After having a consult call to make sure that my assessment service is the right fit, the client will then meet me for an initial session. Presence of caregiver(s) varies depending on the age and preference of the client; for young clients, it is advisable for caregivers to be present at this initial session.

Our initial session will begin with going over the assessment process which includes informed consent and a discussion around confidentiality.

Typically during the initial session, I will begin to interview the client, asking questions, curiously, about their life, including childhood experiences and family background, social relationships, school and work, leisure, and mental health functioning.

*For forensic assessments, I ask additional questions about criminal behaviours and the charge/offence currently before the court.

If the client is a youngster, an interview with a caregiver or both caregivers will then take place. This includes asking questions and listening to the caregiver’s point of view about their child’s life, including early development, childhood experiences and family background, social relationships, school and work, leisure, and mental health functioning.

The client (and caregivers, if relevant) will also be asked to complete questionnaires for additional information. Questionnaires can provide more in depth information about an individual’s emotional and behavioural functioning.

In addition, with the consent of the client and/or their caregivers, I will collect information from external sources that would be helpful in getting to know the client better. This could be teachers, counsellors, previous reports or records, or other service providers.

Once the information is gathered, I will produce an assessment report that incorporates all this information and summarizes what I have learned about the client. I will provide the client with a copy of the report.

*For forensic assessments, legal personnel (e.g., judge, lawyers) may be provided with a copy of the report.

Finally, I will provide a feedback session to the client (and their caregivers if relevant). This is where I share results of the assessment (including any mental health diagnoses, if relevant, and a treatment plan). In this session, the client is free to ask any questions they might have about the assessment.