Welcome to the Center for Psychological Evaluation at the Albert Ellis Institute. In the tradition of over 60 years of excellence, our Center offers comprehensive psychological and psycho-educational testing to suit the needs of children, adolescents, and adults.

The Evaluation Process

Interviews and Testing

Based on the reason for referral and the needs of the individual, our staff will develop a personally tailored battery of tests that provide high quality and comprehensive assessment. A full psychological evaluation typically includes an in-depth clinical interview in addition to tests of cognitive abilities/intelligence, academic achievement tests, personality tests, behavior rating scales, and various scales assessing behavioral and emotional functioning. Typically a full evaluation ranges from 6 to 8 hours and is often completed over a period of two to three visits. Information from this evaluation provides a broad view of psychological functioning, which consists of intellectual and academic strengths and weaknesses, personality patterns, and various psychological diagnoses.

Informing Conference

The final step in the evaluation process is the informing conference which occurs approximately four weeks after the final testing session. The informing conference is held with the individual, or the guardian(s) if the evaluation is for a child. During this conference, the evaluating clinician will discuss the results of the evaluation, answer questions, and provide appropriate recommendations and referrals. The Director of Psychological Evaluations may periodically attend the informing conference.

Psychological/Psychoeducational Report

Upon completion of testing, a comprehensive report is provided where results of the evaluation are reported and explained. This in-depth report contains background information, test scores and interpretations, personality/behavioral functioning, and a summary with recommendations. The report is provided shortly after the Informing Conference.

Recommendations and Referrals

Based on the results of your evaluation, our staff will provide recommendations and treatment referrals as needed. For example, we may recommend testing accommodations or specific behavioral coping strategies to manage various disorders. We may also recommend ongoing treatment, which may include psychotherapy, psychiatric treatment/ medication evaluations, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, and/or intensive behavioral treatment programs. In over 60 years of operation, the Albert Ellis Institute has developed relationships and a sound referral base with a range of highly respected experts in their fields.

Our Clinicians

Our highly qualified clinicians have extensive training and experience in cutting edge assessment approaches, including Cross-Battery Assessment. Evaluating clinicians have doctoral degrees or are advanced doctoral students with Master’s degrees in psychology. All clinicians have experience in psychological assessment and are supervised by Dr. Michael Hickey. 

Fees

The Albert Ellis Institute proudly provides highly professional diagnostic services at a relatively lower cost for our geographic area.  We also offer reduced fees for college and university students with a current and valid college/university ID. Though we do not accept insurance, you may check with your provider for out of network psychological testing coverage. We will provide documentation for you to submit to your insurance company. 

Contact us

For further information about the Center for Psychological Evaluation, or to schedule a 15-minute phone consultation free of charge, please call 212.535.0822.