Why are psychological evaluations helpful?
Assessment goals are very specific to the individual and the concerns that are to be addressed/confronted. There is no “cookie cutter” approach to a dynamic and complete assessment. At times, the mere identification of what someone “can’t” versus “won’t” do is essential for treatment planning and can be tremendously impactful. Goals can include:
Diagnostic Clarity
Having an accurate diagnosis informs therapy and/or helps initiate targeted interventions
Many diagnoses have overlapping symptoms, so it is vital for treatment success to gauge what is causing which symptoms to work toward a successful outcome
For example, if an individual has a learning disability BUT is also highly anxious, it may be most effective to FIRST treat the undercurrent of anxiety to ensure that the learning disability strategies are onboarded with greater ease and real time application
Therapeutic Grist
At times, there comes a point in treatment where a client may begin to plateau, or the therapist may be perplexed about the next course of action that will result in the best clinical outcomes. Psychological assessments can provide medical and mental health providers, as well as educators, interesting data to build on in their work together.
What is a psychological evaluation?
A psychological assessment helps provide a better understanding of a person including their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It may focus on educational related issues, emotional functioning, or both. It is often comprised of measures and techniques that can help to address various questions regarding one’s intelligence and learning styles as well as emotional functioning and personality characteristics that are relevant to everyday life. Through the process of psychological assessment, strengths, as well as problems or weaknesses, are identified and recommendations are given to help improve functioning in school, at home, and in life.
A psychological assessment involves, but is not limited to, the administration, scoring, and interpretation of empirically supported measures of intelligence, cognitive functioning, and personality traits and styles in order to refine clinical diagnoses and structure and inform psychological interventions. Some tests assess the presence of certain conditions, such as depression, anxiety, susceptibility to stress, or learning disorders. Other tests measure general well-being and provide an overall picture of a person's personality.
A psychological assessment offers a formal way to measure the traits, feelings, beliefs, and abilities that contribute to our problems, as well as our strengths. The primary benefit of a psychological assessment is that it provides additional information and insight that is not easily obtained through a clinical interview alone or via therapy. It helps you gain a clearer understanding of problems, what is and is not working, available skills, and relevant personality characteristics. The assessment findings can be helpful to the client and family, and depending on assessment goals, to teachers, therapists, and other providers.
What are some examples of assessment goals?
Assessment goals can be general or specific. They are developed in a collaborative manner to address specific areas of concerns. Some examples include:
Gain a better understanding of client’s overall intellectual functioning as well as particular strengths and weaknesses and the impact on learning and academic achievement
Increase understanding of client’s current emotional functioning and the impact on daily functioning
Clarify the clinical diagnosis and recommendations for treatment
Identify possible contributing factors to a client’s attention difficulties and the impact on school functioning
Increase understanding of the severity of client’s depression/anxiety and identify helpful interventions
Understand possible contributing factors to client’s decline in academic achievement over the past year
Understand the contributing factors and potential interventions to a client’s difficulty in establishing social relationships
Clarify whether client’s poor planning and organizational skills are due to a deficit in executive functioning, and if so, identify effective interventions
What is the process like for obtaining a psychological evaluation?
Consultation Call with Client Care Team – 15-30 minutes: Includes a discussion regarding the assessment goal(s), potential benefits of psychological testing, tentative timeline, and cost.
Clinical interview session with the parents (and adolescent when appropriate) -1-2 hours: Includes gathering necessary background information, further clarifying the assessment goal(s), explaining the testing process, signing the contract and authorizations for collateral contacts (such as teachers and therapists)
Face-to-face testing with the adolescent - 6-8 hours (2-4 sessions): Includes administration of measures to best address the agreed upon assessment goal(s)
Chart review & collateral contact - 0-3 hours: Includes review of records and communication with the agreed upon collateral contacts via phone and/or questionnaires (relevant in most, but not all cases)
Report preparation - 6-8 hours (no client interaction): Includes scoring and interpretation of measures, analyzing results, integration of data, and drafting the report
Feedback session(s) – 1-2 hours: Includes an in-person meeting with the parents (and adolescent when appropriate) to provide feedback on the assessment findings and to discuss recommendations and next steps as well as final revisions to the written report
Provide the final report
Case is closed unless there is interest/need for follow-up consultations or other support to be provided by the psychologist (any follow-up services at this point are not included in the initial assessment fee and will be billed hourly)
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The cost of an assessment is $6,500. The first payment of $500 is due at the time of the clinical interview. Then, half of the remaining cost is paid at the initial testing appointment and the remainder of the fee is paid at the feedback session. The full process may take anywhere from 2-5 weeks depending on individual circumstances and schedule availability. In some cases, when necessary and as schedule permits, assessments may be expedited to best serve clients' needs.
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We use a strength-based approach to psychological assessment and follow a Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment model. A strength-based approach does not ignore or minimize areas of difficulty; identifying one’s strengths and abilities can be empowering to an adolescent and informative to parents as well as helpful in creating a more balanced view of self. Learning how to build upon, apply, and utilize such abilities can help one tackle difficulties and instill a sense of hope even in the midst of struggles that feel overwhelming.
A Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment model utilizes the process of psychological testing as a therapeutic intervention within itself. Our psychologist works with the adolescent and family to help them understand themselves better and find solutions to their persistent problems. This model differs from traditional psychological assessment, where the main goal is to diagnose disorders, plan treatments, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. While this is still accomplished, the primary goal is to facilitate positive change in clients. With this approach, clients are involved in all aspects of an assessment, from determining its goals, discussing the possible meanings of test results, preparing written summaries, and sharing findings. This helps ensure a meaningful and positive experience for clients.
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Dr. Melissa Procker Sorci leads our Testing Department. She is a Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years' experience in assessment and diagnostics for individuals aged 6 – 96. With demand for mental health care at an all-time high (APA, 2021) and with wait times for diagnostic intakes averaging four to six months, our department understands how challenging it can be when a loved one experiences psychological and/or educational difficulties. Consequently, our testing department prides itself on creating space for new clients as quickly as possible and accommodating crises whenever possible.
