The second step in the inverted pyramid method (IPM) is?

• A. Data Collection
• B. Case Formulation
• C. Treatment Planning
• D. Thematic Groupings

Answer: (D)

Organizing collected information into themes is the second step in the inverted pyramid method. After gathering data from interviews, records, and observations, you don’t jump straight to a diagnosis or plan. Instead, you look across what you’ve collected and identify recurring ideas, patterns, and connections—grouping related symptoms, contexts, triggers, and strengths into thematic categories. This thematic ordering helps you see how different data pieces fit together and points to the client’s functioning and concerns. Those themes then feed into a coherent case formulation, which you use to guide the subsequent treatment planning. Data collection comes first, and treatment planning comes after the case formulation, which is why thematic groupings are the correct second step.