What is

Psychological
Assessment?
Josefina Giron Madrid Phd , Rpsym RGC
Psychological Assessment

– Psychological assessment is a complex, integrative,

and conceptual activity that involves deriving
inferences from multiple sources of information to
achieve a comprehensive understanding of a client
or client system. It involves the ability to measure
and formulate degree of need and mental status,
develop psychological profiles in response to
particular referral problems, and evaluate outcome
with tests, measures, and diagnostic interviewing
across a range of client populations. The
assessment competency requires students to
integrate data from multiple sources, to effectively
answer referral questions, and to communicate
their inferences and recommendations clearly.
APA Defined – According to the 
American Psychological Association (APA),
these evaluations assess your psychological
functioning, including your thoughts, emotions,
and behaviors to help determine the sort of
treatment you may need — in short, the best way
to move forward.
– If you’re having dizziness or lightheadedness and
visit a doctor’s office or clinic, a medical exam
will be done. The doctor might perform a battery
of tests, such as a blood test or an X-ray, to see
whether you have an underlying health condition,
like anemia (low iron) or hypoglycemia (low
blood sugar).
– Why is psychological assessment
important?

– The first purpose is to identify, operationally

define, and measure a client's adaptive and
maladaptive behaviors.
– A second purpose is to identify, operationally
define, and measure factors that influence a
client's adaptive and maladaptive behaviors
and attainment of treatment goals
Principles to
consider What are the principles of psychological assessment?

Important principles of psychological measurement and

assessment includes all psychometric properties
including: standardization, norms, reliability, test
development and validation. The practical program
emphasizes test development and test administration;
scoring and interpretation.
Test vs.
Tests and assessments are separate ideas but are often used

assessments together to get a full picture of where you stand.

“A psychological assessment is gathering information to evaluate a

person’s behavior, character, strengths, and needs for the purpose
of diagnosing, setting goals, and recommending treatment,”
explains Wendy Pitts, LCSW-C, a clinical social worker in
Maryland. “While tests can be used as a part of gathering
information for an assessment, the tests themselves are not the
assessment.”

On the other hand, “tests are instruments used to assess specific

features of a person’s functioning.”
What to Expect?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all evaluation. Each one will be tailored to you and your needs. The
tests and assessments chosen will be specific for you.

In general, you can expect to spend anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes at the evaluation. Prior to the
evaluation, you may be asked to write down your symptoms, thoughts, and emotions.

During the evaluation, it’s important to be honest about your current state of mind, your history,
and your day-to-day challenges. This will better inform your mental health professional’s
understanding of who you are and what may need to be done next.