I provide psychological assessments for children and adults in my private practice in Berkeley, CA. I am an out-of-network provider which means I am not a member of insurance panels. I can provide you with a bill to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. You will want to consult with them to understand your coverage benefits and the amount your insurance will cover for out-of-network providers.

What is Psychological Assessment?

Psychological assessment (sometimes referred to as testing) can serve a number of purposes including clarifying diagnosis, guiding treatment such as psychotherapy, or securing educational accommodations. The results obtained in testing can provide a clearer picture of a person’s strengths and needs and inform specific recommendations. You can find more information about assessment here.

Areas of Expertise

I provide psychological testing services for children and adults. I offer assessments for the following concerns:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Specific Learning Disorders including: reading (dyslexia), math (dyscalcula), and written expression
• Mood and anxiety disorders including: Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic Disorder.
• Social-emotional functioning and personality development

Approach to Assessment

I adopt a collaborative approach to assessment. This begins with meeting with the the client to identify their questions for the assessment. Identifying these questions will guide the selection of tests and measures that can help to answer them. At the end of the testing process, the caregiver(s) and the child / adolescent, will receive feedback explaining the results of assessment, answers to the initial questions, and specific recommendations for next steps.

Assessment Tools

Once I consult with a client, I then draft a plan for the assessment, which includes the referral questions and the tests I recommend to answer them. An assessment may include one or more of the following:

• Clinical interview of the client: interviews help to gather information about the client’s history and how they are doing now.
• Self-report measures: These questionnaires gather information about specific behaviors symptoms and supplement clinical interviews with quantitative data.
• Cognitive testing: Standardized tests, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC-V), provide data to better understand a person’s intellectual functioning, cognitive strengths, and possible impairments.
• Neuropsychological testing: These include tests of executive functioning including attention, flexible thinking, planning / organization, fluency with words and shapes, switching, and inhibiting impulsive behaviors.
• Social-Emotional testing: I use self-report (MMPI-II, MACI, etc.) and projective measures (Rorschach, Children’s Apperception Test, e.g.) to better understand a person’s experience of themselves, their relationships, and the world around them.

Types of Assessments

Many plans for assessment have features in common. For example, most assessment plans will include cognitive testing and an assessment for ADHD will almost always include some form of neuropsychological testing. However, each assessment plan is somewhat different and depends on the appropriateness of a test for a particular individual, the goal of the assessment, and whether results are conclusive or inconclusive. It is important to discuss the plan (and cost) for an assessment before beginning testing.

I begin the assessment process with an in-depth consultation that includes: comprehensive clinical interview, completion of self-report / screening measures, and review of records (if requested). I will review results of self-report measures before our interview to help streamline the process. At the end of the consultation, I can recommend a plan for testing and an estimated cost. From there, we will schedule sessions to complete testing and discuss a timeline for the final report.

I provide written and verbal feedback for each assessment and can tailor feedback to multiple parties (parents, school, child, e.g.) at your request.