Psychological Diagnostic Evaluation

Gain Clarity and a Better Understanding of Your Mental Health

Sometimes it can be difficult to make sense of what you're experiencing. You may know that something doesn't feel right, but aren't sure why. You may have received different diagnoses over time, wonder whether a particular diagnosis fits your experience, or want a clearer understanding of your mental health before deciding what kind of treatment to pursue. A psychological diagnostic evaluation provides an opportunity to step back and develop a more comprehensive understanding of your symptoms, experiences, and treatment needs. At Vita Viva Psychology, I provide psychological diagnostic evaluations for adults seeking diagnostic clarification and recommendations for next steps.

What Is a Psychological Diagnostic Evaluation?

A psychological diagnostic evaluation is a focused assessment designed to better understand your current psychological concerns and determine whether your experiences are consistent with one or more mental health diagnoses. Rather than focusing only on a checklist of symptoms, the evaluation considers your experiences within the broader context of your life and history. Depending on your individual concerns, the evaluation may include a detailed clinical interview, review of relevant history, and standardized psychological questionnaires or assessment measures. The goal is not simply to assign a label. Instead, the goal is to develop a thoughtful understanding of what you're experiencing and provide clinically useful recommendations for moving forward.

Why Might I Seek an Evaluation?

There are many reasons you might want greater diagnostic clarity. A psychological diagnostic evaluation may be helpful if:

• You're experiencing emotional or psychological symptoms and aren't sure how to understand them

• You wonder whether your experiences may be consistent with a particular mental health condition

• You've received different diagnoses from different providers

• A previous diagnosis doesn't seem to fully explain your experience

• You've been in treatment but feel that something may be missing from your current understanding

• You'd like greater clarity before beginning psychotherapy or medication

• Your therapist, psychiatrist, primary care provider, or another healthcare professional has recommended further evaluation

• You want a better understanding of your psychological strengths, challenges, and treatment needs

You don't need to know exactly what diagnosis you're seeking before contacting me. Part of the evaluation process is determining which questions may be most useful to explore.

What Can a Diagnostic Evaluation Assess?

Psychological diagnostic evaluations can help clarify a range of emotional and behavioral concerns. Depending on your individual needs and the reason for the evaluation, we may explore concerns related to:

• Anxiety

• Depression and mood-related concerns

• Obsessive-compulsive symptoms

• Trauma- and stressor-related concerns

• Eating and body image concerns

• Adjustment to stressful life circumstances

• Other emotional or behavioral difficulties

Because different types of psychological evaluations require different forms of specialized assessment, we'll first determine whether the questions you're hoping to answer are appropriate for the diagnostic evaluation services I provide.

What Should I Expect?

1. Initial Consultation

The first step is determining whether a psychological diagnostic evaluation through Vita Viva Psychology is appropriate for your needs. We'll briefly discuss what you're hoping to better understand and the questions you'd like the evaluation to address. If another type of assessment would be more appropriate, I can let you know before you begin the evaluation process.

2. Clinical Interview

The evaluation includes an in-depth clinical interview. We'll discuss your current concerns as well as relevant aspects of your history, which may include:

• Current symptoms and concerns

• When and how your symptoms developed

• Previous mental health diagnoses

• Previous therapy or psychiatric treatment

• Medical history

• Family mental health history

• Relationships and social functioning

• Work or academic functioning

• Significant life experiences and stressors

• Other information relevant to understanding your concerns

The specific areas we discuss will depend on the questions we're trying to answer.

3. Psychological Assessment Measures

When appropriate, you may complete standardized psychological questionnaires or other assessment measures. These measures provide additional information that can be considered alongside your clinical interview and history. Psychological measures are not interpreted in isolation. Your results are considered as one part of the larger clinical picture.

4. Diagnostic Formulation

Following the evaluation, I integrate the information we've gathered to develop a clinical understanding of your concerns. This process may help determine whether your experiences meet criteria for a particular psychological diagnosis, whether another diagnosis may better account for your symptoms, or whether your experiences are better understood without assigning a specific diagnosis.

5. Feedback & Recommendations

An important part of the evaluation process is helping you understand the findings. We'll discuss what emerged from the evaluation, how I understand your current concerns, and recommendations for next steps.

Depending on your needs, recommendations might include:

• Individual psychotherapy

• A particular type of psychotherapy

• Consultation with a psychiatrist or other prescribing provider

• Coordination with another healthcare professional

• Additional specialized psychological or neuropsychological testing

• Behavioral or lifestyle recommendations

• Other resources appropriate to your circumstances

My goal is for you to leave the evaluation with a clearer understanding of your experience and a practical sense of what to do next.