by Dr. Bridget Wieckowski
Table of Contents
It’s a new year and many people are entering 2022 wondering, what’s next?
From a psychological perspective, we’re entering the second year of a global pandemic which naturally brings up anxiety, stress, and apprehension. For some folks, the past two years have been an opportunity for reflection and productivity, while for many others this time has been challenging and resulted in the emergence of symptoms they previously had not noticed or experienced.
If you are noticing a decrease in energy or motivation, increase in stress or worry, or sleep disturbances, you are not alone – it is important to recognize and seek help around these symptoms before they get to the point of taking over your everyday life. There are many options available when seeking out mental health treatment.
Therapy services and psychological evaluation services are two options available.
The ways that therapy and assessment overlap are that they both provide a one-on-one experience with a licensed clinician who specializes in working with behavioral health and psychological conditions.
They also overlap in that both offer guidance, validation, and an opportunity to feel seen and heard. Now while many people are familiar with the overall concept of therapy, not many people are familiar with the concept of psychological testing. The primary difference between testing services and therapy is that the intention of a psychological evaluation is to provide clarity around a specific question that is asked at the beginning of the process – this question may be related to social skills, emotional functioning, personality style, cognitive abilities, autism, ADHD and executive functioning, and much more.
The assessor seeks to create a question (or multiple questions) to be answered through quantitative (numbers-focused using data) and qualitative (person-focused or through stories and examples) measures. In using these measures, assessors are able to provide specific diagnostic information, personalized recommendations for next steps, and to explain how you’ve gotten to where you are at today in terms of your psychological well-being. The start of the new year is the most common time for treatment planning and for folks to seek out new mental health services.
Considering starting therapy or interested in psychological assessment services?
If you have been considering starting therapy or are wanting more clear answers about a specific problem or aspect of your identity, then do not hesitate to reach out today. At Relucent Psychology Group, our licensed clinicians are trained to help talk you through the initial steps of the process and to help you determine what would be the best course of action to take in focusing on your mental well-being.
If you are specifically interested in psychological assessment services including comprehensive evaluations, please contact our assessor Dr. Bridget Wieckowski. If you are interested in more general mental health services or if you are unsure what type of service would be the best fit, please call or text our practice at 408-404-5798.
