Psychological Assessment

Psychological assessment is a process, which helps an individual to gain a clearer understanding of their emotional and intellectual strengths, weakness and barriers to health. It also helps to identify solutions to problems they may be experiencing. The process starts with clarifying the questions the person has about her- or himself. For example, someone may ask what type of career am I best suited to? Another person may ask, do I have depression and what kind of treatment would be helpful?

In the case of assessment of a child, important adults in their life usually have questions about puzzling and/or troubling behavior, such as why is my child failing at school? Children often have questions of their own such as why do I get angry when I’m at school? Or why am I sad all the time? Sometimes teachers and clinicians have questions too such as does this child have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a mood disorder? Physicians, lawyers, therapists, and other professionals also refer individuals for psychological assessment.

What to expect:
After an initial interview, information is gathered through objective and projective tests, as well as talking with the individual and other important people in their life. This broad range of information is integrated into a detailed description of the person and how she or he engages with the world. Testing can take several hours (usually 4-6 hours) depending on the number of tests given and is typically completed in 2-3 sessions. A follow-up appointment is scheduled, during which the results are discussed. Recommendations are made that are tailored to the individual's specific needs. The whole process generally takes 6-8 weeks.