Psychological Assessment

I provide psychological assessment for children, adolescents and adults when there are important questions about attention, learning, or performance that require careful evaluation.

Assessment is not simply a process of assigning a diagnosis. These evaluations are often most useful when the situation is not straightforward or when the outcome of testing will lead to meaningful academic or professional consequences.

Expertise

I have extensive experience in psychological assessment, including serving as Director of Assessment in a student and resident mental health setting for over a decade.

My work has included evaluations related to attention, executive functioning, and learning in high-performing academic and professional populations, including students, medical school residents, and early-career professionals. My practice focuses on helping individuals better understand questions about their performance in demanding environments.

When assessment is most useful

Assessment can be particularly helpful when:

• There are high-stakes academic or professional decisions involved (e.g., accommodations for standardized testing or academic work, or workplace performance concerns).

• Someone is unable to perform optimally despite strong ability.

• Prior testing is incomplete, outdated, or raised additional questions.

• A person wants a clearer, more nuanced understanding of their strengths and difficulties.

How I approach assessment

In many cases, the most important outcome is a clearer understanding of how someone approaches work, manages demands, and responds to pressure, along with what may be interfering with consistent performance.

This often includes considering multiple factors, such as attention, organization, performance expectations, environment, and broader patterns of functioning. While diagnostic clarification can be part of the process, the goal is to arrive at an understanding that can inform practical decisions, which is shared both verbally and in a detailed report.

Areas of evaluation may include

• Attention and executive functioning

• Learning and academic skills

• Cognitive functioning

• Personality and emotional factors that affect performance

Fit

People who find assessment most beneficial often have genuine questions about their performance; they're not necessarily only seeking to confirm a specific diagnosis but want a clearer understanding of themselves.

Next steps

If you are considering an evaluation, you are welcome to reach out to discuss whether assessment would be useful in your situation.