What is Involved in a Psychological Evaluation?
Psychological evaluation is the process by which a mental health professional assesses an individual’s psychological functioning. An evaluation can help your therapist determine if anything is occurring in your psychological life that is preventing you from thinking or behaving in constructive, healthy ways. Stonebriar Counseling Associates provides a full range of psychological evaluation services.
An evaluation often begins with an informal conversation between you and your therapist. Sometimes, a diagnosis can be reached simply by describing the problems you are facing in your life, and how these problems affect your functioning. Through an unstructured interview, the therapist can observe your psychological functioning and make an informed decision about what, if any, diagnosis may be right for you.
In some cases, a formal evaluation will be conducted. These evaluations can take many forms, including structured interviews and written tests. Structured interviews include a list of questions which your therapist will ask you, and will then record your responses. Other tests are given in pencil-and-paper form. Structured, formal evaluations may assess individuals for particular disorders, or be more general, assessing the individual for many different disorders. Your therapist will determine which, if any, structured evaluations would be most helpful for you to complete.
A psychological evaluation is only one step in receiving a diagnosis and finding treatment. It is often recommended that you visit a general practitioner for a physical evaluation, to rule out health problems that could be causing or contributing to any mental health disorders. Once both a physical and psychological evaluation have been conducted and a diagnosis has been given, your therapist will work with you to develop a treatment plan.
Please feel free to contact us and we’ll be sure and answer all of your questions and concerns.