Psychological Assessment
Assessment for Children, Teens and Adults
Ages 5+
Identifying the problem is 50% of the solution
Collaborative Psychological Assessment is a brief, intensive process that incorporates testing data and clinical insight to identify emotional, learning, and/or attentional conditions. Findings are presented in a collaborative and therapeutic manner that fosters positive change and growth for our clients.
Comprised of psychologists trained in Therapeutic Assessment, our experienced assessment team offers assessment for for children, teens, and adults. We often assess for Autism, ADHD, PTSD, and learning disabilities. We also specialize in complex presentations, eating disorders, and neurodiversity.
The Catalyst Center is proud to be neurodiversity-inclusive and LGBTQIA+ affirming.
Specialties
- Diagnostic Clarification
- ADHD
- Autism Spectrum
- Eating Disorder Assessment
- Giftedness and Learning Disabilities
- Dyslexia and Reading Disorders
- Pre-adoption evaluation for prospective adoptive parents
Program Highlights
- Collaborative, client-centered approach
- Our team of six doctoral-level assessment psychologists reviews each case.
- Nuanced understanding of each client as a complex person
- Therapeutically oriented recommendations
- Easy-to-read assessment reports, free of jargon
- Collaboration with ongoing care providers and school personnel, if applicable.
Cognitive and Learning Assessments
Autism Assessment
Our assessment team is trained to evaluate Autism other neurodivergent traits. We specialize in assessment for elementary- age children, teens, and adults who have not previously been identified as neurodivergent or feel their previous diagnosis may not be complete or accurate.
Specific to adults, The Catalyst Center has developed a Brief Adult Autism Assessment protocol that strives to meet your desire for an expert psychologist to weigh in on your potential autism diagnosis at a more affordable cost. A brief autism assessment at the Catalyst Center will provide you with an official autism diagnosis if you meet the DSM-5 criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). If you do not meet the official criteria for ASD, our assessment psychologists will point you in the direction of what conditions may explain your traits and experiences. You will leave with clarity about your diagnosis and a letter explaining the assessment findings. You can share this letter with loved ones or your medical providers to help them understand you more fully.
ADHD Assessment
Our assessment team is trained to evaluate ADHD and other neurodivergent traits. We specialize in assessment for elementary- age children, teens, and adults who have not previously been identified as neurodivergent or feel their previous diagnosis may not be complete or accurate.
We often work with teens and adults who have spent significant time exploring their potential ADHD diagnosis, want to work with an expert in assessment to gain clarity, individualized recommendations, and a deeper understanding of their strengths and challeng areas.
Giftedness and Learning Disabilities
Psychological assessment for giftedness and learning disorders is an invaluable tool for understanding a child’s unique cognitive profile, strengths, and areas of need. By tailoring support to the child’s specific needs, psychological assessments help maximize the child’s potential and promote a balanced, fulfilling educational experience.
When evaluating for giftedness, we identify exceptional abilities that may indicate specialized educational opportunities. This ensures gifted children receive the appropriate challenges to foster their talents.
A comprehensive, collaborative psychological assessment can pinpoint learning difficulties, such as Dyslexia or Math Learning Disorder, that hinder a student’s learning and academic progress. Our thorough report and individualized recommendations offer crucial insights that inform individualized educational plans that address any learning disorders with targeted interventions.
Psychological Assessment
Diagnostic Clarity
When a client has tried therapy, psychiatric medication, or other interventions and nothing has seemed to work, a psychological assessment can help clarify the root causes of the difficulty they are experiencing.
Our team is particularly skilled at complex cases where a client has been given multiple, often conflicting diagnoses in the past, is stuck in treatment, or feels something hasn’t been accurately understood about them.
Eating Disorder Assessment
Eating Disorders are complex and often coexist with other mental health conditions. A comprehensive understanding of personality dynamics, contributing factors to the eating disorder, co-occurring diagnoses, and individualized treatment recommendations is crucial for effective treatment.
Our Eating Disorder Assessment program incorporates testing data and clinical insight into a detailed report, including individualized treatment recommendations. Clients and their referring team find that a specialized eating disorder assessment provides a comprehensive understanding of a person’s struggles, contributing factors to the eating disorder, diagnostic clarity, and potential barriers to full recovery.
Pre-Adoption Assessment
Some adoptions require prospective adoptive parents to undergo
psychological evaluation. We are experienced at providing these
assessments and strive to make the process an opportunity for each person to learn more about themselves rather than just another hoop to jump through.
Common Questions about Assessment
How is The Catalyst Center’s collaborative approach different from a regular psychological assessment?
Psychological assessment is a powerful tool that can provide practical solutions to various clinical and educational situations. It offers insights and details that other methods may not uncover. Moreover, it helps us gather information about our emotions, behavior, thinking styles, coping tendencies, cognitive functioning, or academic abilities. This detailed information can identify strengths and areas for growth, enabling the development of a targeted treatment plan. Assessment findings and related recommendations address areas for growth more effectively and leverage identified strengths to enhance improvement.
The Catalyst Center Assessment team has adopted a model of assessment known as “therapeutic assessment.” Collaborative in nature, therapeutic psychological assessment has several advantages and applications over other types of assessment. This approach is often more thorough and thus can offer a more complete picture of the situation you or your loved ones are encountering. Another unique advantage of this model is it can be applied when assessing individuals, couples, or even entire families.
- From the beginning, there is a focus on maximizing an assessment’s positive, therapeutic impact by getting to know you, your concerns, and biopsychosocial influences.
- We move beyond trying to put a label on you or your child and instead work WITH you collaboratively and respectfully to understand what is working and what is not working in your life, why you’ve gotten stuck in some spots, and most importantly, what we can do to get you unstuck and moving in a healthier direction.
- Your assessor talks and writes in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, translating all the confusing psychology jargon into regular language that everyone can understand.
- Test findings are approachable and easy to understand while providing specific, concrete, and accessible recommendations to help you pursue your goals.
How much does an assessment cost? What is included?
A comprehensive psychological assessment costs $4200. This includes a full battery of testing, initial intake and feedback sessions, and collaboration with family members, teachers, and your care team. This cost also reflects the time our psychologists take to thoroughly score and interpret test data, as well as the report writing.
We also offer brief, targeted assessments for specific client populations, such as Autism or eating disorders. The brief autism assessment protocol is designed for adults who are not seeking academic or workplace accommodations. Our brief autism assessments cost $2500 and are usually completed within 2-3 weeks.
What exactly does a psychological assessment involve?
Psychological Assessment is a brief, intensive process that incorporates testing data and clinical insight to identify emotional, learning, and/or attentional conditions.
Specifically, an assessment at The Catalyst Center involves a thorough intake, testing sessions, and a feedback session that goes over clinical findings and individualized recommendations. Coordination with family members, providers, and/or school personnel is also included in the assessment process.
Our assessment reports are written in a way that is free of jargon and can be easily understood. Additionally, a key component of a psychological assessment report is treatment recommendations. We pride ourselves on giving each client individualized, thoughtful, actionable recommendations tailored to their personal goals and challenges.
How long does the assessment process take?
What happens after the assessment is completed?
After testing is complete, you and your psychologist will have a feedback session where findings and recommendations are discussed. Given the collaborative and therapeutic nature of an assessment at the Catalyst Center, we strive to make test findings approachable and easy to understand while providing specific, concrete, and accessible recommendations to help you pursue your individual goals.
A letter that summarizes findings and recommendations will be provided to you, your providers, school personnel if applicable, and anyone else you wish to include.
Do you do forensics evaluations?
No, we do not offer forensics evaluations. Psychology Today offers an article that discusses Forensic therapy and assessment.
Hear from our assessment team
More Than a Diagnosis: Benefits of Psychological Assessment
New Service: Brief Autism Assessment for Adults Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder
About Collaborative Assessment
What is Psychological Assessment Anyway?
What Could I Gain From a Psychological Assessment?
Looking At Yourself Through a New Lens
Meet our Assessment Team
AJ Grovert, PsyD, LCP
CJ Clinkscales, PsyD
Joey Tadie, PhD, LCP
