Adult assessment process

Assessment process for adult psychology assessments

Hi, and welcome to Therapy with Michaela.

I have prepared this presentation for you, to help you navigate through the assessment process. Please be aware that every assessment will be slightly different, due to the type of assessment and its complexity.

Each assessment starts with a one-and-a-half to two-hour session. We discuss your background, such as your family of origin, your social connections, education and hobbies. We also go in-depth into the presenting difficulties, such as what prompted the assessment. 

It is important that you provide further documentation, such as relevant medical or allied health reports that have been completed. When it comes to ADHD and autism assessments, primary school reports are also required.

Based on the information I’ve gathered up to this point, I will send you several questionnaires or assessments to complete online.

With assessments such as ADHD or autism, I will need to connect with people who know you well. Therefore, you will be required to provide the contact details of someone who you feel comfortable sharing this process with, and who will be able to speak about your current behaviour. Usually, clients select their partner, sibling or a close friend. If possible, it is helpful to also have caregivers involved in the process, as they are able to comment on early childhood behaviour.

The next part is the actual assessment. Usually this takes one to two hours and is completed face-to-face in our rooms, as most of the assessments are interactive. If you wish, you can have a person you are close to, accompany you for this process. Again, depending on the selected assessment or complexity, this may need to be completed over several sessions. 

If further information is needed, an additional one-hour appointment may be booked. Any of the additional steps mentioned will be discussed with you beforehand, so you can make an informed decision about whether you want to proceed with them or not.

Within two weeks of the last assessment session, the feedback session is held. This is where I discuss the results and my recommendations with you. This also provides you with the space to ask questions about the whole process and the report. You will receive a printed copy of the report, and a PDF document will be emailed to you after the session.

Please, do not hesitate to contact us prior to, or during the assessment process, if you have any questions.