Psychological Assessment

A Psychological Assessment is a comprehensive evaluation used to understand a person's cognitive, emotional, and/or behavioural functioning, and apply that understanding to the difficulties that individual is struggling with in their day-to-day life, whether that be school or work or in their relationships.  It involves a variety of tools like interviews, standardized tests and questionnaires, as well as a review of the individual's history, to gain a clear picture of what is going on.  The tools used depend on the referral question (e.g., ADHD, autism, learning difficulties, career direction, etc.).  The cost of an assessment is dependent on the number of tools needed and complexity of the individual's case and is determined on a case-by-case basis.  

After conducting an intake interview (can occur via phone, video, or in person) and determining an individual's assessment needs, 1-2 appointments will be scheduled to complete standardized testing/questionnaires.  The client will provide records of the history of the problem (e.g., school report cards, reports from doctors, etc.) and/or sign consent forms for the assessor to be able to request the information from the source directly.  An interview with a person who knows the individual well and can answer questions about their day-to-day struggles is often required to provide further insight. 

Once all the data is collected and interviews completed, the assessor will write a report capturing the provided history, interview information, and results from the data, and provide a clinical formulation.  It is important to note that to receive a diagnosis of any sort, a person must meet specific criteria.  If the history and data do not support a diagnosis, a Psychological Assessment is still very useful in deepening a client's understanding of themselves, including their strengths and weaknesses, and providing a path to address their difficulties.  Practical, meaningful recommendations which address the presenting concerns of the client conclude the assessment report, whether or not a diagnosis is provided.  A final appointment is conducted during which the assessor provides feedback about the assessment and their findings, and the client can ask any questions they may have.  The assessment report is provided after the feedback appointment, typically within two weeks.