What to Expect from a Psychological Evaluations: A Brief Overview

Maybe you’ve just started therapy, and your counselor has talked to you about scheduling a psychological evaluation. You might be undergoing this evaluation with a private therapy practice, at a hospital, or in a school setting, depending on where you’ve sought mental health treatment. You might be looking forward to gaining new insights about your specific condition and possible treatments. Yet you’re also nervous about what the evaluation might entail.

Mental health professionals administer psychological evaluations to assess clients for all sorts of conditions, including anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PCD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and others. Let’s walk through a breakdown outlining the basic steps of a psychological evaluation.

Clinical Interview

Psychological evaluations can differ based on your specific circumstances and symptoms, but these assessments typically begin with a clinical interview. During this stage, you’ll spend anywhere from about one to two hours talking with a mental health professional about your personal history, your symptoms, and any concerns you have about your health. The therapist will note observations about what you share with them.

In some cases, a therapist might also interview people who you’re close with. This will only be done with your consent.

Behavior Tests and Observations

Behavior tests and observations are critical components of the psychological evaluation process. While the behavior tests involved in your evaluation can vary, these activities are intended to measure how you act in different situations, clueing your therapist in to symptoms that might interfere with your functioning.

Personality and IQ Tests

Through personality testing, your therapist can get a big-picture view of your most important traits and characteristics. Your therapist will also gain an understanding of the factors that shaped your personality, including your upbringing and family history, your environment, your genetics, and your current life circumstances.

Depending on the particular evaluation you’re undergoing, your therapist may need to conduct an IQ test. These tests give therapists valuable information about your reasoning, problem-solving, and academic abilities, but the final number is not a definitive statement about your comprehensive intellectual talents. It’s just one piece of information that can aid therapists in assessing your needs, as well as the best treatment plans for you.

Medical Exams

Not all psychological evaluations include medical exams, but depending on your symptoms, a medical exam can be warranted. Your physical and mental health are intertwined, and your healthcare providers may need to administer blood tests, X-rays, or brain scans such as MRIs to determine whether your symptoms could be connected to an underlying medical condition.

Additionally, if you are already taking any medications for your mental or physical health, your therapist will need to collect this information. This is because some medication side effects can influence your mental health.

Going through medical exams as part of a psychological examination can feel a little intimidating. Remember, you can’t “pass” or “fail” these exams. Rather, they’re just tools for gathering valuable data about your physical and emotional wellbeing.

What Happens After the Evaluation?

The results of your evaluation will be used to determine an accurate diagnosis. Your therapist will also use the results to guide your treatment plan. The outcome of a single evaluation is not the only factor that matters for your diagnosis. Nor is it always a permanent diagnosis. Your diagnosis and treatment plan can change in the future. It’s just one important initial step along your journey towards healing and living a more fulfilling life.

–

Are you interested in pursuing a psychological evaluation? Contact our practice to discuss how we can help you take this important step toward managing your mental health.