What are The Essential Components of a Psychological Assessment?

A comprehensive psychological evaluation involves a combination of assessment tools that are designed to understand the source of underlying concerns affecting behavior. Psychological assessments are conducted by knowledgeable and skilled clinicians who are trained to understand and interpret the results. Often the process takes several appointments and may involve several different kinds of tests designed to understand the underlying features of a condition.

Four essential components of psychological assessment:

Norm-referenced tests: The tests that psychologists use are norm-referenced which means that they were designed and calibrated based upon data collected from a wide variety of individuals and are therefore less likely to produced bias results. There are several different kinds of tests that all assess a different element of mental health and cognitive functioning. When the results are viewed collectively, holistic recommendations can be made to help the client improve overall functioning.

Interviews:Many assessment protocols first involve a comprehensive interview whereby the clinician asks the client questions about their history and current symptoms to better understand the goals and objectives of the assessment process. Also, in some cases parents, partners, and teachers may be asked questions (following the approval of the client) to further support the information collected in the interview process.

Observations: Often the assessment process involves direct observation of behavior in a particular setting to better understand the nature of the presenting concern. This is especially true when evaluating children who are often not able to describe their concerns effectively.

Informal testing: In some cases, in addition to norm-referenced tests, psychologists may also use questionnaires or other measures to add support to their findings. This data is useful to fill in the gaps that may exist in the testing process.

Things to know about Individual Therapy

Therapy (also known as psychotherapy and counseling) is a mutual process between a client and therapist that aims to help change and enhance quality of life. Therapy can help clients tackle obstacles that may hinder mental health and personal connection. It can also help improve emotions and self-esteem. Many people who participate in therapy find that they develop personal growth and self-actualization as well.

What does psychotherapy treat and when is it suggested?

Therapy treats mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It can also focus on relationship distress, stress management, and career problems. Typically, a person seeks out therapy when their mental health concerns begin affecting their day-to-day functioning. Therapy helps people improve their behaviors and emotions so that they can live their lives to the fullest.

Who can offer psychotherapy?

Therapist, counselors, and psychologists are all regulated by state licensing boards. Some therapists have a master’s degree (e.g. social workers and LMFTs), and some have doctoral degrees (psychologists). Additionally, psychiatrists are medical doctors with mental health specialties who can prescribe psychotropic medications.

How are therapy objectives, frequency, and length decided?

The goals and length of therapy are decided collaboratively by both the clinician and the client. The course of therapy also depends largely on the presenting concerns and their severity. Some types of therapy last longer than others (for example, traditional psychoanalysis can last for years) and some therapy is very brief (for example crisis management therapy is often only a few sessions). Most therapy is considered short term (fewer than 20 sessions) and sessions typically last between 45 and 60 minutes. More complicated concerns may necessitate more frequent and longer sessions.

Can psychotherapy cure me?

Therapy is meant to improve presenting concerns and is designed to give the client tools so that they can live more effectively once therapy is complete. Many mental health conditions that are the product of underlying biological concerns cannot be “cured” per se, but they can be treated so that the client no longer suffers because of them.

Couples Counseling Can Be A Blessing In Disguise For Any Broken Relationship

Couples counseling is often used to help partners solve problems and communicate more effectively in their relationship. This is often accomplished through time-limited and solution-focused treatment modalities that identify specific problems and realistic treatment objectives.

The primary goal of couples counseling is to help partners build a caring and supportive relationship. The therapist encourages emotional growth and guides the clients towards renewed feelings of attachment. Some of the most common concerns that are addressed in couples counseling include communication concerns, boundary violations, trust issues, and disagreements with parenting, money, and life goals. Most therapists help clients learn how to communicate grievances more effectively so that healthy and productive conversations can occur.

How long do couples typically stay in couples counseling?

Couples therapy is meant to be brief and solution focused. As such, most couples will remain in treatment for an average of 10 to 12 sessions where they will learn new behaviors and ways of communicating. However, the frequency of sessions is ultimately determined by the clients and the therapist and is dependent on the concerns that brought them in to treatment. Ideally, the strategies and tools learned in therapy will last well beyond the termination of treatment.

Is couples counseling really productive?

Many studies have found couples counseling to be very effective at building stronger and more positive relationships. Most couples who participate in couples counseling report that their relationship has improved and they feel more connected and bonded to their partner.

Couples counseling in South Pasadena

Our therapists work from a variety of theoretical backgrounds, but we are all skilled at helping two people connect and communicate more effectively. Please contact our office for more information and to set up an appointment.

How Dementia Can Be Treated With Neuropsychological Assessment

Dementia is an age-related mental health condition that involves gradual decreases in one’s ability to think and remember and affects overall daily functioning. It can also affect a person’s emotions, language, and motivation. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease which encompasses 50-70% of cases. Approximately three to four million Americans over the age of 70 experience dementia.

The primary role of neuropsychological assessment in the diagnosis of dementia is to determine what areas of the brain are affected by the disease so that specific and targeted recommendations can be made. Additionally, early diagnosis of functional impairment can lead to improved prognosis with the right medications and therapies. Although most forms of dementia are irreversible, neuropsychological testing can determine areas of weakness and can help a patient compensate which can lead to a more fulfilling life.

A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation for dementia typically consists of a cognitive exam to determine baseline intellectual functioning. It also often involves tests of fine motor ability, memory, and language ability as well as frontal lobe processing and tests of executive functioning and problem solving. Additionally, many assessment batteries include measures of mood and personality which are often impacted when cognitive decline occurs.

If you or your family members are concerned about cognitive or memory problems, contact your primary care doctor who can recommend a neuropsychologist for a comprehensive evaluation.

What Types of Problems do Students with Learning Disabilities Experience?

Learning disabilities are neurological deficits that restrict a person’s ability to learn a particular skill such as reading, writing, or math. People with learning disabilities will have learning issues that continue all through their lives, and they may also have trouble in both school and in their job.

Learning disabilities are often first noticed when a child begins to fall behind in class. Parents and teachers may notice that the child has trouble learning specific skills and they may have inconsistent academic performance. Additionally, some students who are very bright may only start to struggle when the material exceeds their capacity to compensate.

Living with a learning disability can be a challenge for both parents and students. In several cases, the child may have struggled for some time before a learning disability is formally diagnosed, but when it is, it can bring a feeling of relief to finally be able to understand the source of the child’s concerns. There are many school resources to help students with learning disabilities thrive including tutoring and academic support and special education programs. Additionally, individualized education plans can help the student meet his or her specific learning goals.

In order to diagnose a learning disability, a comprehensive evaluation is often required which typically includes a formal interview with the child and the parents, a cognitive evaluation to determine ability level, and an aptitude or achievement test to determine areas of strength and weakness. Additionally, specific measures may be used to fully assess deficits in reading, writing, and math.

If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability, it is strongly recommended that you seek a diagnosis early so that the student can receive support to help them achieve and maintain academic success. There are psychologists in Pasadena who specialize in learning disability assessments who can give you fast and accurate results and specific academic recommendations and support.

Finding the Right Psychologist

In today’s day and age, many people are looking for a “quick fix”, especially when presented with a mental health condition, and often medications are the first line of treatment. However, most doctors and clinicians agree that the most effective treatment approach is a combination of both psychotropic medications and supportive therapy. Therefore, it is important to choose a therapist that is the right fit for you.

Often people who seek therapy feel like they are alone in a storm. They may feel complicated emotions and they may have many questions and few answers. A psychologist can understand the client’s struggles and can give them real world solutions to their problems. Psychologists help establish a safe and supportive environment and help their clients through the storm and into more effective ways of dealing with life stressors. There are several different kinds of psychologists including child psychologists, school psychologists, neuropsychologists, and forensic psychologists, but they all exist to help clients succeed in their goals.

Finding the right psychologist in Pasadena is easy with the Internet. Simply enter ‘psychologist Pasadena” into a Google search and you will find several practitioners in your area.

Neuropsychological Testing – Areas to Be Tested

Are you the parent of an adolescent that you assume possibly has autism? Do you speculate why your adolescent isn’t learning to read? Are you thinking about taking your kid for a neuropsychological test because of a probable learning inability? Would you like to have a listing of areas that a neuropsychologist may test your kid? In this article we’ll discuss about nine areas that must be tested during neuropsychological testing children.

• Intelligence Quotient, which is popularly known as IQ. If the adolescent has a language-based disorder, then a non-verbal IQ test may work great. The UNIT (Universal Test of Non Verbal Intelligence) is employed by a lot of psychologists.

• Current level of educational functioning. It’s essential to comprehend particularly what level a kid’s academics are, so they can be provided proper special education services in order to make improvement.

• Awareness and kid’s capability to attend. A neuropsychologist may examine the kid and see if they’ve ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

• Short & Long-Term Memory

• Visual spatial & visual motor proficiencies

• Sensory Processing Disorder. This often takes place with other disabilities, like learning disabilities or autism. Testing for this disorder is performed by a professional counselor that has been skilled in this area.

• Speech or language disorders. The kid should have receptive & expressing evaluation to ensure if they’ve a speech or language disorder.

• Social & emotional abilities and difficulties.

• Particular tests to ensure if a kid has any learning disabilities. Learning inabilities can be in the fields of writing, reading, arithmetic, spelling, visual processing, auditory processing etc. to check if a kid has dyslexia, testing must be in the field of: phonemic consciousness, word finding capability, phonological memory, quick naming, and non-sense word reading. Dyslexia isn’t only turning letters around; it’s complexity with reading.

Different Psychological Therapies and How They Can Assist You

Before making a decision to visit a psychologist Pasadena for assistance, first you should know the different kinds of therapies they are employing. You may discover therapies which are suitable for you than the others. Psychological therapies essentially have three classes: behavioral therapies, humanistic therapies, and psychoanalytic & psychodynamic therapies. Below mentioned are the summary of different psychological therapies and how they can help you.

Behavioral & cognitive therapies:

This focus more on your behavioral process, this treatment puts stress on the fact that there is a likelihood to modify your behavior and your thinking approach to assist you concur a particular issue.

Behavioral – this mainly concentrates on the problems of phobia & addiction. This treatment believes that behaviors can be learned.

Cognitive – this counseling deals with thoughts & opinions and how it has an effect on your behavior. This approach believes that if we reconsider unconstructive thoughts so that we can become more adaptable and be trained to think more confidently.

Cognitive behavioral therapy –CBT is the blend of cognitive & behavioral therapies. This approach is helpful in dealing with the problems of phobia, anxiety and depression.

Psychoanalytical & Psychodynamic Therapies:

These mainly focus on an individual’s unconsciousness, which were assumed to build up way back in their babyhood and how those feelings have an effect on their present.

Psychoanalysis – this focuses on the person’s unconsciousness that was assumed to have built up during their infancy. Via dreams & fantasies of the clients, they’ve the capability to understand how these veiled emotions have an effect on their behavior in the current scenario.

Psychoanalytic Therapy – it also focuses about a person’s unconsciousness, but the approach is less rigorous than the above mentioned.

Psychodynamic Counseling –came from psychoanalytic the dissimilarity is that it only deals with the instant requirements of the client and how to resolve them as quickly as feasible.

Humanistic therapies:

This counseling focuses more on self-improvement, growth and the accountabilities of the sufferers.

Humanistic Therapies

This therapy concentrates more on self development, growth and the responsibilities of the individuals.

Gestalt therapy – this focuses on the person as a whole. It even deals with the individual’s thoughts and feelings and the present experiences. This treatment stresses and promotes self-consciousness of the clients.

As you can see there’re so many therapies or counseling which could be employed relying on your situation, don’t hesitate to look for therapies that’d assist you in regaining your emotional `& mental health.

Family Therapy Can Work Well for Furthering Resolution of Family Issues

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to resolve family problems via enhancing and altering family communication. Multiple or all family members are involved in a family therapy to provide a space to explore and change familial dynamics. Family therapy can be to address problems such as family conflicts, divorce, parent-child bonding, discipline, mental health concerns, addiction, and sibling rivalry.

What does family therapists do?

Family therapy sessions have assisted thousands of households live together happily. A family therapist working from a family systems perspective assesses the family as a whole and tries to facilitate subtle changes in the way the family functions as a whole. This can facilitate better communication and the overall balance and harmony in the family.

Family therapy is beneficial in that in alters the communication dynamic from the start and can allow members of the family system to further assess the role they play in family disputes and troubles. Often the greatest difficulty can be getting all of the family members to agree to attend a session. A good way to get everyone to agree to attend a session is to point out the importance of any reluctant family member’s role in the ongoing struggles and more importantly to express how helpful they would be to another family member if they attended session. This can lessen stress about attending session, particularly of a family member is concerned they will be blamed for the current problems.

Family therapy in Pasadena is available for:

• Family counseling for child-parent clash. Child-parent relationship struggles are very normal and can happen because of inherent temperament differences between parents and children, differing parenting approaches from one parent to the other, concerns about fairness and dividing time between siblings. Often having a therapist present can aid the family in identifying where communication has gone awry and further mend bridges between family members by aiding everyone in feeling heard and understood.

• Family counseling for marriage problems can improve tense relationships by furtheringfamily bonding and aiding in creating mutually agreeable resolutions. Couples counseling can work to re-establish intimacy and connection, but can also be a place to begin a mutually agreed upon separation.

• Family sessions following a divorce can be for the purposes of navigating custody arrangements, facilitating parental consistency, furthering communication between parents, and providing a space for the children to gain a better understanding of the new familial dynamics at play.

• Family counseling for chronic illness or disability can facilitate weathering a quickly changing family dynamic. Therapy can aid in smoother transitions in navigating new roles and providing support for all of the family members during this challenging time. Family therapy can also be helpful in beginning to have some challenging conversations about caretaking and the future.

Child Therapy May Be the Answer for Your Child’s Behavioral and Emotional Struggles

When your child is struggling with behavior or being overwhelmed by their emotions it can be challenging for parents to know what to do to help their child. While changing one’s parenting style can sometimes help, there are times when a child benefits from therapy to learn new coping skills and ways of processing their emotions. Parents can also learn new ways of addressing problematic behaviors. A therapist’s office can serve as both a safe haven and classroom to further improve familial struggles and overall wellness and health.

Individual therapy for children often involves learning to manage worries and social troubles. Whether it’s learning to make new friends, reduce anxiety, calm impulsivity, or learn self-soothing techniques therapy can be advantageous for children. Hence, one area that child therapy can assist is in nurturing improved responses to social circumstances either with friends at institution, or with other siblings. Techniques to manage conflict and learn about behavioral and though patterns that are problematic can be quite helpful.

One most crucial element to productive child therapy Pasadena is to ensure that the therapist, and the child are a good fit. While therapeutic alliances can take some time to establish, it’s helpful if the child is comfortable in the therapeutic space and is willing to engage with the therapist that’s a good start. However, it’s important to recognize that with younger children it’s not so important that they talk in therapy, but rather that they play. Even an absence of play can be indicative of the child working through their emotions about interacting with others or processing their emotions. As such, it’s helpful to allow the therapist to create a safe and confidential space with your child in order to further their comfort and engagement.

Play is a way younger children explore their emotions and ways of navigating their environment. Play therapy candevelop a safe space that allows the child to feel free to explore their problems and for the therapist to facilitate resolution of the same. Behavioral therapies are also useful when determining how to resolve troublesome behaviors like not completing homework, refusing to go to school, or getting into arguments with other children. Cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness techniques, and acceptance and commitment therapies can also be advantageous for some children.

If you are one such parent struggling with your child’s behavioral and emotional issues, then don’t feel shy to get in touch with an expert child therapist.

Cognitive-BehaviorTherapy – TheBasics

Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) has been employed to aid individuals suffering from depression and other mental health struggles.

When going through CBT a professional aids the individual in identifying and altering trouble some thought patterns. CBT attempts to challenge automatic thinking that fuels depression or anxiety. CBT can reduce panic attacks, social anxiety, performance anxiety, depression, and even procrastination. Thinking patterns and sentiments play an important part in human behavior and said patterns can be modified.

There are increasing numbers of people who are experiencing depression and anxiety and while many believe medication may be adequate, numerous studies have indicated that cognitive behavior therapy is more successful for long term remission. No doubt, a lot relies on the individual’ sreadiness and receptiveness to engaging in therapy. A trained therapist can help an individual to process past experiences & situations, to examine their responses and alter their patterns of behavior.

Cognitive behavior therapy Pasadena has turned out to be a means of comprehending the link between inner thoughts and sensitivities and human behavior. If you’re an individual who’s experiencing depression or anxiety or any other type of psychological issue finding a therapist trained in using CBT can aid you in making changes to your life.

Self-help books can serve as a useful starting point for your own personal therapy. David Burns, Judity Beck, and Aaron Beck all have useful books about CBT and many of them serve as a helpful adjunct to individual therapy. Often working with your own individual therapist furthers one’s ability to apply CBT techniques and feel better sooner.

A Brief Guide to ADHD Testing

Troubles with attention and concentration are pervasive in our society. The demand to stay focused for long periods of time, but also to remain attentive to numerous things at once, is common place. We are staying in school longer, working more jobs, and managing more daily responsibilities than ever. At the same time, research suggests that struggles with mental health are on the rise. With all of the demands placed upon us and our children, it can be challenging to discern the cause of any struggles we may be encountering. I often hear clients complain about their inability to focus, plan, and organize their daily lives. Similarly, parents will often describe observing their child’s difficulties with completing homework assignments, doing well in school, or keeping their bedroom organized. The question I’m often asked is: Is this ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)?

ADHD symptoms can include troubles with both attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Inattentive symptoms of ADHD include making careless mistakes, trouble sustaining attention, not listening to directions, struggling to organize and plan, disliking tasks that require sustained attention, losing things, being forgetful and easily distracted. While hyperactive/impulsive symptoms include either overt difficulties with remaining still or trouble with an inner sense of restlessness, interrupting others during conversation, trouble waiting for one’s turn, and appearing to have excessive energy. Generally speaking, ADHD is diagnosed during childhood, but it can be diagnosed for adults as well. When diagnosing ADHD, symptoms like the above would need to have been present since the age of 12. Nonetheless, there are other reasons that ADHD symptoms may arise after that age, and ADHD testing can facilitate clarity in diagnosis and treatment.

While ADHD has be diagnosed based on an interview, there are many conditions and situations that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD. Discerning if attention and concentration troubles are, in fact, ADHD can be done via psychological testing. Testing typically involves an interview in the office and completing some diagnostic questionnaires, which can be provided to both the individual and any other individual who has observed them at home, at work, socially, or at school. It can also include computerized testing and assessments of executive functioning, working memory, and cognition. For those struggling in school, a Learning Disability assessment is also appropriate.

If you are seeking reliable ADHD testing in Los Angeles, VOBH can be of service. We have psychologists trained in psycho-diagnostic testing who specialize in discerning ADHD and who can also make treatment recommendations related to ADHD or any other diagnoses.