FAQ

Colorado: The office is located at the Northern most part of Colorado Springs, off of I-25 and the Baptist Road Exit.

Utah: The office is located in the Southern area of the Salt Lake Valley, with easy access to both the Salt Lake Valley and Utah Valley areas.

Specific addresses and directions will be given when you schedule your appointment

Psychological testing has two major parts. The first portion includes gathering testing data (testing the client, completing questionnaires, testing forms from parents and/or others). This portion requires time in the office with clients, families and others.

The second portion of the assessment includes scoring all of the instruments, completing a data-analysis as well as a review of records and writing the report with the history, diagnosis and recommendations. This portion is completed without the client present.

In order to exclusively focus on one client at a time, it is beneficial for me to complete the testing with clients and then to set-aside entire days to complete the testing analysis and report writing thereafter. Therefore, I can divide my time between the two states I enjoy the most, offering both work satisfaction and work-life balance.

A psychological assessment is considered to be the gold standard for obtaining information on an individual’s functioning, diagnosis, and mental status.

Assessments are designed for each individual’s needs, based on their current concerns, symptoms, and/or future endeavors.

Assessments can typically speed up the therapy process by providing an accurate diagnostic picture as well as recommendations to meet the needs of the client.

Assessments can also be utilized as evidence to prove or disprove certain conditions.

24-48 hours.

In most situations, we do not require you to attend a test-results appointment in order to receive the results.

However, you will have the opportunity to schedule a test-results appointment if you would like.

Please let us know so that we can plan a time to meet and discuss the evaluation.

We do not pre-bill for test results appointments. Therefore, if you choose to schedule, there will be a fee for the additional appointment time.

An assessment includes time directly with the client, as well as time outside of the session.

It includes the following services:

• Planning the assessment
• Pulling and setting-up the assessment measures
• Scoring all of the instruments
• Completing an analysis of the testing data as well as the full battery of tests
• Reviewing collateral information and records
• Report writing and edits
• Consulting and record-keeping

You may spend a total of 5 hours in the office with the intake and the testing.

However, the psychologist may spend an additional 5-8 hours completing all of the activities listed.

In this example, the psychologist would bill for 10-13 hours of time total.

An evaluation includes an initial intake appointment (to review the background, history, symptoms concerns etc.).

It also includes a testing appointment (to complete the assessment instruments).

Many times, the intake and assessment appointments can be completed in the same day.

Clients completing an intake will have time set aside for them to complete the assessment typically, within the 2-4 weeks that follow.

From the time of the intake to the testing appointment, we prefer to keep the wait time to a minimum in order to expedite the process.

The doctor will set aside a large portion of time for your appointment.

In order to hold the time for you, it is important to provide a deposit, showing your interest and motivation to completely follow-through with the appointment.

Intake and assessment appointments require a 48-hour-notice of the cancellation.

If the appointment is cancelled with less than a 48-hour notice, a fee of $50 per hour of time set aside will be charged to the client.

For an intake, this fee is $75 (90-minutes).

For testing, the fee may range from $150-$250 (3-5 hours, for example).

If a client cancels their appointment with short notice or reschedules multiple times, we may be unable to accommodate a future appointment and may refer to other providers for services to be rendered.

I truly enjoy working with clients who want to get in, and get things done! I am happy to expedite the process and working with clients who are motivated to do the same, is fantastic!

It is also wonderful to work with clients who understand an assessment is a snapshot of the person’s functioning at this time. People can evolve throughout the months and years and an assessment can be used to guide and assist a person along the way.

It’s a way of using shorthand, (clinical terms for explaining a range of symptoms). Having a “name” for the concerns does not mean that I made those symptoms appear. It means, the symptoms were already there, and now there is a descriptor / title / label / diagnosis for professionals to understand the concerns more readily.

A psychologist who does testing needs to have training and experience in assessing the population. In addition, the psychologist needs correct type of testing instruments on hand, to assess the individuals.

I have a background on Ecosystemic Child Psychology as well as Adult Psychology, Lifespan Development and Neuropsychology. I assess children and teens ages 5 to 17, as well as adults and seniors.

Although I have some training and experience in working with substance abuse and autism spectrum disorders, if in-depth testing is required for an evaluation (rather than a screening), I prefer to refer out to another provider who has a range of testing instruments to assess more thoroughly.

In addition, babies, toddlers and young children (age 4 and younger) require unique assessment instruments and I do not have those on hand.

One question will not make or break an evaluation. In fact, a thorough evaluation will assess symptoms in several ways. Most evaluations include instruments assessing specific concerns and other instruments that provide some overlap and generalized symptoms. The goal is to not only have a breadth of information but also, the depth necessary, to make helpful recommendations.

When a client seeks an assessment for a specific diagnosis, as an examiner, my role is to ALSO identify other areas of concern that may account for the symptoms or presenting concerns. By assessing the full range of disorders that mimic other disorders, the diagnosis will be more so accurate and reliable. This also allows for improved recommendations.

After you have the evaluation, it is important to understand the outcome of the testing and the next steps. The summary and recommendation sections of the report are designed to be as clear as possible, allowing a client (non-clinician) to understand the information.

The recommendations are tailored to fit your age, diagnosis and situation. Please follow-through with the recommendations provided, as they are given as a road-map for helping the client as much as possible.

Clients (parents / guardians) are encouraged to read the report and to ensure they understand. You have the option to schedule a follow-up test-results appointment to review the assessment.

A test-results appointment is considered to be a separate procedure, and there is a fee for this service.

Although this is not a comprehensive list, it can be helpful to understand that evaluations can provide diagnostic categories (labels), recommendations and determinations about a person’s functioning in order to assist with providing accurate information to physicians, therapists, schools, employers, courts, adoption agencies etc.

The risks of an evaluation may include the following; I may ask you questions that are challenging or uncomfortable to answer. Most evaluations are ordered to understand a person’s diagnosis, which will be part of your clinical record. You may be uncomfortable with having a certain diagnosis. I will report the clinical picture as accurately as possible and I cannot exclude important clinical information necessary for a thorough evaluation.

I keep the roles and boundaries clear. Ethically psychologists refrain from engaging in multiple roles with clients as much as possible. I maintain a clear role as an evaluator exclusively. Therefore, I will not make a treatment recommendation and then tell you come and see me to work on the issue.

A Doctor of Psychology does not typically prescribe but instead, is an expert in the science of human behavior as well as studying and assessing such. As a psychologist, I do not make specific medication recommendations. I will refer to a primary care physician or a psychiatrist in order to manage concerns that may require medication interventions.

Yes! Psychologists are required to be licensed in the states in which they provide services. I am fully licensed.

Answering this question also gives information about my drive for doings things effectively! I graduated from High School a year early. Completed my undergraduate work earlier than anticipated. I was the first in my class to complete my doctoral dissertation and completed my Doctorate of Psychology program by age 26.

I have been practicing in the field of psychology over 20 years and I have learned and grown so much! My education has provided me with excellent training in preparation for practice. As a seasoned psychologist, I have seen a wide range of clients, diagnoses, ages, situations etc. This experience has afforded me excellent practical experience that cannot be obtained in a classroom.

I practiced as an examiner and a therapist for many, many years, primarily doing therapy with clients. I had the opportunity to work intensely with different ages, disorders, situations, systems (families, schools, court, family services etc.). This experience has afforded me additional understanding and perspectives whenever I do evaluations, including making treatment recommendations.

In my graduate program, I was always interested in assessment. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. I was trained in child, adult, neuropsych and forensic evaluations at that time. When I worked in a rural town, I was able to gain additional training, supervision and specialties.

My specialties give me a unique perspective regarding the manner in which people tick, how best to help them and what to do next.

So many clients need answers in order to understand what to do. Assessments give me an opportunity to advocate for client-needs as opportunities arise.

My curiosity is often peaked as I see the underlying concerns of individuals, affecting their functioning. I enjoy the process of discovery. I’m kind of a nerd about it.

I truly enjoy conducting pre-and post-testing, to compare progress over time.

As much as I would like to tell you my work is absolutely perfect, I am also human. I do my best to stay abreast of the latest research and information. I complete several hours of continuing education annually. I consult with other professionals and colleagues as appropriate (maintaining my client’s confidentiality).

When I write reports, I write and re-read them for clarity and grammar. I’m sure you would not want an English professor doing your psychological evaluation (smile). I will do my best to give you an excellent report after completing the testing.

Yes and no. Yes, I will change any typos or historical information that may be inaccurate. Perhaps I understood something differently than the way you explained it to me. That happens.

However, I cannot change things such as the testing data, dates of services or the diagnosis. Ethically, I am required to report accurate and thorough information when conducting an evaluation.

Most reports are written with specific sections in mind such as historical information, diagnosis, summary, recommendations etc. In this way, you are able to release the portions of the report most applicable to the situation. For example, the school may require the diagnosis and recommendations but not require receiving information about a student’s personal history.

I certainly hope so! I do my best to accommodate clients for comfort. We all come in different shapes and sizes. Evaluations are lengthy. Why not be as comfortable as possible?

An examiner-client relationship is not the same as a friend-friend relationship. You have hired me to focus on you and your situation. Psychologists are ethically required to refrain from disclosing too much personal information. If there is something you really want to know, don’t be afraid to ask. I will let you know as long as it is ethically appropriate to do so.

Usually dogs but cats are pretty neat too! I have a trained therapy K-9 who has participated in a number of roles on behalf of clients and volunteering in the community. Wookie is a 125ish pound Newfoundland that looks like a furry, big, black bear! He’s a gently giant.

This is a tough one. I think we are often drawn to places that bring us good memories and solitude. There are mountains and oceans that hold a special places for me. I think I am less afraid of ocean creatures than mountain creatures though. I would SCUBA where sharks are known, before I would walk a grizzly-bear path.

When your life’s work (profession) is enjoyable, you never really have to work a day in your life. I believe the enjoyment for working as a psychologist, the diversity of the field, opportunities, the people I am able to meet…has brought me more than I ever could have imagined.

People are so neat and so very unique!