Psychological Assessment

What is Psychological Assessment?

Assessment is how psychologists better understand people and their behaviour. It is a professional problem-solving process. We seek to understand the core components of a person’s cognitive skills, achievement, aptitude, personality, interests, and strengths.

An assessment has different parts:

  • The psychologist will conduct an interview to understand the question we want to answer along with the history and symptoms. 
  • Standardized Psychological Tests help objectively measure the client’s traits, symptoms, behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. They also help to identify possible diagnoses concretely, often using a strengths-and-weaknesses approach.
  • Observations are useful to see the behaviour of concern or evaluate how an individual interacts with others and behaves in different environments. 
  • The psychologist may include surveys or interviews to gather information from other sources such as teachers, parents or managers (never without the client’s written permission). 

Why Participate in a Psychological Assessment? 

You would seek an assessment if:

  • you haven’t felt you are moving forward in therapy as you’d hoped. 
  • you want to make a career switch but aren’t sure to what. 
  • if you just don’t feel right and it has been persevering for a while.
  • you suspect you might be struggling with a particular concern such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or
  • there’s been an event that has changed how you are functioning in the world. 

Psychological assessment doesn’t just focus on what’s wrong. It also identifies strengths and positive attributes. It can be empowering to learn more about yourself and understand why you are facing specific challenges, how you are coping and what unique strengths you possess to help you achieve your goals.

Types of Assessments Offered:

There are different types of psychological assessments including:

Psychological/Diagnostic Assessment

Psychological Assessment assists with diagnosing and treatment planning for individuals suffering from:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Trauma Reactions, like PTSD or Acute Stress,
  • Mood Disorders 

Individuals who may benefit from psychological/diagnostic testing are those struggling with their mental health and/or not moving forward in therapy. The goal is to provide a diagnosis where warranted, with recommendations for treatment, if necessary. 

Psychological assessments are offered for individuals aged 13 years and up.

Neuropsychological Assessment

A neuropsychological assessment is like a check-up for your brain. Akin to your GP’s physical exam, this assessment gives us a detailed look at how well your brain is working. It creates a profile of your cognitive strengths and challenges. We can then use it to identify ways to improve your daily functioning and enhance your quality of life.

A neuropsychological evaluation considers a wider range of concerns and medical histories than other types of psychological assessment. It is useful when multiple diagnoses are involved. 

Why Might You Want a Neuropsychological Assessment?

People seek neuropsychological assessments for many different reasons, especially if they’re experiencing cognitive concerns. Neuropsychological testing can play an important role in both diagnosis and treatment planning. Here are some common reasons to consider this type of assessment:

  • ADHD Diagnosis: For people struggling with focus, attention, or impulsivity, this assessment can help clarify if ADHD is part of the picture.
  • Learning Challenges: If learning new things feels unusually difficult, we can identify specific areas that need support, helping you or your child succeed academically. Can inform academic placement, interventions or accommodations.
  • Head Injury: After a concussion, head injury, or conditions such as epilepsy, an assessment helps us understand any lasting effects on memory, focus, and other cognitive abilities and to assess changes over time. 
  • Memory Concerns: For those experiencing changes in memory or thinking, such as the early signs of dementia, or depression, an assessment can provide helpful insights.
  • Attention and Concentration Concerns: For those having trouble concentrating, sustaining attention, it can give a good sense of why. 
  • Motor or Sensory Concerns: Odd movements or sensations or even feeling awkward in visual spatial domains can prompt further exploration. 
  • Language Concerns: If you are noticing difficulties with word finding, understanding others, or formulating your thoughts. 
  • Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Mental health issues like depression or anxiety can also affect brain functioning, and an assessment can identify areas impacted.
  • Decreased Mental Performance or speed of processing: As we age, our cognitive function may decline. In some cases, it can be helpful to have a baseline against which to measure future change and plan interventions to help slow progression. 
  • Unexplained Personality Changes: Unexplained changes can be symptoms of an undiagnosed problem. 
  • Adaptive Functioning Concerns: If there are challenges with the basic tasks of daily living or for a determination of disability. 

Types of Neuropsychological Assessment

Dr. Swan offers two levels of neuropsychological evaluation: a cognitive screening and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. 

Cognitive Screening Assessment

A cognitive screening assessment is best for general concerns such as a specific diagnosis, challenges in the classroom, or other general cognitive complaints. You can expect a 1–2-hour clinical interview, 3-4 hours of testing, some questionnaires to complete and a brief report of findings with next steps. It may result in a diagnosis or a query for further testing to clarify the findings for diagnosis. The cost for this type of assessment begins at $2500, depending on various factors. 

Comprehensive Neuropsychological Assessment

A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment takes a broad-based approach to the concerns and then offers additional investigation into specific areas of concern. It entails a review of medical/educational records, a 2-3-hour clinical interview, up to 8 hours of testing and questionnaires to fill out. There may also be interviews with people close to you to understand their observations. It results in a full report with any resulting diagnoses, next steps and treatment recommendations. This type of assessment begins at $3800, depending on the complexity of needs. 

The cognitive screening assessment is suitable for many singular requests, such as questions about one specific diagnosis or set of challenges, such as reading or attention, in an otherwise healthy individual. The comprehensive neuropsychological assessment is suitable for individuals with multiple diagnoses who want clarity on the cause of specific challenges, are trying to differentiate between similar diagnoses or have a complex medical history. 

The Neuropsychological Assessment Process

Clinical Interview

Dr. Swan begins with a clinical interview via telehealth to fully understand the questions that lead you to the assessment, the history of your concerns, your personal life history and who you are as an individual. In this meeting, we collaboratively plan the assessment process and who will be involved. 

Test Day

The next step is the testing day. This is a full day of varying activities. You should expect to be at the office for 4-8 hours, depending on the type of assessment. There is a large variety of tasks, with many described as puzzles or games. Some may seem easy, while others may feel more challenging. Everyone is different, but often, people enjoy at least some of the activities. 

Interpretation and Report Writing

After testing, Dr. Swan scores each test and begins interpreting it. No single test answers all our questions. The gathered information is analyzed to identify patterns. Those patterns and a careful understanding of you, your life history, and your questions are carefully considered against any relevant diagnostic criteria. Dr. Swan will then write a formal report outlining the data and conclusions of the testing. 

Feedback Session

The final step is the feedback session, where Dr. Swan reviews your results. Not all assessments result in diagnoses. In some cases, further testing is needed. These could be a second test session or tests with another professional, such as a GP. These are necessary to rule out other concerns. Often, problems are best addressed in treatment with a psychologist, and the rationale with recommendations is included in the report to facilitate that. Dr. Swan will outline all the next steps and recommendations. She will then answer any questions that you may have and provide you with a copy of the full report. If you have additional questions after reading the report, please feel free to reach out for further discussion. 

How to Prepare for the Testing Session

To get the most accurate results, it helps to:

  • Sleep Well: A good night’s rest before your assessment is key.
  • Eat a Healthy Meal: Staying energized helps with concentration.
  • Bring Snacks and a Water Bottle: Staying comfortable is important. 
  • Take all medications as directed: If you are taking stimulant medications such as those for ADHD, please check with Dr. Swan about whether you should take these on the day of testing. 
  • Bring a list of all medications: Include prescription, over-the-counter or supplements that you take regularly. 
  • Bring Any Necessary Items: Glasses, hearing aids, or any tools that support your abilities should come along with you.

Neuropsychological assessments are offered for adolescents and adults.

Dr. Swan is happy to offer Independent Medical Evaluation for third party questions such as disability, vocational rehabilitation or insurance decision-making. 

Ready to schedule? Email Dr. Swan to set up an appointment and discuss any questions you may have. If you are unsure which assessment is right, Dr. Swan is happy to have a free discovery call to better understand your goals and which assessment is likely to meet your needs. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get the final report?

Dr. Swan strives to deliver the results and final report within two weeks of the date of testing. If records must be requested from a third party, this can increase the time to complete the report. Please remember that organizations have thirty days to respond to requests for information; sometimes, this will take the entire period. Dr. Swan will identify the needed records with you when booking, but if there are medical records that you are aware of, Dr. Swan will need them. Please feel free to submit the request to the appropriate agency to send the information to Dr. Swan. Fax is her preferred method, and the fax number is 778-699-2008. 

Does Dr. Swan bill my insurance directly for an assessment?

Dr. Swan only offers direct billing for RCMP or Veteran’s Affairs assessments. Insurance companies have different requirements, so please contact yours beforehand to understand your coverage and reimbursement requirements. Dr. Swan is happy to provide more detailed invoicing where required. 

If we start with a psychological assessment or a cognitive screening assessment, can we change to a comprehensive assessment later?

Of course, if a more comprehensive assessment is required, we can easily pivot before the testing day.

You will be charged an additional fee if you decide after the testing day but before the final report is delivered. Sometimes, Dr. Swan needs further testing to answer the question entirely. In this case, she will contact you with a proposed plan before writing the report so you can make the right decision. 

Will Dr. Swan provide treatment after the assessment?

Generally, a psychologist strives to fill only one role with each client so they would not receive treatment after the assessment. Dr. Swan will provide recommendations for other psychologists or treatment providers, where appropriate. 

Who gets to see the final report?

In a private assessment, you receive the final report after reviewing the results with Dr. Swan. After you have had a chance to read the report and digest its contents, Dr. Swan is happy to send the report to any healthcare providers you identify as needing a copy. It iIn a private assessment, you receive the final report after discussing the results with Dr. Swan. Once you have read the report and absorbed its contents, Dr. Swan is glad to send it to any healthcare providers you identify as needing a copy. You can typically send the report to your GP for inclusion in your health record or to your treating psychologist to inform their care, but doing so isn’t mandatory.

A third party, such as an insurance company, sends you for an assessment in independent medical examinations. The insurance company acts as the client while you are the participant. Dr. Swan delivers the report directly to the client. After the assessment, you should contact the insurance company for a report copy. They often send the report to your GP, who will review it with you and can answer any questions you have. If you have more questions, send them to Dr. Swan through the client agency, and she will be happy to help.

Is there an additional cost to fill out paperwork for work, school or disability?

While the report usually satisfies most needs, Dr. Swan is happy to fill out additional paperwork if needed. Often such requests are quick and require little above the report.

If your specific paperwork request is more extensive, Dr. Swan bills at the hourly rate of $235, prorated to 15-minute increments. Because every request is unique, please provide Dr. Swan with a copy of the paperwork as early as possible so she can advise you more precisely. 

What if something changes in the future, can I update my results?

Sometimes, it makes sense to retest certain functions after a period or after intervention to ascertain change. Dr. Swan is happy to update her assessment results, where needed, at a nominal cost. 

Ready to schedule? Email Dr. Swan to set up an appointment and discuss any questions you may have. If you are unsure which assessment is right, Dr. Swan is happy to have a free discovery call to better understand your goals and which assessment is likely to meet your needs. 

If you are unsure of which assessment is right for you, please reach out and Dr. Swan is happy to have a discovery call to identify how best to answer the questions leading you to assessment.  

Dr. Swan conducts assessments for Veteran’s Affairs, for independent psychological evaluation and privately for individuals. Please check with your insurer regarding coverage for psychological assessment.