Testing in Progress, LLC was started to help people explore their personality traits, their view of the world and their current functioning. Psychological assessments can help you discover how you think about your surroundings, people in your life and how you interact with others. This can then help you explore new ways of solving problems.
If you are currently participating in mental health treatment, psychological assessment can answer questions your therapist might have and provide information you may have been unwilling or hesitant to communicate. Testing can help “jumpstart” your therapy and document what progress you’ve already made. Psychological testing can help lead you to develop goals and help you on your path to better-being. Testing can also help identify any difficulties you might be facing in an academic environment, which would assist in obtaining accommodations in school for a learning disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or developmental difficulties. Specific problems can be identified and effective strategies and educational techniques can be implemented to help achieve success in school.
At Testing in Progress, LLC, we approach testing as a collaboration between you, the psychologist and, if you are currently participating in mental health treatment, your therapist. If you are comfortable and it is appropriate, we will ask you to come up with questions you have about yourself. These don’t need to be long-drawn out questions; they can simply be puzzles or curiosities you’ve wondered about. These questions will be the backbone of the assessment. When the testing is complete, we’ll have a session in which we discuss the findings and how they relate to your questions. You will later receive a letter detailing what was discussed in the final session and have the opportunity to return so we can talk about the tests, findings and letter more if you wish. Many people have found this type of assessment process a powerful experience that helps them to change areas of their lives. Therapists have found that this can help “jumpstart” therapy again, especially if you’ve been feeling stuck.
What is Psychological Assessment?
Psychological Assessment or Testing is a scientific approach to answering questions about personality, emotional states, memory, intellectual functioning and achievement. There are several types of psychological assessments based on your needs, what you would like to know about yourself and what your therapist may have questions about. Common questions include: "Do I have depression or bipolar disorder?", "Why do I have such a difficult time in relationships?", "Why am I so hard on myself?", "Why am I struggling so much at work?", "Do I have PTSD (or anxiety or schizophrenia?", or "is there something wrong with my memory?" People can learn more about themselves, their personalities, their job preferences, how they relate to others, and their coping styles.
For example, a cognitive assessment would include tests for intellectual functioning, academic achievement, and attention difficulties. This would be helpful if you have or are struggling in school or are experiences problems at work with following directions or following through on assignments. The testing can help determine if you struggle with a learning disability, an attention deficit, a possible mood disorder (such as depression, which can make it difficult to focus and concentrate), or if you require more of a challenge (such as advanced classes). Another assessment package would be used to gather a wide-ranging picture of your current functioning, how you look at and interact with the world. These tests measure cognitive, personality and emotional functioning.
How is Testing in Progress, LLC different?
Two types of psychological assessment include a traditional information gathering assessment and a collaborative assessment process. At Testing in Progress, LLC, we approach assessments as a collaborative process, even if you are simply looking for an answer to a question such as "Do I have ADHD?" Our main difference with traditional assessors is that it is the norm for testing to be used as an information-gathering tool,with the result relayed only to the person who referred you for testing. Sometimes you aren't even told the results or why the testing would be helpful! At Testing in Progress, LLC, before any testing is done, we will explore what questions you have about yourself or what areas in your life you are having trouble or are struggling. We will then tailor the testing to help answer these questions. With your permission and full knowledge, interviews with family members, therapists and/or teachers may also be conducted to help in answering these questions. For example, if you are a student, your teacher may be interviewed to determine what behavior she or he has noticed, i.e., daydreaming, talking too much, not completing homework, etc., that interferes with your work. As the assessment continues, we will explore your questions and talk about what the testing has revealed. At Testing in Progress, LLC, psychological testing is seen as a potential intervention in itself, as well as a method of gathering information. At the end of the testing, we well have a summary session in which the test results will be discussed and we can work together to help the results make sense to you and your life. A letter will be sent out a few weeks later that details what we discuss in the summary session, and you will have the opportunity to return a few weeks later to talk about the testing process, the test results and to discuss future options.
Types of assessments we complete include personality testing, diagnosis and treatment planning, and cognitive testing. We prefer to schedule testing sessions over the course of two to four weeks to allow you time to reflect on each testing session and give yourself a break in between. However, we are happy to accommodate testing over a shorter period of time if you prefer.
Call Testing in Progress, LLC at 720-536-0910 to schedule an appointment!
