The purpose of a psychological evaluation (also known as psychological assessment or psychological testing) is to assess for or clarify any mental health conditions. It is often recommended for those experiencing significant difficulties that impact their ability to function at work, school, home, relationships, or other areas of their lives. A clinical diagnosis can provide insight and clarity about an individual’s experienced challenges that have been hindering them from achieving their full potential. A clinical diagnosis can open doors to receiving appropriate treatment, interventions, support, and accommodations and make changes in their lives.
Specialize in assessments regarding:
- Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Specific Learning Disorders (not covered by insurance)
- Academic Potential / I.Q. (not covered by insurance)
- Giftedness (not covered by insurance)
- Anxiety and Mood Disorders
- Trauma-related Disorders
- School Accommodations (not covered by insurance)
- Work Accommodations (not covered by insurance)
- If you are eligible and work with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), I am contracted with them. If an assessment is needed, you can request that I provide this service.
I do not provide evaluation services for:
- Crisis situations
- Eating disorders
- Legal, immigration, or forensic evaluations
- Neurocognitive disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s, dementia, etc.)
- Personality disorders
- Psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia)
Evaluation Process
Depending on the nature of your assessment, the duration, test selection, and assessment process can vary. To understand the individual’s strengths and vulnerabilities, the psychological assessment involves gathering information and data from administered standardized assessments and rating scales (completed by self/parent/teacher/informant), clinical interviews, collateral interviews, observations, and a review of records (medical, psychological, educational, etc.). The following is the general process of a psychological evaluation after all intake paperwork has been completed:
Step 1: Virtual Intake Session (1 hour)
Sometimes people have diagnostic questions (e.g., “Do I have autism?” Or “How severe is my anxiety?”) or very personalized questions about the challenges they experienced in their life (e.g., “Why is it so hard for me to make friends?” or “Why can’t I remember things?”). Based on your questions, psychological tests are selected to assist with possibly providing you with the answers.
Step 2: Testing Session (at least one 4-hour session)
Depending on the nature of the assessment and the stamina of the individual, this can occur at the office or remotely, and can range from 4 to 8 hours (across 1 to 3 days). Tests will be administered on a computer, iPad, or paper and pencil. The following areas are typically assessed:
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Cognitive Ability
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Adaptive Functioning
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Emotional Functioning
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Social Functioning
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Behavior Functioning
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Executive Functioning
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Personality
Step 3: Collateral Information (if applicable)
As part of the evaluation process, collateral information may be obtained from individuals who know the client well, such as parents/caregivers, therapists, PCPs, teachers, or partners, if the individual identifies or chooses to involve others. This information is typically gathered through standardized questionnaires that ask about observed behaviors, emotional functioning, attention, social interaction, and daily functioning across different settings. When additional clarification is helpful, brief virtual interviews may also be conducted with selected informants. Collecting information from multiple perspectives helps provide a more complete picture of how concerns present in everyday environments, allows patterns to be compared across settings, and strengthens the accuracy of diagnostic impressions and recommendations.
Step 4: Virtual Follow-Up Session (2 to 3-hour session)
After the testing session and completion of rating scales by the client and other informants, a virtual follow-up session is scheduled to gather clarifying information. During this meeting, information obtained from the intake, testing, and rating measures is reviewed and explored in greater depth through a differential interview. This structured clinical discussion examines patterns in attention, mood, behavior, social functioning, and developmental history to help distinguish between conditions that may present with similar symptoms. The goal is to clarify how different symptoms developed and interact over time so the evaluation reflects the most accurate understanding of the individual’s experiences and needs.
Step 5: Report Writing and Results Review Session
Once all evaluation data have been received, including completed rating scales from identified raters and collateral sources, the information is integrated with the individual’s history, interview data, testing results, and clinical observations to address the referral questions. After this integration process is completed, a one-hour virtual results review session is scheduled to review the evaluation findings, diagnostic conclusions, recommendations, and next steps. This meeting typically occurs approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the final testing session and once all materials have been submitted. The timeframe allows for the receipt of outstanding rating forms, the collection of additional clarifying information when needed, the review of relevant records (such as medical or educational records), and the careful integration of all data. The final report is comprehensive and requires a detailed review and synthesis of multiple sources of information to ensure that conclusions and recommendations are accurate and well supported. The completed report will be made available for review several days prior to the scheduled results review session, allowing time to read through the findings and prepare any questions for discussion.