What technique could Dr. Johnson use to assess Alaina's narrative abilities during the Psychoeducation phase?

Using a baseline/neutral narrative task during the Psychoeducation phase is a strategic choice for assessing Alaina's narrative abilities. This type of task allows Dr. Johnson to evaluate how Alaina articulates her experiences or generates narratives without the influence of trauma-related content. By providing a neutral context, the focus remains on her general narrative skills, such as coherence, organization, and the ability to express thoughts and feelings.

This assessment is particularly important in TF-CBT, as it lays the groundwork for understanding her baseline abilities in storytelling, which can then be compared to her narratives when discussing trauma. These comparisons can help identify improvements or difficulties in processing traumatic memories as therapy progresses.

In contrast, a visual storytelling task might introduce elements that could distract from assessing her verbal narrative abilities, while role-play scenarios may skew the assessment towards social interaction skills rather than narrative formation. A detailed symptom checklist focuses on identifying specific symptoms rather than understanding narrative abilities, which is more relevant to intervention than assessment in this phase.