Are you concerned that you or your child may suffer from an undiagnosed psychological condition?
Do you often struggle with feelings of apprehension or stress that inhibit your ability to process information?
Has a battle with prolonged sadness or grief left you unable to effectively function at work or in school, and you now worry that it has evolved into depression?
Do you have trouble paying attention to conversations, instructions, movies, books or daily tasks and want to find out if this nature of distraction is an indicator of a larger issue? Perhaps a traumatic event in the past has negatively impacted the way you interact with family members, friends and co-workers and you question your ability to navigate everyday responsibilities.
Have you confided in your family doctor about these issues and been directed to undergo a psychological evaluation to address your concerns?
Perhaps you are the parent of a child who has difficulty in school and you want to find out if he or she has a learning disability. Or, maybe you feel that your daughter’s or son’s school isn’t providing the necessary services for meeting your child’s specific needs. Does he or she act out in class and/or have difficulty concentrating, making friends or interacting with other students? Perhaps your child is about to enter college and you need official documentation to advocate for academic accommodations. Or maybe your child has already been through a psychological assessment and you want another professional’s opinion. Do you want to seek psychological testing and assessment to discover your or your child’s true cognitive abilities, identify any potential mental health issues and gain the information you need to function with greater ease in all aspects of your life?
How prevalent are psychological evaluations, and are they helpful?
Exploring one’s cognitive abilities or engaging in personality testing to better understand one’s intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning has become increasingly relevant in the professional and academic world, where the increased pace of competition and pressure to succeed can negatively impact one’s well-being. Often a therapist can treat a client’s mental health needs and offer assistance and guidance. However, when an individual needs accommodations in the workplace or at school, psychological testing and assessment can often be of greater value. Most academic institutions require more than a counselor’s opinion when issuing accommodations, whether they be extended test times, note-takers, due date extensions or excused absences. If you or your child struggle in class or at work, or already have a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or a learning disability that is getting in the way of functioning successfully, the future can seem daunting. The good news is, investing in a psychological evaluation can greatly help you receive academic accommodations or a better understanding of your or your child’s abilities, as well as open the doors to resources that would not be available otherwise.
How does a psych evaluation work? What can I expect?
If you are worried that you or your child may be displaying signs of a mental health issue, learning disability or behavioral problem, Collaborative Counseling Group (CCG) can help. Our comprehensive psychological testing can offer you multifaceted and in-depth information to help you get to the source of any symptoms causing you or your child distress. CCG’s in-house psychologist, Robyn Goldman, Ed.D., is here to make sense of the confusion and help you identify your or your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Using tried and true standardized testing, along with personalized, in-depth interviews, Dr. Goldman can help you determine what is best for you or your child moving forward.
Our testing takes place in a safe, comfortable and natural environment. All the steps of the psych evaluation are presented in their entirety beforehand so you will never be surprised or caught off guard by any part of the process. A majority of the time, the assessment takes place in two to three hour segments over several days, so as not to fatigue or discourage participants. Most evaluations require approximately six hours of testing, depending on the specific needs of the participant.
For adult assessments, we begin with a face-to-face interview tailored to your individual concerns. Throughout the process, we will explore the nature of everything from your childhood and past experiences to your current familial situation, career and/or academic progress. For teenagers and children, together with a parent or guardian present, we will investigate similar areas of family history, behavioral tendencies and any current or future academic challenges.
You or your child will then be administered a dynamic series of standardized tests based on your personal motivations for seeking an evaluation and specific observations made during the interview process. These assessment tests begin with a practice component that is neither graded nor timed in order to help you or your child acclimate to the process. It is then followed by assessments focused on four major domains, including testing for processing and visual motor skills; an assessment of personality and social functioning; testing for academic achievement; and an evaluation of cognitive and intellectual development.
Upon completion of the evaluation, you will be offered a summary of the results. This evaluation helps us determine recommendations for treatment, justify accommodations and informs you about the nature of your or your child’s strengths, learning style as well as any intrapersonal or interpersonal challenges. In doing so, we become able to untangle the web of confusion that may underlie the difficulties you or your child are facing and present beneficial options and resources for managing future challenges.
CCG prides itself on enriching the lives of its clients through understanding and compassionate care. By investing in comprehensive and revealing psychological testing services with Robyn Goldman, you and your child can better navigate the challenges you may face and discover alternative ways to succeed in your career, education and all aspects of your life.
I’m considering psychological testing, but I still have questions and concerns…
I’m afraid that I cannot afford the financial cost.
We encourage you to consider psychological testing and assessment an investment in the prolonged mental health of you, your daughter or your son. By committing to understanding what drives your mind and shapes the way you process the world, we can develop ways to adapt to or overcome challenging situations. Whether you are struggling in academics, careers or personal relationships, understanding yourself, your strengths and learning style will help to inform you how to function successfully in the world.
I have a full schedule and am not sure if I can commit to this.
The testing, when compared to the lasting benefits, takes little time—approximately six hours. At CCG we are relatively flexible with our scheduling and also do testing on Saturdays in case weekdays are not possible. Because testing is broken down into two to three hour increments over the course of several days, we can usually accommodate your schedule as needed. It’s important to keep in mind that although it may initially seem like an inconvenience, a psychological evaluation and an understanding of its findings can provide a lifetime of information.
I am afraid that the tests will reveal something awful about my child or me.
First, there is nothing awful about you or your child. Even if you discover a mental health condition or learning disability, that does not mean you are broken or wrong. All of our tests and interviews are meant to help you understand your own personal challenges, how to best optimize your functioning, and how a particular condition or challenge can affect you or your child. By investing in the care of a CCG professional, things can only get better and your comprehension of your or your child’s challenges can only become clearer.
You don’t have to navigate the confusion of a possible psychological issue on your own.
Please call Robyn Goldman at 203-220-6595, extension 510 or email robyn@collaborativect.com to schedule an assessment and/or a free 10-15 minute consultation. Your questions about psychological testing and evaluations are always welcome.