Why would I need a Psychological Assessment?
Most of our clients at Lexington Counseling and Psychiatry are seeking a psychological
assessment to answer two essential Questions: “What is going on with me?” & “What do I need to do to feel better?” The majority of these individuals have been told a variety of different diagnosis throughout their lives and have not found a successful way to improve their symptoms.
Others may have a family history of certain disorders, or learned new information that
have made them wonder if they may have ADHD, anxiety, or a mood disorder. Many
disorders share similar symptoms, so it can be difficult to know the correct diagnosis
without a more in-depth assessment.
Psychologists use objective tests and other assessment tools to explore an individual’s
symptoms and determine an accurate diagnosis. This is very helpful for developing the most effective treatment plan to improve symptoms. For individuals interested in
medication management, having the correct diagnosis can help their physician find the
most beneficial medications for the diagnosis.
Commonly Asked questions:
1. How much does it cost?
• Psychological Assessment services are $160 per hour and are Private Pay.
Most assessments can take 5-8 hours including face-to-face sessions and
report writing/ interpretation ($800-1,280). Sometimes ADHD assessments or
more complicated clinical cases take a bit longer as they require more
assessments and interview time (7-9 hours= $1,120-1,440).
2. Do you take insurance?
• No, we do NOT bill to insurance for assessment services. It is Self-Pay only. We
are happy to work with individuals to work out a payment plan. If you want to
have insurance pay for testing, then our services are not a good fit.
3. What kinds of assessments do you offer?
• We primarily provide diagnostic and personality testing. The most common
request is for Adult or Child ADHD Testing. Our practice also provides
assessments for individuals with various mood or personality disorders,
including but not limited to: Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders,
PTSD, and more.
4. What will we do during the assessment?
• During the assessment session, we will complete some mood inventories,
various electronic assessments (personality assessments, behavioral
inventories, tests of attention etc.) and complete various diagnostic interviews.
5. How long does the assessment take
• It depends on the complexity of the case. Elizabeth Kaster tries to tailor each
assessment to the individual, so you don’t pay for more than you need. Most
people need 3-5 hours of in-person assessment time and 2-3 hours of time for
interpretation and report-writing. It usually takes a few weeks to generate the
report and then there will be a one-hour report session where our provider will
review the results and give recommendations.
6. What are some assessments that are NOT offered?
• Elizabeth Kaster does not currently provide the following services: Disability
Assessments, Parenting Assessments/any assessments related to divorce, IQ
assessments, Achievement Testing, Learning Disability Assessments or formal
autism assessments (I do screen for this and refer out for further testing as
needed).
If you’d like to have a psychological assessment by Elizabeth Kaster, LPP, please contact our office at 859.3380466.
Lexington Counseling and Psychiatry-Trusted mental health professionals in Central Kentucky for over 21 years!
