Psychological Assessment

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. For some, symptoms are mild and easy to attribute to stress or fatigue. For others, they are severe enough to disrupt work, relationships, and daily functioning. Psychological testing identifies what is happening, why, and what to do about it. At NSG, our psychologists evaluate cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, personality structure, and psychiatric symptoms using standardized instruments and DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria.

What a Psychological Assessment Includes

A psychological evaluation at NSG includes three components:

• History and Records Review Review of medical records, prior evaluations, and relevant background to understand the factors contributing to current symptoms.
• Clinical Interview A structured interview with you and, when helpful, a family member or other informant, covering symptom history, daily functioning, stressors, and treatment history.
• Standardized Testing and Self-Report Measures Norm-referenced tests of cognitive abilities, mood, personality structure, and symptom validity, alongside standardized questionnaires capturing your own experience of symptoms and functioning.

What to Expect

Most psychological evaluations take two to four hours and are completed in one or two visits, in person or by telehealth where appropriate. There are no invasive procedures; testing consists of interviews, questionnaires, and structured tasks. Bring a list of current medications and any prior evaluations or records you have. After scoring and interpretation, your psychologist can schedule a feedback session to review the results and recommendations with you.

Questions an Evaluation Can Answer

Psychological assessments at NSG address questions including:

• Is this depression, anxiety, or something else?
• Is this ADHD, or another cause of attention and focus problems?
• Do symptoms reflect PTSD or another trauma-related condition?
• What diagnosis best explains the current symptoms?
• Which treatments are most likely to help?
• Are accommodations warranted at work or school?

Conditions We Evaluate

• Major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder
• Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Personality disorders
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Psychotic disorders
• Somatic symptom and related disorders

What You Will Receive

The evaluation produces a written report with diagnostic impressions, test results and interpretation, and specific recommendations for treatment, whether that involves therapy, medication management, accommodations, or referral to other specialists. If therapy is indicated, our Counseling and Therapy team provides evidence-based treatment at NSG.

Psychological evaluations are available at all eight NSG clinics and by telehealth where clinically appropriate. To schedule an evaluation or discuss a referral, call (888) 606-0086.