The first part of Situational Analysis — a structured gathering of information about a concrete situation: what happened, what was thought, what was done, what was received, what was wanted.
Step-by-step guide
- Ask for a description: "Tell me about a concrete situation this week. What happened?"
- Record the interpretations: "What did you think?" (2-3 thoughts, in the client's own words)
- Record the behavior: "What did you do? How did you act?" (concrete, observable)
- Define the actual outcome (AO): "How did it all end?"
- Define the desired outcome (DO): "What did you want? What outcome would have been good?"
- Compare: "Did AO and DO match?"
When to use
- Every session — at least one SA
- The central procedure of CBASP
Key phrases
Let's look at one specific situation from this week — one, not many. Walk me through it: what happened, what went through your mind, what you did, how it ended, and what you had wanted instead. We'll take it step by step.
Follow-up questions
Stay with one situation — not "always", not "usually".
What exactly went through your mind, in those words?
What did you actually do — not what you wished you had done?
How did it end? And what had you hoped for?
Alternative phrasings
If the situation is too broad, we narrow it to a single scene.
You can speak in the present tense, as if it were happening — that often helps.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Hold the focus on ONE concrete situation. Do not let the client generalize: "always like this", "everything is bad".
- ⚠️ Concreteness is the key.
Source: McCullough, 2000; McCullough, 2006
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.