Question 1

What can a psychological evaluation help clarify?

Accepted Answer

A psychological evaluation can help clarify concerns related to attention, executive functioning, learning, memory, anxiety, mood, emotional patterns, personality, and other cognitive or psychological difficulties. For a child or adolescent, this may include questions about school performance, learning differences, ADHD, or emotional functioning. For an adult or college student, it may involve longstanding difficulties with focus and organization, academic or work demands, recurring emotional or relational patterns, or uncertainty about whether symptoms reflect ADHD, anxiety, burnout, personality factors, or some combination of these.

Question 2

What is included in a psychological evaluation?

Accepted Answer

A psychological evaluation typically includes a clinical interview, review of relevant history and records, standardized testing, questionnaires, and, when helpful, input from other people who know the person well. The specific measures are selected based on the questions we are trying to understand. The goal is to bring these different sources of information together into a coherent picture of strengths, challenges, and the factors that may be shaping current difficulties.

Question 3

How do you approach psychological evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Our approach combines a strong foundation in psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessment with a collaborative and person-centered style. We use standardized testing, clinical interviews, history, and other relevant information to understand both what the findings show and how they fit with the person’s lived experience, strengths, challenges, and goals. For younger clients, this also means thoughtfully incorporating parent and, when appropriate, school perspectives.

Question 4

Can the evaluation help determine whether someone has ADHD?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ADHD evaluations look beyond a single questionnaire or test. Depending on the individual, we may consider attention and executive functioning, developmental and academic history, emotional factors, learning patterns, and information from parents, teachers, or other relevant sources. This is important because attention difficulties can overlap with anxiety, sleep problems, stress, learning differences, and other concerns.

Question 5

Do you evaluate for learning disorders, anxiety, autism, or other concerns?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Evaluations are individualized based on the referral question and may examine learning differences, ADHD and executive functioning, anxiety and mood concerns, autism-related questions, personality and emotional functioning, and broader cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Not every person needs the same battery of tests, so  the evaluation is tailored to what would be most useful to understand.

Question 6

Can I bring my own questions to the evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we encourage clients and families to bring the questions they most want to understand. A college student might wonder, “Why am I struggling so much with organization now when I did well in high school?” An adult might be trying to understand recurring emotional or relationship patterns, or why they respond to certain situations in ways that feel hard to change. A parent may be asking, “Why is my child working so hard but still falling behind?” These questions help guide the evaluation and keep it connected to what matters most.

Question 7

Can an evaluation help with school, college, or workplace accommodations?

Accepted Answer

Depending on the referral question and findings, an evaluation may provide documentation and recommendations relevant to school, college, standardized testing, or workplace accommodations. Because requirements vary by institution, it is helpful to discuss any specific documentation needs at the beginning of the evaluation.

Question 8

How long does a psychological evaluation take?

Accepted Answer

The timeline varies depending on the questions being asked and the scope of the evaluation. Most evaluations involve an initial interview, one or more testing sessions, time for scoring and interpretation, and a feedback session. we can give you a more specific estimate once we have clarified what you are hoping to understand.

Question 9

What happens after testing is completed?

Accepted Answer

After testing, we integrate the interview, test results, questionnaires, records, and any relevant collateral information into a broader understanding of the person rather than interpreting each score in isolation. We then meet for a feedback session to discuss the findings, consider what they may mean in everyday life, and talk through recommendations and next steps. You also receive a written report summarizing the evaluation.

Question 10

What is the difference between a psychological evaluation and a neuropsychological evaluation?

Accepted Answer

There can be significant overlap. Psychological evaluations may examine emotional, behavioral, cognitive, attentional, and personality functioning, while neuropsychological evaluations typically involve a more extensive assessment of cognitive domains such as memory, attention, executive functioning, language, and processing speed. The most useful approach depends on the questions being asked rather than the label alone.

Psychological Evaluation

Common Questions You May Have