Assessment through the dialectic: the necessary forgotten link.

Traditional assessment procedures focus on diagnosing psychopathology, thereby implicitly endorsing the medical model. It is equally vital to assess the nonpathological side of the person, the part that strives for increased personal satisfaction and impels the individual to seek psychotherapy. A dialectically based assessment would evaluate both the healthy and unhealthy forces in the person. Such an evaluation would address the nature and extent of participants' experienced pain, the degree to which participants are open to external assistance, and the style of assistance best suited for each individual.