This study explored the reasoning process of interpreters during the process of early recollection (ER) interpretation, and in the identification of central life style theme using Mosak's typology system (1971). ERs from ten subjects were collected using a guestionnaire format and distributed to six interpreters. Three interpreters were experienced in ER interpretation and three received two hours of training in ER interpretation prior to the study. All interpreters were requested to record their impressions and thoughts during the interpretive process on audio tape for later analysis, and to assign a primary and secondary life style theme to each subject using Mosak's typologies. The results of this study provided information about the cues found in ERs that seem to guide interpreters, the effect of interpreter style on the final outcome, and the reliability of inter-judge agreement on life style theme from ER interpretation. The results showed that training in ER interpretation immediately provided the trainees with an ability to identify the perceptual schema of the subjects but it did not give them the same skill possessed by the experienced clinicians in metaphor analysis or an understanding of Mosak's typology system. Similarities and differences between the experienced clinicians and the trainees were analyzed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate