Much preparation is needed for an effective clinical interview. This chapter focuses on using general knowledge of human development within a cultural context and specific information gathered from a referral source to design an assessment environment that is conducive to the youth’s and their family’s needs and desires. Here, engagement is key, as the youth’s and their family’s active involvement determines not only the assessment quality but also the eventual implementation of recommendations gleaned from the interview and selected procedures. Foundations of cultural responsivity, trauma-informed, and healing-centered systems, and liberatory settings undergird our recommendations for preparation of the assessment context. Moreover, principles of therapeutic assessment are considered to develop a collaborative atmosphere that is responsive to the youth and their family. Diverse communication approaches are a hallmark of this chapter, with a focus on preparing for verbal and nonverbal expressive and receptive communication. Strategies for working with language interpreters feature in this chapter, along with techniques for observing and interpreting nonverbal behaviors. Continuing with cases introduced in the previous chapter, we illustrate how these practices, strategies, and techniques are adaptable across diverse clients, assessment questions, and interviewing contexts.