Assessment and Testing
A full psychodiagnostic evaluation can be useful when you (or your child) are struggling, but you’re not sure what’s causing the challenges or how serious it is. It can also be helpful when you’ve tried a number of interventions, but nothing seems to be working.
I have specialized training and years of experience in conducting comprehensive psychological evaluations to help clarify strengths and challenges, offer diagnostic impressions, and provide recommendations for treatment, coping, adapting and thriving.
Billing & Fees
Testing and assessment fees are based on a sliding scale according to after tax income in order to serve a wider range of people. I do not participate with any insurers nor do I assist with insurance claims in any way. Those who are able to pay more make it possible for me to serve those who can contribute less.
| Net Household Income | Fee (per 45 minute service hour) |
| >$200,000 | $250 |
| $150-200,000 | $200 |
| $100– 149,999 | $150 |
| <$100,000 | $100 |
Payment is due at time of service. We have a 24-hour cancellation policy, meaning that you will be charged the full fee for missed appointments and late cancellations. When paid in advance, there are no refunds for missed appointments or for cancellations made less than 24 hours from your scheduled appointment time.
Why Assess?
Talk therapy, classroom observations or a doctor’s appointments may not be enough to determine whether struggles with reading are actually dyslexia, inattention might be ADHD, moodiness might be Bipolar Disorder, or whether memory problems are merely due to typical aging.
Clarifying whether or not there is a diagnosis and what it might be can be complicated. A comprehensive evaluation can help to differentiate symptoms and conditions that present similarly, explore strengths and limitations, and provide specific recommendations to address concerns and support well-being.
How Can Assessment Help?
Many diagnoses have symptoms that overlap and people often experience a variety of complicated health and life concerns that make finding an accurate diagnosis difficult. An accurate diagnosis can help determine the best course of treatment and can assist in anticipating future needs and planning for potential challenges.
A well conducted psychodiagnostic assessment can clarify strengths and limitations and provide specific recommendations to address concerns. This can be an empowering experience that increases hope and provides direction for moving forward. Suggesting appropriate supports, strategies, interventions and work or school accommodations can improve functioning as well as boost self-esteem and improve quality of relationships.
The Process
Typically an evaluation begins with an Initial Assessment. This is a thorough clinical interview with the client and/or guardian. Your clinician will ask questions about personal history, early development, symptoms, and current functioning. By the end of the Initial Assessment, a plan will be developed to address the client’s needs.
While everyone has unique needs, a comprehensive psychodiagnostic evaluation includes more than just psychological testing. The client and others who know them well (such as spouse, parents, or teachers) will be asked to complete questionnaires, inventories and/or surveys to gather data about functioning in a variety of settings. I will request relevant medical, academic and/or psychiatric treatment records (as appropriate).
Most clients will be administered cognitive (IQ) testing to determine overall thinking abilities such as verbal and nonverbal reasoning, memory and processing. Tests measuring personality functioning, mental health symptoms, effort and forthrightness are also typically given. A survey of academic achievement may be included if there are questions about learning. Other specialized tests may also be administered as needed to provide more detailed information about specific concerns in various domains (social functioning, motor skills, executive functioning, attention, adaptive behavior, reading, writing, math, language, substance use).
A report will be generated integrating data from the interview, records, and the results of the testing, inventories and surveys. A feedback session is then scheduled to explain the results and recommendations and to answer any questions.
I offer evaluations for diagnostic and treatment purposes only. My reports are often useful to clients, parents, schools, and other service providers like physicians and psychiatrists. I don’t have experience or expertise with the courts (for forensic evaluations, such as for custody/parenting, drug/alcohol assessments, or to determine competence or readiness to return to work), the VA, or disability determinations, but I may be able to provide you with referral options if this is what you need.
If you are interested in a psychodiagnostic evaluation for yourself or your child (or other dependent), please schedule an initial assessment online using our secure, HIPAA compliant portal. The first appointment will help us explore your needs so we can determine whether it makes sense to proceed with testing.
If you have already been screened for dementia and your doctor has advised you to have a comprehensive neurological/neuropsychological evaluation, we recommend seeking out the services of an expert who specializes in dementia evaluations. You can see some local recommendations here.
If you’re looking for other types of services I offer, you can explore them here:
Do you need resources for lower cost services? Visit kansascitymentalhealth.com for a list of subsidized and reduced fee services. You can also explore:
- Community Mental Health Centers: These centers, often run by non-profits or local governments, provide low-cost or free therapy services, sometimes with sliding scale fees or access to Medicaid.
- Online Therapy Platforms: Online therapy platforms often offer more affordable options than traditional therapy, sometimes through subscription models.
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Some employers offer EAPs that provide a limited number of free therapy sessions.
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In case of a life threatening emergency, please dial 911 or visit your nearest emergency room. In crisis? Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
“I took my son to Dr. Ochester for an educational evaluation. She was thorough, patient, kind, and compassionate. My son is autistic and has ADHD. She found issues that I was not even aware of. She was so patient with him that he even noticed that she was patient. That is not something an autistic person normally notices. I would highly recommend her to anyone.” – 5 star review from a Google user
