Our approach to practicing psychology is transparent and collaborative in nature. Therapeutic modalities are individualized to each client and may include cognitive-behavioral therapy or brief solution-focused therapy.

 

Evaluations follow the philosophy and techniques of collaborative/therapeutic assessment. An important first step in the process is a collaborative conversation to uncover questions that you want to have answered by the assessment. A thorough developmental interview will follow. These sessions can be completed virtually or in-person.

 

Next, the client attends several in-person testing sessions which can last from two to four hours each. School observations and teacher interviews provide additional important data to integrate into a child or adolescent evaluation. Testing instruments are tailored to the age of the client and to the referral questions. Areas assessed may include intelligence, memory, attention, visual processing, visual-motor integration, auditory processing, social and emotional development, and academic achievement. Direct testing may involve computer work, paper-pencil tasks, puzzles, drawings, and questionnaires.

 

Once all of the data has been collected, we meet with the client and family to review the results. Feedback sessions are an essential part of the process, especially for the client, so that they can learn about themselves and learn how to advocate for their needs. Feedback for children is presented in a developmental friendly format. The assessor will also provide a detailed report of the findings. Multiple reports may be written and tailored to different audiences as needed (for example: client, parent, school).

 

A comprehensive psychological assessment should result in the development of a new, shared understanding of the client. Moreover, an important goal is for the assessor to help others understand how the world is experienced by that individual, that is, from the client’s point of view. This approach helps facilitate a deeper understanding of strengths and resilience, as well as empathic support for challenges.