An assessment of self injurious behavior is very important. A differentiation between self harm and suicide attempts must be made when a person may be suffering from depression and/or other mood disorders. Self injury therapy begins with a professional assessment of current and historical behaviors and emotional states.

Although some forms of self injury are much more common than others, the severity and types of self-injury vary greatly. Signs may include:

Self injury may be a creative unconscious solution to challenging problems of living. Engaging in self harm as a means to cope with feelings or as a means to feel from a more deadened state is a sensitive and personal issue. Self injury therapy with Angela R. Wurtzel will provide a safe atmosphere to explore the meaning and purpose of the self harm in a person's life and psyche. Most likely, a person who self injures would like to stop but, perhaps, does not feel able and during the course of self injury therapy, this conflict will be addressed. Developing more adaptive means to deal with problems and emotional regulation is a central part of self injury therapy.