Psychological Testing is to Psychology as
Blood Work is to Medicine

You see your primary care physician because you are experiencing low energy, joint pain, and weight gain. Your physician knows that these symptoms could be indicative of several medical diagnoses. And so to confirm a diagnosis, and to rule-out other diagnoses, your physician orders a series of tests, starting with blood work. The results of the blood work not only clarify the problem, but ultimately direct the course of treatment.

This process is analogous to how psychologists approach the treatment of emotional difficulties. After a careful screen of a person’s current symptoms, health history, and general functioning, psychologists conduct diagnostic testing to confirm the presence of a diagnosis, and to rule-out other diagnoses. The results of these tests also highlight the optimal course of treatment, and assist the clinician and client in developing an individualized treatment plan that will be both efficient and effective.

In general, psychological testing examines aspects of personality, relationship functioning, information processing, and approaches toward coping. When the client has educationally-related questions (such as the presence of ADHD or learning disabilities), additional testing may be warranted, including tests to assess working memory, intelligence, and academic achievement.

In general, psychological testing can be very much like a road map. It gives you and your clinician a sense of your starting point, your ending point, and directions for how to most efficiently and effectively get to where you’re wanting to go!