Psychological assessment or evaluation typically involves
the organized collection, review, and use of information to answer a question
or questions about a client's particular presentation and needs. Assessment in
the United States has its roots beginning around World War I as a way to
measure a recruit's level of mental aptitude for specific fields of combat.
Today, assessments are a valuable tool used by mental health and medical
professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists to address the concerns
of children, adolescents, adults, seniors, students, and even organizations.
At Intercommunity Counseling Center (ICC) in Whittier, many
of our clients present a variety of issues that range from behavioral,
cognitive, legal, academic, professional, and medical situations. We use
various instruments such as questionnaires, rating scales and comprehensive
assessments that have been standardized with strong reliability and validity.
We strive to be caring, helpful and informative to our clients and take their
concerns with genuine interest. Among the benefits is assistance for
individuals in identifying and clarifying the nature of their presenting
concerns. These often involve issues such as depression, anxiety and difficulty
in learning.
One of the goals of assessment is to help our clients better
understand their personality and learning concerns that might interfere with
employment, education and personal endeavors. We assist them in developing a plan
to strengthen areas needing support and improve or highlight areas of success.
For example, a client may present with a question about why he has difficulty
with his managers at work. He believes his performance is in decline and he has
several absences, which have caused him to receive warnings for termination.
His relationship with his wife has become strained and he no longer feels like
doing things that once made him feel good. Despite this, the client said he
wanted to enjoy his line of work again as he had developed his skills over many
years. Following an interview with an assessment professional, it was
determined that a particular set of testing instruments might help explain his
problems. The client participated in the assessment process and developed a
better understanding of his experience at work and home. He recognized the
nature of his difficulty with his managers and identified adjustments that
ultimately improved his performance and enjoyment at work, his interest in
hobbies, and his relationship at home.
Other individuals may experience a debilitating anxiety that
prevents them from achieving their potential at school or sports. Others may
avoid social settings because they feel misunderstood or are unable to relate
to their peers. At ICC, a therapist may recommend assessment to help get a
better understanding of a client's presentation. The collaboration between the
client, therapist and assessment professional can lead to new paths of
treatment and provide an alternative perspective to a troubling issue.
Finally, the benefits of an assessment can extend through
the years. The findings can be used as a basis for measuring improvement over
time. They can also communicate information to other mental health
professionals and physicians. The process is often life changing in leading the
individual to a better understanding with specialized recommendations to
improve and enhance one's experience and quality of life. Psychological
evaluations help retell client stories and continue to be a valuable resource
for examining mental health aspects in a variety of life domains.
