At our Portland office located at 6500 S Macadam Avenue, Suite 375.

Laura O’Connor is our staff psychologist and offers both psychological testing and evaluation, academic testing as well as neuropsychological testing.

A psychiatric evaluation is the process of identifying behavioral symptoms that a person is experiencing that fit with a mental health diagnosis within the Diagnostic Statistics Manual (DSM-5). This then allows the psychiatric prescriber to identify a medication that will best treat the patient’s presenting mental health disorder.

A psychological evaluation is an in-person scientific and evidence-based test(s) that allows a person to learn in-depth about their level of functioning and processing. The psychological evaluation process includes a multi-page written report that will provide the patient with a better understanding of their functioning and emotional processing.

The terms psychological testing and neuropsychological testing are often used interchangeably, but each test involves a different set of assessment methods and are used to evaluate for different conditions. Both types of testing involve a series of different assessments that provide your psychologist the information they need to determine any mental or psychological conditions you may be experiencing.

Psychological testing is used to diagnose a wide array of conditions including mental health conditions, social and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. The testing is comprised of assessments that focus primarily on a person’s behavior, current mental state, medical and mental health history and other factors that indicate an underlying condition or diagnosis. The goal of psychological testing is to identify any mental health disorders or other conditions that would inhibit someone from thriving in their daily life.

While the process of neuropsychological testing is very similar to that of psychological testing, it targets specific areas that indicate an individual’s cognitive function in order to diagnose conditions such as intellectual disabilities, memory disorders (Alzheimer’s) and any other neurological condition. Neuropsychological testing is often performed to evaluate someone after a traumatic brain injury or other medical event or procedure, to measure the impact of that event on their cognitive functioning. It is commonly recommended by physicians or specialists to patients in need of a more comprehensive assessment of their mental and cognitive capacity.