Psychological Testing & Evaluation
Testing answers the question "what is actually going on here?" — and it is the only route to some diagnoses.
Psychological testing is a structured assessment using standardised measures, conducted by a licensed Psychologist. It is what you do when the question is diagnostic rather than therapeutic: when a child is struggling in school and nobody can say why, when attention problems might be ADHD or might be anxiety, or when years of treatment have been aimed at the wrong target.
Psychologists are the only mental health professionals trained to conduct it. Master’s-level therapists provide excellent psychotherapy and do not perform testing; psychiatrists prescribe and generally do not either.
We see clients at our Northbrook office on Academy Drive and our Libertyville office on Hollister Drive, and by telehealth anywhere in Illinois.
What testing is used for
- ADHD evaluation for children, teens and adults
- Learning differences — reading, writing, maths — and the accommodations that follow
- Autism spectrum evaluation
- Diagnostic clarity where previous treatment has not worked
- Documentation for a 504 plan, an IEP, or extended time on standardised tests
- Pre-surgical psychological evaluation, including for bariatric surgery
What to expect
Testing begins with a clinical interview covering history, development, schooling and current concerns — the context that makes the scores interpretable. Standardised measures follow, chosen for the specific question, usually across more than one appointment.
You receive a written report and a feedback session to go through it. The report states what was found, what it means, and what to do about it, in language a school or a physician can use. A report that only produces a label has not finished the job.
Where the findings point to treatment we provide, we will say so; where they point somewhere else, we will say that too and help you find it.
Clinicians who work in this area
Matched from each clinician's own stated specialisms. Our Intake Team will pair you with the right person for your situation rather than the next available slot.
- Marisa Kunz, Psy.D.Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- Benjamin Michaels, Psy.D.Licensed Clinical Psychologist
- Kelsey Salsman, MA, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor
- Gabby Clow, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor
- Claire Manley, LCPCLicensed Clinical Professional Counselor
- Adriana Quevedo, MA, LPCLicensed Professional Counselor · Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist – Individual (CCTS-I)
Insurance, including Medicare
Grand Oaks Behavioral Health is in-network with most major plans — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Aetna, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Evernorth (Cigna), UnitedHealthcare, BCBS Community Medicaid, Oscar — and with Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, which a good number of behavioral health practices in the area do not accept. We also take BCBS Community Medicaid. Our Intake Team verifies your specific benefits and tells you your cost before your first appointment.
Where we see clients
604 Academy Drive, Northbrook, IL 60062 and 1800 Hollister Drive, Suite 201, Libertyville, IL 60048, plus telehealth anywhere in Illinois. We regularly see clients from Northbrook, Glenview, Deerfield, Highland Park, Northfield, Wilmette and across Lake County and the North Shore.
Common questions
It depends on the evaluation and on your plan — testing is handled differently from therapy by many insurers. Grand Oaks is in-network with most major plans including Medicare. Our Intake Team verifies your specific testing benefits and gives you a figure, including the self-pay option, before you commit to anything.
Psychological testing addresses emotional, behavioural, learning and diagnostic questions. Neuropsychological testing focuses specifically on brain-behaviour relationships, typically after an injury, illness or neurological event. There is substantial overlap, and the right starting point is usually the clinical question rather than the label — which is something we work out with you at intake.
Scoring, interpretation and report writing take time after the testing appointments finish, and your clinician will give you a specific timeframe at the start. You get a feedback session to go through the report rather than a document in the post.
Parts of an evaluation — the clinical interview, feedback sessions, some measures — can be done remotely. Other instruments require in-person administration to produce valid results. Your clinician will tell you which parts of your specific evaluation need an office visit.
Related
Not sure which of these fits? That is what the first call is for. Phone (847) 549-1189 and our Intake Team will talk it through with you before anything is booked.
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