A vital aspect to any counseling is the assessment. We use a combination of psychometric assessments for various mental health diagnoses as well as more generalized symptoms assessments. Although diagnoses have their benefits, the truth is that each individual has their own specific milieu of symptoms. Therefore, we track symptoms as reported by the client and/or the client’s caretakers, teachers, therapists, etc. This information helps the counselor tailor the treatment plan for the best outcome in symptom relief and track progress over the sessions. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that there be a free and clear flow of communication between the client and/or the client’s caretakers, etc., and the counselor.
All psychometric and symptom assessments are based on the individual's (or their caretaker's) subjective feedback. At periodic points during the course of treatment, we have the client retake the same psychometric and/or symptom assessment of a subset of the symptoms of highest concern to determine the rate of progress. This helps both the client and the counselor understand how effective the therapeutic process has been and what areas in which need more focus and attention.
