Originally Posted By Princess Poison
I don't ask for specific diagnoses as the same mental illness can present very differently and create different problems in different people. I ask about "triggers, phobias, or emotional concerns"


Yes, you're right: not everyone's illness manifests the same, in terms of symptoms or intensity of those symptoms. It still gives us an idea of what they may be dealing with.

I prefer to ask about diagnoses probably because I've been trained to be a psychotherapist and it quickly identifies the kind of a challenge the client may be dealing with, and then I can go top-down from there.

If asking specifics first works more for you, then cool.