Formulation remains one of the most important activities that those using psychological approaches undertake as part of their work. Arguably, however, formulation is an activity that remains poorly understood. This book sets out to explore the challenging complexity of psychological formulation.

Prologue -- Introduction -- Unique -- Formulation: An Introduction to Key Debates and a Framework for Developing a Systematic Approach -- Case formulation and its role in professional practice -- A framework for formulation: purpose, perspective, and process -- Working with Purpose, Perspective, and Process: Elaborating the Framework to Enhance Your Approach -- Defining the purpose of the enquiry -- Identifying the perspective that informs the journey -- Devising a process that is fit for purpose -- The Many Facets of Formulation: An Interdisciplinary Perspective -- Introducing our guest contributors -- Case formulation: the dilemmas posed by child sex offenders -- Every child does matter: preventing school exclusion through the Common Assessment Framework -- The role of formulation in cognitive-behaviour therapy: a concept hidden in plain view? -- Existential formulations of therapeutic practice -- What story are you in? Four elements of a narrative approach to formulation in coaching -- Fabricating fictions, telling tales -- Acting as narrative -- Understanding character: an actor’s approach to formulation -- Implications for the Future -- Creating stories for complex times -- Conclusion -- Epilogue