GENERAL ASSESSMENT
General Assessment is how psychologists diagnose most conditions including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, OCD, PTSD, and most other diagnoses you will find in the DSM-5. It’s like a very detailed version of what a psychiatrist would do, except without the medication.
Crys Brown has worked extensively doing general assessment for many years, and provides training to other clinicians in this area. Working with people who have had years of therapy that was not helpful due to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis has made this a major area of passion for Crys.
FAQs
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These assessments usually involve us meeting for 3 hours, during which Crys will ask you a lot of questions and may provide some measures for you to fill out. Sometimes we meet in one meeting, and sometimes we split the meetings up. How we book the time is flexible. Occasionally there may be a need for a little more or a little less time, and we will always work to make your assessment as efficient as possible while still answering your questions.
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The usual cost for these assessments and a summary letter is 1000.00 dollars. There can be some slight variation based on what kinds of conditions we are exploring.
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At the end of the assessment Crys will provide a 1-2 page letter that outlines your diagnosis or diagnoses, if any, and some recommendations for next steps that can include resources, therapy suggestions, or other things that might be helpful. Because these assessments are not nearly as comprehensive as formal assessments, there might be some conditions that need more exploration at the end, and those will also be listed. While it is possible to opt out of having this letter written, it’s usually a good idea to have it so you can provide it to doctors or other people on your care team.
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Crys Brown is they only clinician that currently offers general assessment as a stand-alone service. The other clinicians that work here can also provide general assessment services as part of your therapy. The assessment happens in your first few therapy sessions and there is no letter provided.
People who are unsure about whether they want therapy after their assessment or who are being referred for assessment by a therapist they plan to keep seeing, who would like their assessment finished more quickly, or who have very complicated clinical backgrounds and would feel more comfortable with a more experienced diagnostician overseeing their assessment would be better served by booking with Crys.