Exploring Assessment in Professional Psychology

By Dr. Michael Lee Zwiers, R. Psych

In our training as psychologists, we are taught that assessment and therapy are separate activities. Some psychologists work solely as assessment psychologists, while others engage only in therapy. However, as discussed in the inaugural article for this feature column, all psychologists engage in assessment of one form or another to understand what clients are dealing with and to guide their professional therapeutic practice. This article discusses the potential therapeutic benefits of assessment.

Validation

Even if all we do is listen to our clients’ stories, acknowledging that we have heard them, understand them, and empathize with them, it can be beneficial to our clients. If clients feel heard by someone, particularly a professional, it can be validating, affirming, and ultimately therapeutic.

Reduced Suicidality

In the 1980s, one of the psychologists who trained me at the University of British Columbia (Dr. William Reynolds) conducted research on suicidal ideation in high school students. His research was groundbreaking for the time, but the biggest obstacle to doing this important research was gaining access to the students. Teachers, administrators, parents, and even psychologists thought that it could be harmful to ask about suicidal thinking or behaviour, as it could put the idea into their head. In fact, Dr. Reynolds found the exact opposite. Asking about suicidal ideation did not increase rates of suicidal ideation and in fact helped to reduce its severity. Research and clinical practice have long since supported the benefits of inquiring about suicidal ideation and behaviour as a routine part of our screening processes. And clinicians working in crisis units will recognize the positive impact on clients who disclose suicidal thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, with a common outcome being a reduction in severity, at least temporarily. Even if depression and mental health is not the focus of your assessment, we may be the only professional who ever asks them about their suicidal ideation or mental health.

Increased Understanding

The process of conducting an assessment can help clients to make sense of symptoms and experiences that can feel out of their control. Clients may come to us feeling like something is wrong with them or that they are broken in some way. This underlying fear and the increased stress of not knowing why they are feeling the way they do (and what it might mean for their well-being) can be stressful indeed and can worsen mental health. By providing names for emotional disorders or other mental health conditions, we help clients to understand their own symptoms and responses, which can also help to normalize their experience. This can also help provide a sense of control.

Access to services and supports

Even psychoeducational assessment can ultimately provide therapeutic benefit. By properly identifying learning disabilities and other neurodevelopmental conditions, appropriate interventions, supports, and accommodations can be put into place. This, in turn will ideally improve social, academic, occupational, and behavioural functioning. In cases where anxiety and depression are secondary consequences of unidentified and unmanaged neurodevelopmental conditions, proper management of these core conditions (like learning disabilities and ADHD) has been found to improve overall mental health.

Assessment Improves Treatment

In cases where clients are not progressing in treatment, one of the most important steps to take is to conduct a reassessment. In some cases, the initial diagnosis may have been inaccurate, an underlying condition may have been overlooked, or a new condition may be emerging. In all cases, careful reassessment can help get therapy back on track.