Psychological Assessment

At Introspect Psychology, we offer psycho-educational assessments geared at the identification of adult learning disabilities, as well as identification and differential diagnosis for severe mental health difficulties
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​About psychological assessment
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​Psychological assessments are complex processes of diagnosis that require highly specialized training and expertise. Psychologists possess the highest level of test user qualifications recommended by the American Psychological Association in their Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (2014); they are also fully qualified to perform activities such as testing, scoring, and interpreting results of psychological measures. Moreover, according to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 18, the communication of diagnosis is considered a controlled act that is restricted to only a few professions, including psychologists.
​Psychological assessments can be requested directly by the client (self-referral), or by a third party , such as a disability counsellor, academic advisor, medical doctor, or another psychologist. 
What to expect
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A psycho-educational assessment involves several stages. In the initial stage, the psychologist meets with you in person for testing. Such a meeting typically starts with a clinical interview, followed by the administration of psychological tests. Depending on the referral question, the number of tests administered, and the person’s individual characteristics, a testing session could last between six and ten hours (6 – 10 hours).
At the next stage, the psychologist engages in a complex process of analysis, interpretation and diagnosis. This usually includes scoring the tests, comparing client’s results with population norms, plotting data, reviewing additional or supporting documentation, interpreting and drawing a concluding diagnostic opinion. The duration of this stage varies significantly with each particular case.
The assessment results and personalized recommendations to support academic accommodations, as well as resources, are communicated to the client in a feedback session (half-an-hour to an hour). The content, results, and recommendations of the assessment that were discussed are then summarized in a 12-20-pages long psychological report.

Psychotherapy

Introspect Psychology promotes an inclusive, safe and sex-positive environment for all clients, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or preferences. We happily accept and work with LGBTQ, First Nations clients, and minorities faced with discrimination or prejudice. 
​A blend of Emotion-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic, and Relational approaches is used.
​Services are offered in both English and Romanian.
Types of difficulties
Here are a few areas of difficulty that I can help clients with:
  • Depression, mood and anxiety disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, dysthymia, generalized anxiety and panic);
  • Adjustment, stress-related and dissociative symptoms/disorders due to parental neglect or abuse, intergenerational trauma, domestic abuse, assault, hate crimes, political trauma, immigration, refugee status, cults, etc.
  • Enduring patterns of interpersonal, emotional or cognitive difficulties, paired with inner conflict and resistance to change
  • Difficulties specific to different life-stages, such as work/study, severe illness or existential unrest
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What to expect
Therapy is a complex process, and it involves a commitment of energy, time and money. Therapy can be difficult and it may trigger, at least in the initial stages, deeper feelings of sadness and turmoil. Even though you may feel tempted to make major changes in your life soon after starting therapeutic work or have the impulse to “start anew,” it is not advisable to do so without considerable thought and talking to your therapist first about your plans. Therapy can feel like hard work (and it is!), as it involves working not only during the therapy-hour, but also whenever possible between the sessions in order to make the most of it. However, therapy can have great advantages and may contribute to a greater sense of well-being, emotional connectedness and love, and trust. It may lead to insight and it may make you smarter (yes, you read that correctly!), at least emotionally! Therapy can help you solve a conflict, become better, or simply accept who you are, regardless of self- or others-imposed standards. It can, indeed, be freeing!

Consultation

Client consultation and diagnostic assessments are also available. This may be an area of interest for those who need guidance, specialized treatment and referrals within and outside the GTA
To that end, I accept referrals from family physicians, psychiatrists, and other professionals (OTs, counsellors, physiotherapists, academic advisors, etc.) who may have questions about a particular client’s cognitive functioning, personality traits, or psychological difficulties. 
What to expect
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Consultation entails a clinical interview and possibly the administration of selected psychological tests. This is done in order to form a quick but reliable diagnostic impression, and thus avoid further aggravation of clients' symptoms or difficulties in the absence of appropriate and prompt intervention. Consultation will result in recommendations and referrals to appropriate and specialized resources, such as treatment facilities for eating disorders, addictions, neuropsychological or rehabilitation care, etc. The results are summarized in a brief psychological consult report. 
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