Mental Health Assessments
Thorough answers for individuals who've been wondering about ADHD, autism, learning differences, or a diagnosis that never quite fit.
In-person assessments in Halifax, with interviews and feedback sessions available online anywhere in Nova Scotia.
I've always known something was different. I just never had a name for it.
People come to us for assessments for all kinds of reasons. Focus that’s never come easily, no matter how hard they try. Friendships and workplaces that take more out of them than they seem to for everyone else. A list of diagnoses collected over the years that don’t line up with each other.
What they have in common is that they’re tired of guessing.
We can help with that.
Assessments at East Coast Psychotherapy & Trauma Clinic help you understand the whole picture, so you have clear answers and a plan that fits.
Let’s start with a conversation.
Assessments | Halifax & Membertou, NS
Types of Assessments We Offer
Psychoeducational Assessment (18+)
This is our most thorough assessment, and it’s what we suggest when more than one question is on the table. It includes cognitive testing of intelligence, problem-solving, and reasoning, academic testing, and executive functioning testing. Put together, that shows us how you learn and process information, which is what schools, universities, and employers want to see when you ask for accommodations. It can identify ADHD, specific learning disorders in reading (dyslexia), math (dyscalculia), and written expression (dysgraphia), intellectual disability, and the traits associated with giftedness. It also screens for anxiety and depression, and autism testing can be added on.
Psychoeducational assessments are $3,725, including a $350 materials fee, or $4,625 with autism testing added.
Psychodiagnostic Assessment (18+)
Some adults have been told several different things by several different people, and none of it has helped. A psychodiagnostic assessment uses a detailed clinical interview, standardized questionnaires, and measures of mood, anxiety, trauma, and personality to sort out what’s going on. It’s useful before starting or restarting therapy, when treatment needs a clearer target, or when you’ve been asked for documentation.
Because the scope depends on your situation, pricing is confirmed at intake and can range from $2,250 to $ 4,050.
WPATH Assessment (18+)
Most people who reach out for this already know who they are. They’ve decided on gender-affirming hormones or surgery, and their doctor or surgical team needs an assessment letter first. Following the WPATH Standards of Care, your clinician talks with you about your gender experience, your treatment goals, your understanding of the procedure, and any support you might need before or after. It isn’t a test of whether you’re “trans enough,” and therapy isn’t required. When the criteria are met, your clinician prepares the letter your provider needs.
The number of appointments depends on the care you’re seeking, and fees are billed at your clinician’s hourly rate, explained at intake.
ADHD Assessment (18+)
For adults, teens, and children who’ve struggled with focus, organization, time, follow-through, or impulsivity for as long as they can remember, and who’ve started to suspect it’s more than bad habits. We assess for inattentive, hyperactive, and combined-type ADHD, and screen for the anxiety, depression, learning differences, and executive functioning challenges that so often come along with it. Every ADHD assessment includes cognitive testing. Schools and employers often require it before they’ll approve accommodations, and it lets us base our recommendations on how you specifically take in information.
ADHD assessments are $2,675, including a $200 materials fee.
Autism Assessment (18+)
For individuals who’ve felt out of step in social situations, worn down by noise and light, or thrown by changes in routine, and who’ve begun to wonder why. Our autism assessments include a standardized observational assessment, structured interviews, and self-report measures. A cognitive portion is added when it’s needed to reach a clear result, or when ADHD is also a question. We pay close attention to how autism can look different in people assigned female at birth, and to how years of masking can hide it.
Autism assessments are $1,900, including a $100 materials fee, or $3,575 when cognitive or ADHD testing is included.
We’re honest about wait times. If our psychologists are booked, our intake team will give you a realistic sense of timing on your first call.
Meet Our Team
Match With a Psychologist
in Halifax, or virtually across NS
Our assessments are completed by registered psychologists, each with years of experience diagnosing ADHD, autism, learning differences, and mental health conditions in adults. They’re part of the same team that provides therapy at both of our locations and online across Nova Scotia, so the people who assess you and the people who support you afterward already know each other.
Registered (Candidate) Psychologist
Registered Psychologist
Doctoral Candidate in Clinical Psychology
Assessments | Halifax & Membertou, NS
Why Choose East Coast Psychotherapy & Trauma Clinic For Therapy?
Your Word Counts
Many clinics won’t diagnose an adult without a parent or someone from childhood to interview. If nobody like that is available to you, or reaching back isn’t safe, you can still be assessed and diagnosed here. Your own account of your life carries as much weight as anyone else’s.
You'll Understand Your Results
Every assessment ends with a 90-minute feedback session. Your psychologist explains what each tool measured, what the scores mean, and how the diagnostic criteria were met. You’ll understand your report before you leave the room.
Cognitive Testing Comes Standard
It’s part of every ADHD and psychoeducational assessment and available with autism assessments. It’s what schools and employers usually require, and it’s how we tailor recommendations to the way your mind works.
A Report That Opens Doors
You’ll receive a detailed, personalized report with your diagnosis, supporting scores, clinical observations, and specific recommendations for school, work, and treatment. If you need a letter for your physician or your workplace, we’ll write it.
We See Through Masking
ADHD and autism often present differently in people assigned female at birth, and a lifetime of masking can hide the signs. We also understand how ADHD and autism overlap and make each other harder to spot. Careful assessment is how we get underneath that.
Therapy Under the Same Roof
Assessments | Membertou & Halifax, NS
Our Assessment Process
Step 1: Get in touch
Step 2: Talk with intake
Read mORE
We’ll learn what’s bringing you in and help figure out which assessment makes sense. You’re added to the waitlist, and we’ll tell you how long it’s likely to be.
Step 3: History interview
Read mORE
When your spot comes up, you and your psychologist go through your background, your symptoms, and what you’re hoping to learn. This can happen at our clinic or over the phone.
Step 4: Testing
Read mORE
Testing happens in person, usually across two half-day sessions, depending on the assessment, which includes cognitive and executive functioning testing, academic testing, or a standardized observational assessment. For ADHD and autism questions, your psychologist may also speak with one or two people who know you well, if you’re comfortable with that. We build in breaks and make room for sensory needs.
Step 5: Scoring and report
Read mORE
Your psychologist scores everything, brings it together, and writes your report. Assessment fees are spread across five sessions, so there’s no large payment up front.
Step 6: Feedback
Read mORE
You meet for 90 minutes, in person or online, to go through your results and recommendations. You leave with your report, a clear understanding of it, and a plan for what comes next.
Mental Health Assessments | Halifax & Membertou, NS
Questions About Mental Health Assessments
What happens in a psychological assessment?
A registered psychologist uses clinical interviews, standardized tests, and questionnaires to answer a specific question about you, like whether ADHD or autism explains what you’ve been experiencing, or what’s behind mental health symptoms that haven’t made sense. We look at the whole picture rather than one concern on its own.
How should I prepare for an assessment?
You can’t study for it. If you have old report cards, past assessments, or medical records, bring them along, but it’s fine if you don’t. Rest well, eat beforehand, and show up as yourself.
What does an assessment cost?
Here’s what each assessment costs, materials fee included:
- ADHD Assessment: $2,675
- Autism Assessment: $1,900, or $3,575 with cognitive or ADHD testing
- Psychoeducational Assessment: $3,725, or $4,625 with autism testing
- Psychodiagnostic Assessment: Confirmed at intake. Can range from $2,250 to $ 4,050.
- WPATH Assessment: Fees are billed at your clinician’s hourly rate
The assessment fee is split across five sessions. The materials fee is paid at your feedback session.
Will my insurance cover it?
Many extended health plans cover psychological assessments, but plans vary, so check with your insurer before you book. We provide detailed receipts for reimbursement, and our intake team can talk you through payment options. For WPATH assessments, coverage can also depend on your clinician’s designation, and time spent preparing letters may be treated differently from appointments, so it’s worth asking your insurer about both.
How long does the whole assessment process take?
About eight weeks from your first interview with your psychologist to your feedback session. Testing usually takes two half-day sessions.
Can I do it online?
Some of it. Interviews can happen by phone, and your feedback session can be online. Testing has to be done in person at our Halifax clinic. If you’re travelling from Cape Breton or elsewhere in Nova Scotia, we’ll help you plan around the trips.
Will my school or employer accept the report?
Our reports include the cognitive testing that most schools and employers require, and they’re written with accommodation requests in mind. We can also provide a letter recommending specific accommodations for your workplace. If your program has particular requirements, let us know at intake, and we’ll confirm before we begin.
Do you diagnose giftedness?
Giftedness isn’t a formal diagnosis in Canada. A psychoeducational assessment can identify the traits associated with it, and we’ll provide documentation to support access to extended programming where it exists.
What do I get at the end?
A detailed, personalized written report, usually 20 pages or more, with your diagnosis where one applies, supporting scores, clinical observations, and specific recommendations for school, work, and treatment. The report belongs to you.
Still have questions? We're happy to answer them.
Psychological Assessments | Halifax & Membertou, NS
Life After Assessment
The word we hear most often after a feedback session is relief. From there, individuals tell us they find:
- A name for what they've been living with
- Less blame for things that were never about trying harder
- Accommodations at school or work that fit
- Confidence to make decisions about therapy and medication
- Routines built around how their brain works
- Partners and family who understand them differently
When you're ready to understand what's been going on, we're ready to help you find out.
East Coast Psychotherapy & Trauma Clinic
How To Get Started
Here's the first one:
Call
Speak with us to ask questions or to book your consult or session.
Membertou
Halifax
Message
Fill out the contact form, and we'll get back to you within 24-48 business hours to discuss the next steps.
Finding the right fit matters, so our intake team takes the time to understand what you’re looking for before matching you with a clinician. Complete this form to begin.
201 Churchill Drive, Suite 205, Membertou, NS B1S 2M9
Meet us for therapy in Membertou with online therapy anywhere in Nova Scotia.
3845 Joseph Howe Dr., Suite 209, Halifax, NS B3L 4H9
Offering in-person assessments in Halifax, with online support across Nova Scotia.