Psychological or mental health evaluations are some of the most common testing batteries we provide at Ubuntu Psychological Services. These assessments are designed to help clients and their therapists understand areas of struggle and strength, answer specific referral questions, and provide diagnostic information when necessary. These tests can significantly improve an individual’s self-awareness, allowing them to make the most of therapy and other support resources. It can also improve a therapist’s ability to work with their clients to achieve counseling goals. On this page, we discuss the reasons people seek out mental health evaluations and what you can expect when completing this process at Ubuntu Psychological Services.
If you’re struggling in relationships, work, or just feeling emotionally overwhelmed, mental health testing may be recommended to help you understand the root cause of your concerns and develop a plan for ongoing support. In some cases, these assessments are recommended by therapists or medical doctors, but many people simply want to develop a greater understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the common reasons people seek mental health evaluations include:
- Mood disorders (like anxiety or depression).
- Struggles with mood regulation.
- Difficulty developing or sustaining relationships.
- Having a tough time with life transitions.
- Finding yourself unable to be successful professionally.
- Being unable to fully heal or recover after trauma.
- Determining a need for medication to support therapy goals.
We always provide a personalized battery of tests designed to meet your needs, address your questions, and help you achieve your goals. That means that no two people will have the same mental health evaluation. During your intake session, we’ll be asking questions and guiding you through a medical and mental health history to understand what tests will be most beneficial to clarify your testing questions and understand your goals. During your testing session or sessions, you may undergo a number of evaluations, including:
Clinical interviews to discuss your experiences and concerns.
Rating scales to understand the severity of certain symptoms.
Computerized testing of concentration and other functions.
Academic evaluations to understand learning strengths and abilities.
Cognitive testing to understand thinking and behavioral function.
Following testing, your psychologist will write a full report to explain any findings or diagnoses as well as recommendations for resources and support. We’ll get together fora follow-up appointment to discuss our findings. You’ll then receive our full report to be used as needed.
It may feel like a big step to schedule amental health evaluation, but we hope to make the whole experience simple and straightforward. That includes scheduling your appointment. We’ll start with an initial discovery call that allows us to discuss your reasons for scheduling an assessment and your goals. You can also ask any questions you have during the discovery call. At the end of this conversation, we’ll schedule your full initial visit.
