As the demand for psychological testing has increased in recent years, a broader range of mental health providers have been marketing themselves as providing psychological testing. Sometimes, this is less broad, as they may list something like “ADHD Testing” on their website. Unfortunately, this can result in lower quality evaluations, as many people aren’t aware of the differences in training and experience among different providers.
As may be implied in the name, psychological testing has historically been provided exclusively by doctoral level psychologists. Most doctoral level psychologists have completed multiple classes about testing and assessment, along with multiple classes about the statistical underpinnings of psychological testing. Those of us who specialize in psychological testing typically have years of supervised training in psychological testing, including doctoral practicum placements, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral training. Doctoral programs usually involve around 4 years of coursework and clinical training, followed by a one year full-time internship. After completing this training, we are required to complete an additional 2,000 clinical hours under supervision before we can be independently licensed to practice psychology in the state of Michigan.
Providers from other disciplines, such as social workers, typically do not have specific training in psychological testing as part of their two year program or in the thousands of hours of supervised training practice they complete prior to independent licensure. This means that they are often very skilled therapists and are equipped to provide a variety of diagnoses, including mood and anxiety disorders. However, they are not prepared to offer psychological testing. Many such providers who ultimately develop an interest in providing testing services complete just 2-5 hours of training before marketing their services.
The brief training completed by many master’s level clinicians who want to provide psychological testing does not prepare them to fully consider all possible causes of the symptoms a client presents with. For example, problems with attention can result from ADHD, autism, depression, mania, anxiety, sleep disorders, medication side effects, and numerous other causes. A provider who seeks to answer the question “Is this ADHD?” is much more likely to provide an incorrect answer than a provider who seeks to answer the question “How do we best understand why this client is having problems with attention?” Misdiagnosis can result in a waste of the time, money, and emotional energy expended in the evaluation. It can also cause delayed access to appropriate treatment and may lead to treatment approaches that can worsen the true problem.
If you are interested in completing a psychological evaluation, it is in your best interest to inquire into the training and experience of your provider. For transparency, here is some relevant information about Dr. Manning’s training and experience:
● During her master’s and doctoral training, she completed two assessment courses and three statistics classes. She was also a teaching assistant for an assessment course on four occasions.
● During her doctoral program, she completed a two semester assessment practicum in an integrated pediatric office.
● For her one year internship at a college counseling center, her specialization was in psychological testing.
● Her first job after completing all of her training was at another college counseling center. She began in a position that was half therapy and half psychological testing before moving into the coordinator of the psychological testing team position. She was at this counseling center for almost five years total.
● She moved to Grand Rapids and joined a team of testing psychologists and neuropsychologists at a multidisciplinary agency. She completed psychological testing full-time there from May 2016 - December 2022.
● In January 2023, she opened Stratus Psychological Services, where she has focused exclusively on psychological testing with individuals aged 16 and older.
● Her required continuing education credits each year are focused on psychological testing, with extensive additional training in adult autism evaluations in 2020.
Every provider has areas in which they are skilled and competent, along with areas where they have less expertise. Some questions you may have for a provider include:
● Have you completed graduate level coursework in psychological testing?
● How many psychological evaluations did you complete while you were under formal supervision?
● How long have you been providing psychological testing independently? About how many psychological evaluations have you completed?
● What is the most recent continuing education course you have completed in regard to psychological testing?
● How much experience do you have with [whatever concerns are relevant to the client]?
Every client deserves to receive services from someone knowledgeable about their concerns. Please reach out to us if you have questions about whether Stratus Psychological Services may be a good fit for you or a loved one.
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