Effective and capable clinicians need to develop strong interpersonal, intellectual and organisational abilities. This practical and accessible text explores clinical skills that are increasingly assessed in training, postgraduate examinations, continuing professional development programmes and reaccreditation appraisals. It is concerned with balancing the demands of the patient's life circumstances with lessons from empirical science and clinical experience. These skills help clinicians to put interventions together into effective treatment plans, and to develop strategies that facilitate recovery from mental illness. This book is written from a multidisciplinary perspective and it explores new ways of working. Although it is primarily addressed to psychiatrists, it is relevant to mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and clinical psychologists.