What I Hated About Testing
I’m sitting here updating my intake assessments for the ADHD and Autism evaluations I offer — that long list of questions I ask to understand my clients’ stories more fully.
And it got me thinking back to my own experience when learning testing in grad school.
Let me tell you…
I HATED IT.
It was overwhelming.
There were so many rules, so many details to memorize. So much to juggle during every session — and don’t even get me started on the math 😫.
But it wasn’t just the technical difficulty that got to me.
It was the deeper, more unsettling question:
Were these tests truly helping people?
Or were they just another way to pathologize folks who already carry the weight of marginalization?
That question stuck with me. Still does.
It’s what drives the work I do now — to offer assessments that are not only thorough and valid, but also respectful, empowering, and humanizing.
I want every person who goes through an evaluation with me to feel more understood — not more boxed in.
I even pursued the neuropsychology track during grad school to go deeper into the complexity of testing — not in spite of the struggle, but because of it.
Now, after all of that training — plus the more recent continuing education I’ve pursued to stay current and inclusive — I finally have the tools to create the kind of testing experience I wish I had been taught before. One that’s grounded in clinical excellence, but also in compassion, context, and cultural awareness.
I get to bring all of that forward to offer evaluations that feel like a collaborative process, not a clinical judgment.
Still deeply rooted in rigor — but always in service of your healing and growth.
If you’ve been wondering whether an ADHD and/or Autism assessment might help you better understand yourself and get support, let’s talk.
This is a no-pressure chance to ask questions and explore whether this path feels right for you.
My Virtual Evaluations are available to adults in PsyPact-approved states — and I’d be honored to walk this part of your journey with you.
