Emotional Testing is recommended when an individual is having behavioral or emotional problems. Adults may seek to learn more about their mood and what treatments would be effective. Parents might be concerned that their child is moody, feeling unhappy, and does not feel a sense of satisfaction or contentment in life. Many parents have their children assessed when they notice that their child lacks friends, is difficult to communicate with, or does not appear to feel remorse about wrong doings.
Sometimes emotional testing is needed to clarify a diagnosis, provide a jump start for treatment planning, or to better understand WHY a person is behaving the way they are. Emotional assessment is NOT just providing checklists for the individual and parents/spouse to fill out. We know most children might not be able to acknowledge or know how they are feeling.
We rely not only on the diagnostic interview with the person and family, but also on the use of projectives. Projective testing are personality measures which provides insight into your child’s unconscious processes. This may include the Rorschach Inkblot Test, Apperception tests (telling stories), drawings, and personality inventories. We take great pride in having specific expertise in interpreting personality testing through an empirical and quantitative method that only psychologists are trained to do.
Our feedback session with families following emotional testing is like an intervention. We do not just mail the report or have a phone conversation about the results. We sit down and discuss the results with you (and your child as appropriate) in a supportive and therapeutic manner. Testing will provide an understanding of how the person is coping, if he or she is able to self soothe, how they see the world, their self perception, family and social dynamics, and determine the presence of any diagnosable problems such as Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, or Conduct Disorder.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our Northern Virginia office.