASE is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. BASE maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

DESCRIPTION

Psychological and neuropsychological evaluations often begin with questions of diagnostic clarification (e.g., "Does this individual have ADHD, autism, or a personality disorder?"). While diagnosis remains a central component of assessment, it seems rarely sufficient to answer the deeper clinical questions that bring individuals to evaluation, therapy, or meaningful intervention. This presentation invites participants to engage in a discussion around a broader framework for clinical conceptualization that integrates neurodevelopmental functioning, personality organization, contextual influences as well as other underlying dimensional factors to better understand how individuals develop, adapt, and experience psychological distress. 

We will discuss the usefulness and limitations of current diagnostic classification systems while exploring multidetermined models of human functioning that incorporate biological, developmental, interpersonal, and cultural influences. Contemporary dimensional and process-oriented perspectives—such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) and network approaches to psychopathology—will be discussed as complementary frameworks for understanding psychological functioning beyond traditional diagnostic categories (Borsboom, 2017; Kotov et al., 2017). The discussion will introduce transdiagnostic conceptualization as a way of identifying common mechanisms and maintenance factors that often cut across diagnostic presentations. This will include exploring the psychological capacities described in the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM-3), along with clinically relevant constructs such as executive functioning, attributional style, epistemic trust, and other transdiagnostic processes. Finally, principles of Therapeutic Assessment will be presented as a collaborative, person-centered approach that helps providers and clients move towards greater self-understanding, individualized treatment planning, and meaningful clinical change. Emerging evidence suggests this collaborative approach can enhance treatment engagement and therapeutic outcomes (Durosini & Aschieri, 2021), especially in a way that feels approachable and empowering. Throughout the presentation, emphasis will be placed on developing rich comprehensive case conceptualizations that are aimed to strengthen collaboration, improve the clinical utility of assessment, and better support the unique strengths, challenges, and developmental trajectories of each individual. 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: 

1. Differentiate diagnostic classification from broader case conceptualization and describe the strengths and limitations of categorical diagnostic systems. 

2. Discuss how neurodevelopment, personality organization, developmental experiences, and contextual factors interact to influence psychological functioning. 

3. Identify several transdiagnostic mechanisms and psychological capacities that strengthen case conceptualization and inform treatment planning across traditional diagnostic categories. 

4. Describe core principles of Therapeutic Assessment and their application to collaborative assessment and feedback. 

AUDIENCE

This presentation is intended primarily for licensed psychologists, neuropsychologists, mental health clinicians, graduate trainees, and other behavioral health providers who engage in or are interested in psychological assessment, consultation, treatment planning, or psychotherapy with teens through mid-adulthood. Content is presented at an intermediate clinical training level and assumes foundational knowledge of psychopathology and diagnostic formulation. The material will be particularly relevant to clinicians seeking to explore deepening case conceptualization and strengthening the clinical usefulness of assessment. 

RESOURCES

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 

Borsboom, D. (2017). A network theory of mental disorders. World Psychiatry, 16(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20375 

Durosini, I., & Aschieri, F. (2021). Therapeutic Assessment efficacy: A meta-analysis. Psychological Assessment, 33(10), 962–972. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001036 

Finn, S. E. (2020). In our clients' shoes: Theory and techniques of therapeutic assessment. Routledge. 

Hayes, S. C., Hofmann, S. G., & Ciarrochi, J. (Eds.). (2022). The evolution of process-based therapy: A guide to clinical practice. Context Press. 

Insel, T., Cuthbert, B., Garvey, M., Heinssen, R., Pine, D. S., Quinn, K., Sanislow, C., & Wang, P. (2010). Research domain criteria (RDoC): Toward a new classification framework for research on mental disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(7), 748–751. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.09091379 

Kotov, R., Krueger, R. F., Watson, D., Achenbach, T. M., Althoff, R. R., Bagby, R. M., Brown, T. A., Carpenter, W. T., Caspi, A., Clark, L. A., Eaton, N. R., Forbes, M. K., Forbush, K. T., Goldberg, D., Hasin, D., Hyman, S. E., Ivanova, M. Y., Lynam, D. R., Markon, K., ... Zimmerman, M. (2017). The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): A dimensional alternative to traditional nosologies. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126(4), 454–477. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000258 

Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual Task Force. (2023). Psychodynamic diagnostic manual (3rd ed.). Guilford Press. 

PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES

There is no commercial support for this CE program, instructor, content of instruction, or any other relationship that could be construed as a conflict of interest. There is no endorsement of products.

Study Guide