About psychological assessment
Psychological assessment can help to answer questions that are often not included in neuropsychological testing. It is a chance to collaboratively look at what may be getting in the way or contributing to feeling stuck in your life or treatment, and come up with recommendations and strategies that can lead to meaningful change. Psychological assessment can also be useful in clarifying a mental health diagnosis to be sure ongoing treatment is effective or to help mitigate risk. It can be especially helpful in cases where the nature of one’s emotional problems is not clear.
Psychological assessment can be helpful for client and therapist alike. I offer consultation to allied mental health professionals who may have questions about a particular client.
Consultation
The first step involves a one-hour consultation to discuss whether or not testing will be helpful for you. I charge an hourly rate of $175, which will be waived if we decide to proceed with a formal psychological assessment.
Initial Interview
At our first testing session, I will ask you to share important parts of your past and how you are feeling. As part of the initial interview, we will work together, to form questions you may want to have answered through the testing. These can be questions about a particular diagnosis; “how severe is my depression” or more broadly; “I want to better understand my changes in mood.”
Questions may also be more individualized and reflect complicated aspects of your experience; “why do I struggle with intimacy” or “how has my childhood impacted me today.”
Testing
Based on your questions and what you hope to accomplish I will select the appropriate psychological tests to help us discover some of the answers. Over the course of one to two sessions, you will complete a variety of psychological tests, in my office, that assess aspects of your personality and emotional functioning that may be outside of your awareness. The tests that I use are commonly used among clinical psychologists and validated for this purpose.
Feedback
After the testing is complete, we will meet again to discuss the results together, taking into account your specific goals and the questions you would like answered. You will receive a personalized, jargon-free, letter summarizing the results of the assessment.
Time Commitment
Typically, psychological assessments require 4 - 10 hours of time in the office for interviewing, testing and discussions. Appointments may occur a couple times a week over the course of a few weeks, or just once a week over a number of weeks. After the initial session during which questions are identified, I will be able to provide an overview of what will likely occur, and the time needed.
Rates
Costs are per assessment, not the amount of time. Prices range between $500 - $3,000 depending on the scope of the work. The price will be agreed upon after our initial consultation and before testing begins.
If you are a Blue Cross/Blue Shield member I will submit insurance authorization for testing on your behalf. It will be up to you to be aware of any associated co-pays or deductibles associated with this service.
Some insurance companies will reimburse you for psychological assessment. To find out if you have this benefit, contact your insurance company directly and ask if you have “out of network” mental health benefits for psychological testing.
I am happy to work with you to find a reasonable solution to pay for any assessment. I offer a sliding scale when appropriate.
Contact
Contact me here if you are interested in learning more about psychological assessment. I am happy to talk with you about the process and if it will be helpful for you and your treatment.