Frequently Asked Questions

  1. A pre-testing interview with caregivers only, done virtually via Zoom about 1-2 weeks before testing begins.
  2. A caregiver will bring in the kiddo for in person testing appointment #1, lasting roughly 2.5 hours.
  3. A caregiver will bring in the kiddo for in person testing appointment #2, lasting roughly 2.5 hours.
  4. A post-testing debrief/feedback session with caregivers only, done virtually via Zoom and usually takes place 3-4 weeks after the final testing appointment.

More details here

Psychological testing is extremely time and work intensive. While the client spends 4-5 hours in the office, the clinician may spend 15-30 hours of work scoring and analyzing results, collaborating with therapists, medical providers, or other members of the care team, and then integrating all of the findings and recommendations into a lengthy comprehensive report. Because of all these factors, it typically takes the psychologist a couple/few weeks to obtain, integrate and summarize this pretty substantial amount of data.

No, we only provide psychological assessments at this time. The work we do, however, can be invaluable for informing the treatment/service planning of therapists and psychiatric prescribers, often leading to more effective treatment.

Not typically. Sometimes, following an evaluation, our psychologists may identify services, providers or agencies we believe could be good fits for a given youth/their specific needs. However, since we cannot track wait times, accepted insurances, and ages served for every clinic or provider, clients are better served by contacting their insurance provider or searching for their specific needs via a web search.

Yes, we are happy to collaborate with their therapist – in fact we prefer to. This could include the psychologist consulting with the therapist via phone or video, sending questionnaires, and/or requesting records in order to get a fuller picture of your child. You may also invite them to attend the debrief/feedback session. In order to include the therapist as part of the evaluation process, you must sign a Release of Information form.

We don’t have a cancellation list, instead we contact the next client on our waitlist when there is a cancellation.

Clinicians are able to get the best information and most accurate data from your child when they are well rested and alert, which is usually during the daytime hours. Because of this, MindSights does not offer evening appointments. We’ve found it very difficult for young people to do their best and hold their attention when they have already attended a full day of school and activities, especially because testing appointments are long (i.e., 1.5-3 hours).

We are not an emergency services clinic, and our assessments/evaluations are most helpful/relevant for helping with long-term planning rather than for crisis stabilization. Therefore, we do not attempt to fill needs for urgent or emergent services. If the child/adolescent in question is experiencing an urgent/emergent behavioral health issue, please either:

  1. Dial 911 for emergency responders, or
  2. Dial 988 for the national suicide prevention line, or
  3. Call your local County Crisis Line or
  4. Take your child/adolescent to the nearest hospital Emergency Department.

We process requests for services in the order they are received and do not prioritize services based on presenting issues/diagnoses. We’re not able to prioritize based on the service requested because “testing just for one thing” is not guaranteed to have a shorter evaluation period compared to other clients. The process of identifying a child’s diagnosis, strengths, needs, and needed supports is often quite complicated (even if there is “only one” diagnosis under consideration). There is not one specific test to diagnose, for example, a learning disorder or autism, and at we are committed to identifying the wider breadth of psychological, cognitive and relational factors that may be affecting a child’s/adolescent’s comfort, success and gratification in their (and their family’s!) lives.