What Is Psychological Evaluation?
A psychological evaluation is a service designed to answer a question. When a client comes to us for evaluation, they have either self-referred or been referred by another professional. Regardless of the referral source, the client presents with a need for clarity. Psychological evaluation helps clients by providing insight and information that they can then use to improve their wellbeing.
It may be that there is curiosity and interest from a client in regard to learning more about their personality or abilities. It’s also common for clients to present seeking diagnostic clarity or affirmation, such as wanting to confirm whether or not the symptoms they are experiencing meet criteria for a mental health disorder. Psychological evaluations may also be used to gain insight into why individuals may encounter particular struggles or relationship problems. The evaluation is designed to integrate different sources and types of information (e.g., qualitative and quantitative) to form a comprehensive clinical picture of the client’s functioning and abilities as they relate to their mental health. Psychological evaluations may be used for a variety of purposes, such as forensic, educational, disability, or guidance and enrichment of therapeutic services.
The term psychological evaluation is often used interchangeably with psychological testing or psychological assessment. However, there are subtle distinctions. An evaluation is the overall process of gathering data and integrating it in a meaningful way, usually in a formal report and feedback session. Testing and assessment are two aspects of the evaluation process that work together to aid the psychologist in determining their findings and subsequent recommendations. Testing refers to the administration of specific, norm-referenced (i.e., “standardized”) tests in the form of questionnaires, checklists, or performance-based tasks. Assessment is the process of ascertaining which specific tests are needed based on the referral question and administering them, along with other forms of information gathering, such as a clinical interview, informal surveys, reviewing records, requesting collateral information, recording observational data, and more.
According to an article on assessment by the American Psychological Association: “In many ways, psychological testing and assessment are similar to medical tests. If a patient has physical symptoms, a primary care provider may order X-rays or blood tests to understand what's causing those symptoms. The results of the tests will help inform develop a treatment plan. Psychological evaluations serve the same purpose. Psychologists use tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client's behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment.”
Types of Psychological Evaluation
At Breyta, we currently offer several types of psychological evaluation that benefit our clients.
Psychodiagnostic Assessment (Establishment of Psychological Diagnosis and Functioning)
Differential Diagnostic Assessment (Clarification of Psychological Diagnosis)
Personality Assessment
Cognitive Functioning
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Evaluation
Veteran Disability Evaluations
Spinal Cord Stimulator Evaluations
Please Note: We do not perform court ordered evaluations or parenting evaluations. However, we are happy to provide you with referrals to trusted colleagues to do offer this service.
What Happens During Psychological Evaluation?
Your psychologist will spend time understanding the nature of the request and will select a battery of tests that they tailor to your referral question. Tests are an important piece of the assessment process. Tests may be administered by the psychologists, or may be self-report measures. The psychologist also meets with you for a clinical interview, in which they gather pertinent information on you background, experiences, mental and physical functioning, relationships, and abilities. Test data is combined with the information gleaned during the clinical interview, as well as the psychologist’s clinical impressions and interpretations of the client’s behavior. If appropriate, collateral information may be requested from teachers, parents, co-workers, or partners. If appropriate, medical, school, or military records may be reviewed. Once testing and evaluation is complete, the psychologist synthesizes the data into a narrative report that answers the referral question and makes recommendations for how to proceed based on the findings. The psychologist will then provide feedback to the client or referral source to present their findings.
I’m a Veteran Looking for a Nexus Letter, Is This It?
A “nexus letter” is a letter written by a health professional stating the degree to which they believe a Veteran’s military service is related to their current mental or physical health problems. Our psychologists can provide this opinion for PTSD, and other mental disorders, in select cases. Breyta psychologists will provide a nexus opinion only after conducting a comprehensive psychological evaluation, which includes a clinical interview, assessment, and record review. The psychological report incorporates the required nexus language.
What Types of Veteran Disability Evaluations Do You Provide?
We provide full psychological evaluations performed by doctoral-level psychologists that you can use for evidence in your VA Disability Claim. We can perform initial evaluations for General Mental Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We can also perform evaluations to be used as evidence with appeals for VA Disability Claims. Please note that we do not perform evaluations for Eating Disorders or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) at this time.
I’m Interested in a Mental Health Evaluation, How Do I Begin the Process?
If you would like to pursue psychological evaluation, reach out to us to discuss your questions and goals. We have a team of doctoral-level psychologists available to help you get started. Our administrative staff can answer any questions you may have regarding the process, help match you with an appropriate provider, and schedule your appointment. Many of our providers are also licensed in other states, so while we can provide services throughout North Carolina, we may also be able to accommodate out of state requests on a case by case basis.
