SPECTRUM SERVICES

The clinicians of Spectrum Psychotherapy Centers offer a wide range of mental health services for individuals, couples, and families.  We know that no single style or modality of treatment is right for everyone.  At Spectrum, we work with you to fully understand the issues that you are facing, and to develop a treatment strategy that addresses the problems in the most effective way possible to provide positive outcomes that are clear, lasting, and measurable. Clients and therapists work together to determine the most appropriate therapeutic approach.  We believe that a respectful, confidential, and trusting therapy relationship is the foundation for all true change.

Each provider is skilled in various kinds of treatment, and each works with a range of different populations. You can see a list of some of the specialties included among our providers, a list of some of the more common treatment modalities, as well as a list of most of the insurance companies, HMOs and other third party payers for whom we are registered providers.  Read on for a more complete description of our therapy and assessment services.

Psychotherapy Services for Adults, Adolescents, and Children

We offer individual, couples, and family therapy to help you find constructive solutions and build skills to:

Our child and adolescent therapists can assist families with a wide variety of behavior and social adjustment problems, including anxiety and depression, sleep and eating difficulties, school and learning problems, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders.  Parents and other primary caregivers are considered an integral part of all stages of the evaluation and treatment process.  

Spectrum clinicians are able to quickly provide referrals to other therapists within our practice if you or a family member is dealing with a problem requiring the services of someone with expertise in that area. 

Assessment Services

Spectrum clinicians offer a comprehensive range of assessments for adults and children.  Individuals are referred for assessment when a therapist, physician, parent, or educator suspects a problem that is not easily assessed in the course of regular observation or treatment.  Many assessment services are covered by insurance if there is documented medical necessity.  Spectrum’s diagnostic services include:

Psychological Assessment
Only licensed psychologists are qualified to perform psychological testing.  Individuals may be referred for testing by their physicians or mental health professionals for psychological testing when there is a question about diagnosis and treatment planning.  Psychological testing can offer a deeper understanding of complex emotional problems and can often identify problems not obvious during regular office visits.  Evaluations usually require several hours to complete, and will involve formal, objective tests, as well as discussion with the psychologist.  Intellectual evaluation is often part of a comprehensive psychological assessment. The results of the testing and recommendations for treatment are sent to the referring professional, and the psychologist will provide feedback to the client about his/her findings.  The results of psychological assessment can be used to suggest appropriate interventions and make treatment more effective and efficient.

Neuropsychological Assessment
A clinical neuropsychologist is a licensed  psychologist with expertise in how behavior and skills are related to brain structures and systems. Testing is frequently recommended when there are symptoms or complaints involving memory, language, or thinking.  Children are often referred for neuropsychological testing when there is a question of ADHD or learning problems.   Based on the results of the assessment, the clinical neuropsychologist makes recommendations about  cognitive rehabilitation, speech and language therapy behavior management, school accommodations, or psychotherapy.

A neuropsychological evaluation may involve assessment of the following:
• General intellectual ability
• Higher level executive skills (e.g., sequencing, reasoning, problem solving)
• Attention and concentration
• Learning and memory
• Language
• Visual–spatial skills
• Motor and sensory skills
• Mood and personality

Developmental Assessment
Many children struggle with behavioral, regulatory, and developmental challenges. A developmental assessment provides a structured evaluation of your child's development in all areas:  physical, language, intellectual, social, and emotional.  These assessments are usually requested when a parent, guardian, teacher, or physician notices that a child appears to be developing in these areas at a different pace than his or her peers. The assessment specialist can work closely with physicians, speech and language therapists, audiologists, occupational therapists, child psychologists and psychiatrists, and school personnel to develop a plan to help your child maximize his or her strengths in social, behavioral, and academic functioning.  The assessment is tailored to your child’s age and problem, but typically will include information about the child’s health history, eating and sleep habits, motor development, social skills, language and communication, and other pertinent behavioral observations. Spectrum provides developmental evaluations for children of all ages, including Birth-to-three diagnostic evaluations, and assessments of children who are suspected to have autism spectrum disorders or ADHD.

Forensic Assessment

Attorneys or courts may ask for the assistance of a forensic psychologist to evaluate an individual’s competency to stand trial or mental status at the time of a crime.  Forensic assessment may also be requested to determine the extent of injury in a civil case.

Forensic assessment usually consists of formal, standardized tests as well as extensive interviews with the psychologist doing the evaluation.  The psychologists may then make recommendations regarding treatment, sentencing, mitigating factors, assessment of future risk, and other matters requested by the attorneys or the court.  Spectrum’s forensic psychologists may make referrals for therapy  to clinicians within Spectrum who have special expertise in dealing with individuals referred by the courts.

The cost of forensic assessments is typically not covered by insurance.

Please call or contact us with questions.