Psychological testing typically requires a thorough clinical interview asking you about your psychiatric history, current symptoms, areas of your life in which you are chronically struggling, etc. The evaluation process also includes a review of relevant records (i.e., mental health history, medical records), collateral interviews, the administration of standardized tests, test scoring and interpretation, and a written comprehensive report integrating all the obtained information. The final part of the process includes an explanation of your diagnosis with personalized treatment recommendations and answers to any questions you may have.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why is psychological testing useful?
Psychological testing can assist in identifying mental health conditions that may be impacting your daily cognitive or emotional functioning and help provide a comprehensive understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. For example, you may be wondering why you are struggling with anxiety, depression or fluctuations in mood, or maybe having problems with attention, concentration, or memory. Psychological testing can provide clarity in differentiating between diagnoses (i.e., depression versus bipolar disorder) and provide guidance for treatment options. The results of the evaluation may also be used for informing healthcare agencies, mental health professionals such as therapists or psychiatrists, or legal professionals in civil or criminal proceedings.
What is the difference between psychological evaluation and forensic evaluation?
A forensic psychologist is required to view the client from a different perspective than a traditional clinical psychologist, whose tests and interview procedures are not sufficient for legal purposes. A clinical evaluation assesses the emotional, behavioral, and psychological functioning of an individual to determine whether there is presence of any mental disorder for the purpose of providing diagnostic clarification or treatment recommendations. Conversely, forensic evaluations are designed to assess the presence or absence of mental disorder as a way to answer a variety of psycholegal questions such as competency-related abilities, criminal culpability, violence risk, fitness for duty, or other highly complex matters.
Do we have to meet in person for evaluations?
Depending on your preference, we offer both in-person and virtual meetings through our safe, secure and user-friendly HIPPA-compliant platform. However, there may be aspects of the assessment process that might necessitate an in-person meeting. We will be happy to discuss the requirements of any evaluation in more detail if you decide to use our services.
How much do your services cost?
Please refer to our Fees page for a full breakdown of the cost for each of our offered services.
Which payment methods are accepted?
We accept checks, cash, and all major credit cards.
Do you accept Insurance?
We do not take insurance because we believe clinical psychological assessment should be a confidential and private process. Insurance providers require that you be diagnosed with a mental disorder, and the presence of that diagnosis in your personal health file may possibly become a problem for you in the future; detailed clinical information is often requested and your right to confidentiality is generally waived.
We believe that any decisions you make about your mental health and any assessment of the challenges you may be facing are best managed in a private manner. If you decide you would like to try to use your insurance, and your insurance plan takes out-of-network providers for psychological testing, we will provide you with a billing invoice and receipt that you may submit for reimbursement. Psychological testing services may be covered in full or in part by your mental health insurance or employee benefit plan.