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What is a psychological assessment?
What is a psychological assessment?
A psychological assessment is a structured and comprehensive process designed to clarify mental health concerns, particularly when symptoms are complex or not easily understood. This evaluation is a valuable tool for accurately diagnosing mental health conditions, identifying strengths and challenges, and developing effective, individualized treatment recommendations. Psychological assessments are especially helpful for individuals experiencing persistent emotional or behavioral difficulties—such as sadness, anxiety, anger, or distress—when the underlying causes are unclear.
A thorough psychological assessment integrates information from multiple sources to provide a holistic understanding of an individual’s functioning. This includes:
Assessing the Frequency and Intensity of Symptoms: Evaluating how often symptoms occur and their impact on daily life.
Evaluating Functioning Across Domains: Examining cognitive, developmental, emotional, psychosocial, academic, and occupational areas.
Exploring the Purpose and Context of Behaviors: Understanding the underlying reasons for certain behaviors or symptoms.
Identifying Strengths and Areas for Growth: Highlighting assets and areas that may benefit from support.
Enhancing Self-Understanding and Insight: Helping individuals gain a clearer understanding of their experiences and needs.
Determining Solutions and Accommodations: Recommending interventions or accommodations for home, school, work, or community settings.
The process typically involves standardized psychological and cognitive testing, as well as a review of developmental, psychiatric, medical, educational, and occupational history. Family history, social environment, and behavioral observations are also considered to ensure recommendations are tailored to each individual’s unique needs.
Difference between a psychological evaluation and psychotherapy
Difference between a psychological evaluation and psychotherapy
A psychological evaluation is a time-limited, comprehensive assessment focused on clarifying diagnoses, understanding specific mental health concerns, and guiding treatment planning. It involves interviews, standardized testing, behavioral observation, and record review to provide detailed recommendations for intervention or support.
Psychotherapy, by contrast, is an ongoing, collaborative treatment process. Clients work with a mental health professional over a series of sessions to address emotional, behavioral, or psychological difficulties, develop coping strategies, process experiences, and achieve personal goals. Psychotherapy is tailored to each individual’s needs and may utilize a variety of evidence-based approaches.
Choosing the Right Service:
Psychological Evaluation is recommended if you need diagnostic clarification (e.g., ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, learning disabilities, mood disorders), an understanding of the underlying causes of your symptoms, or formal documentation for accommodations or legal/medical purposes.
Psychotherapy is appropriate if you are seeking support for ongoing emotional distress, relationship difficulties, or behavioral challenges and want guidance and strategies for improving your well-being.
In some cases, a psychological evaluation is the first step in developing a treatment plan, which may then be followed by psychotherapy. If you are unsure which service is right for you, a consultation can help determine the most appropriate next steps.
Types of psychological evaluation services
Types of psychological evaluation services
Dr. Kan Psychological Services offers a range of comprehensive psychological evaluations, including:
Diagnostic Evaluations: Assessment to confirm or rule out mental health conditions such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and other psychiatric concerns.
Neuropsychological Assessments: Evaluation of cognitive domains including attention, memory, visuospatial skills, language, and executive functioning.
Personality Assessments: Assessment of personality traits, coping strategies, and interpersonal functioning to aid in treatment planning and personal development.
Educational Assessments: Identification of specific learning disabilities or cognitive weaknesses that may contribute to academic challenges.
Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluations: Assessment of psychological readiness and potential risk factors for individuals preparing for major medical procedures, including bariatric surgery.
Immigration Psychological Evaluations: Specialized assessments for immigration-related matters, including Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions (N-648) and Hardship Evaluations (I-601 or I-601A).
Please note: Due to the current waitlist for psychological evaluations, Dr. Kan is unable to accommodate expedited evaluations for time-sensitive immigration cases, including Cancellation of Removal, Asylum, U Visa, T Visa, and VAWA applications.
Practice Focus:
Dr. Kan specializes exclusively in clinical psychological evaluations to clarify mental health concerns, inform therapeutic recommendations, and support overall well-being. Forensic evaluations (e.g., related to child custody or legal proceedings) are not offered, except for immigration-related psychological assessments.
Common referral questions
Common referral questions
Psychological assessments address a broad range of concerns, including but not limited to:
Developmental and Cognitive:
What is the child’s overall cognitive ability?
What are their cognitive strengths and weaknesses?
Why does my child have difficulty with peers or emotional regulation?
How can parents best support children with special needs?
Academic and Educational:
What is the student’s current level in reading, writing, and math?
Are academic difficulties due to a learning disability, attention disorder, or other psychological concern?
What skills can be developed to improve learning?
How is the student functioning socially and emotionally at school?
Mental Health Treatment:
Can assessment clarify an unclear diagnosis?
Why has the patient not responded to treatment?
What interventions or level of care are most appropriate?
Does the individual meet criteria for depression, anxiety, or other conditions?
What is the patient’s capacity for insight and coping?
Medical:
Are psychological factors contributing to medical complaints or chronic pain?
Is the patient a suitable candidate for bariatric surgery?
Is there evidence of cognitive decline or neurological impairment?
What recommendations can support treatment planning?
Each assessment is tailored to address the specific referral questions and individual needs, ensuring that the evaluation provides meaningful guidance for intervention, support, and ongoing care.
What does a typical psychological assessment involve?
What does a typical psychological assessment involve?
A typical psychological assessment includes the following steps:
Clinical Interview: An in-depth interview with the client (and, when appropriate, with family members or caregivers) to gather information about presenting concerns, personal history, and relevant background.
Records Review: Examination of available records, such as previous evaluations, academic records, medical history, or other pertinent documentation, to provide additional context.
Behavioral Observations: Systematic observation of the client’s behavior during assessment sessions to gain insight into their functioning, interpersonal style, and emotional responses.
Test Administration: Administration of standardized psychological and/or neuropsychological tests tailored to address the referral questions. These may assess cognitive abilities, academic skills, emotional functioning, personality traits, or other relevant domains.
Questionnaires and Rating Scales: Use of self-report and/or informant-report questionnaires or rating scales to obtain additional perspectives on the client’s symptoms, behaviors, and functioning across settings.
Scoring and Interpretation: Careful scoring and interpretation of test results and rating scales, integrating findings with information obtained from interviews, records, and behavioral observations.
Report Writing: Preparation of a comprehensive assessment report that summarizes the evaluation process, findings, diagnostic impressions, and recommendations for interventions or accommodations.
Feedback Session: A dedicated session with the client (and, when appropriate, with family members or other stakeholders) to review the assessment findings, discuss recommendations, and answer questions.
Depending on the assessment’s complexity, collateral interviews with teachers or healthcare providers, as well as classroom or workpl, may also be conducted. Comprehensive assessments often require multiple sessions to complete all components.
What is Dr. Kan's assessment approach?
What is Dr. Kan's assessment approach?
Dr. Kan utilizes a collaborative, strength-based, therapeutic, and culturally informed approach to psychological assessment. She works closely with parents, educators, and other providers to gather a comprehensive understanding of each client’s history, presenting concerns, and current symptoms. Emphasis is placed on identifying strengths to enhance self-esteem and empower clients in addressing challenges.
Cultural sensitivity and diversity considerations are integral to every evaluation. Dr. Kan is trilingual and can conduct assessments in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin to ensure accessibility for a diverse clientele. Both standardized and non-standardized measures are used as appropriate, and recommendations are designed to be realistic and practical, taking into account available community and educational resources.
Psychological Assessment Fees
Psychological Assessment Fees
Dr. Kan is in-network with Aetna in California only. For Aetna members, services are billed according to the contracted rate with Aetna. Members are responsible for any applicable deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance as determined by their individual insurance plan.
For clients who are not covered by Aetna or who are located outside of California, Dr. Kan is not contracted with any other government or commercial insurance plans and operates on a self-pay basis. Payment is accepted by cash or other direct methods. Some clients choose to use their Health Savings Account (HSA) for payment. Clients with a PPO insurance plan may pay for services in full and then submit a claim to their insurance provider for possible out-of-network reimbursement. Upon request, Dr. Kan Psychological Services will issue a superbill to facilitate this process. Reimbursement policies vary by insurer, so clients are encouraged to verify their benefits in advance.
Please note: Lyra does NOT cover psychological evaluations.
The total cost of a psychological evaluation depends on the specific referral questions, the range and complexity of tests administered, and the total time required to complete the assessment process. For self-pay clients, Dr. Kan Psychological Services charges $220 per hour. A comprehensive evaluation typically includes:
Clinical interview
Review of relevant records (if applicable)
Administration of standardized and non-standardized tests
Scoring and data analysis
Preparation of a detailed written report
One-hour feedback session to review results and recommendations
Additional services, such as collateral interviews (with parents, teachers, spouses, or other relevant providers), classroom observations, and participation in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, may be included as needed and are billed at the same hourly rate.
A limited number of sliding scale or reduced-fee slots are available for clients experiencing financial hardship. Documentation of financial need is required to qualify for this option.
Special Note for Single Parents with Full or Joint Legal Custody:
For families in which parents share joint legal custody, both parents must provide written consent for the evaluation and are expected to participate in the clinical interview and feedback session together (these sessions may be conducted virtually if necessary).
If one parent has full legal custody, legal or court documentation verifying custody status must be provided prior to the assessment.
For additional information about fees, payment options, or insurance reimbursement, please schedule a consultation.
Free Consultation
Free Consultation
To schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation with Dr. Kan, click on the following link or contact her via email or phone number:
Online reservation: https://kanpsych.clientsecure.me/request/service (preferred)
Email: info@kanpsych.com
Telephone: (925)-238-8932 (voicemail)
Dr. Kan provides psychological assessments, psycho-educational testing, brief neuropsychological evaluations, and psychotherapy in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. She is located in Dublin/Pleasanton and services children, adolescents, and adults in the entire Bay Area. She also offers telehealth services to clients in California and New York.
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