Psychological Assessment

Diagnostic clarity for adults with complex presentations—particularly those struggling with personality functioning, relationship patterns, emotional intensity, and persistent challenges that haven't responded well to standard treatment.

Who This Is For

I designed these assessments for adults who:

  • Feel like they never quite perform to the level they should or could—whether at work, in relationships, with hobbies, or in daily life

  • Can't maintain consistent performance and find themselves really impacted when things change in their environment or context

  • Have had mental health symptoms for years with only partial improvement from therapy or medication

  • Feel like treatment helps somewhat but never quite resolves things

  • Experience recurring patterns—relationship difficulties, emotional intensity, identity struggles—that keep coming back even after treatment

  • Have symptoms that feel confusing or like they overlap

  • Have tried multiple therapists or medications with limited lasting success

  • Need diagnostic clarity before starting (or restarting) treatment

  • Want to understand how personality patterns might be affecting things

  • Have been told "it's just anxiety" or "it's just depression" but suspect there's more going on

  • Struggle with unstable sense of self, intense emotions, or relationship difficulties that span years

  • Want to give their current or future providers better information to work with

A pink wall with a rectangular patch of a different color and some faint writing on it.

What Assessment Can Clarify

My evaluations help identify whether your distress is coming from:

  • Anxiety disorders

  • Mood disorders (including bipolar spectrum)

  • Trauma responses (PTSD, complex trauma)

  • Neurodevelopmental patterns (like ADHD traits)

  • Personality functioning challenges: difficulties with sense of self, emotional regulation, pursuing goals, understanding others' perspectives, and maintaining stable relationships

  • Emotional dysregulation

  • Cognitive strengths and challenges

Often it's a combination of several things. Assessment helps clarify how these factors work together and which ones need attention first.

Assessment Approach

I offer comprehensive psychological evaluations tailored to your specific needs. The scope and depth of testing varies depending on your presentation and what questions we're trying to answer.

All assessments include:

  • Thorough diagnostic interviewing

  • Standardized psychological testing measures

  • Cognitive assessment when appropriate

  • Personality evaluation using validated measures like the PID-5 and MMPI-3 as well as structured clinical interviews (SCID-5-AMPD, SCID-5-PD)

  • Professional scoring and interpretation

  • A detailed written diagnostic report

  • A comprehensive feedback session

For More Complex Presentations, I May Include

  • Additional personality measures assessing how you experience yourself and relate to others

  • Projective testing

  • More extensive clinical interviewing

  • Deeper analysis of personality structure and functioning using the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (DSM-5 Section III), which examines identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy

The Assessment Process - What's Included

  • Clinical interviews to understand your history and current symptoms

  • Validated psychological tests to assess mood, anxiety, trauma, personality functioning, and cognition

  • Comprehensive scoring and interpretation

  • A written diagnostic report that explains how everything fits together

  • Treatment recommendations specific to your presentation

  • A feedback session to review results and discuss next steps

What You'll Receive - Written Diagnostic Report

  • Clinical formulation explaining how your symptoms relate to each other

  • Clear diagnostic information with DSM-5 codes

  • For personality-related concerns: detailed analysis of your functioning in four key areas—identity and self-direction (how you experience yourself), empathy and intimacy (how you relate to others)—with specific patterns identified

  • Explanation of what might be maintaining your distress

  • Analysis of why previous interventions may not have been the right match

Treatment Recommendations

  • Specific types of interventions likely to help (DBT, mentalization-based therapy, trauma-focused, exposure-based, etc.)

  • Approaches that match your presentation

  • Skills or strategies to prioritize

  • Whether medication consultation might be useful

  • Referrals to specialized providers when appropriate

Feedback Session

  • Time to go over everything and ask questions

  • I'll send you the report beforehand so you can prepare

  • We'll talk through next steps and treatment options together

  • Discussion of how your results inform what approaches might work best

  • Opportunity to clarify anything in the report or discuss concerns

The feedback session is collaborative—it's your time to make sure you understand the findings and know how to use them.

You Can Take These Results to Any Provider

The assessment is yours. Many clients use it to find the right provider, improve current treatment, or make informed decisions about next steps.

Additionally, for select clients whose assessment reveals they would benefit from treatments I offer, I provide specialized therapy including:

  • Mentalization-based approaches for personality functioning difficulties

  • DBT-informed treatment for emotion dysregulation

  • Exposure-based CBT for anxiety disorders

  • Evidence-based trauma treatment (CPT, STAIR, PE, WET)

  • What I Don’t Provide

I want to be clear about my scope of practice:

I don't provide:

  • Full neuropsychological batteries

  • Comprehensive ADHD evaluations requiring extensive cognitive testing and collateral interviews

  • Autism spectrum evaluations

  • Specific learning disability (SLD) evaluations

  • Dementia or neurodegenerative assessments

  • Forensic or legal evaluations

  • Crisis or emergency services

If you need something outside my scope, I'm happy to explain why and help you find the right specialist.

Timeline

Here's what to expect:

  • Free consultation (15-20 minutes) to see if assessment makes sense

  • Testing sessions: Multiple appointments over several weeks

  • Report writing: Time for me to score everything, interpret results, and write your comprehensive report

  • Feedback session: Time to discuss findings and next steps thoroughly

We'll discuss specific timelines during your consultation based on your needs.

After Your Assessment

I provide comprehensive treatment recommendations based on your results, including:

  • Specific modalities that match your diagnosis (such as mentalization-based therapy for personality functioning concerns, DBT for emotion dysregulation, trauma-focused treatment, or exposure-based interventions)

  • Specialists or programs to consider

  • Whether medication evaluation might help

  • Specific providers when I know someone who's a good fit

You can use your assessment results with any provider. Some clients use the results to find specialized care elsewhere. Some continue with me for therapy when their presentation matches my areas of clinical expertise.

The goal is to help you make informed decisions about your care.

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule a free consultation to talk through whether assessment makes sense for your situation. We can discuss what you're hoping to understand better and determine the right approach.

Schedule a Consultation