Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Dr. Alison Wilkinson-Smith is here today to chat about therapeutic assessment with kids. As a classically-trained neuropsychologist, Alison has a nice blend of traditional and non-traditional approaches to testing. We chat about the ins and outs of pediatric therapeutic assessment, from intake to testing to feedback, with a family intervention session thrown in there as well. These are just a few things that Alison and I cover: The research behin...
Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 20 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Anybody’s kids still on the “preschool diet”? In other words, eating mostly white and brown foods, with little variation or color? Have you worked with kids with more serious medical concerns like a G-tube or failure to thrive? Even though you’re not alone, the realm of diet and eating can be hard to navigate. Dr. Lani Jones, a nationally-recognized speaker and licensed psychologist, is here to talk with me all about feeding issues in little ones...
Apr 20, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. My good friend, John Clarke from Private Practice Workshop, hosted a live Q & A on COVID-19 adaptations for mental health practices a couple of weeks ago and was gracious enough to have me co-host with him. Much of the content is still relevant as we transition to telehealth services in our practices. We cover a few things like: What are the best telehealth platforms right now? What are some priorities as you transition to telehealth? How can...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Dr. Jordan Wright is here to talk through the recently published “Guidance on Psychological Tele-Assessment During the COVID-19 Crisis.” We talk briefly about Jordan’s research (which he has conducted for many years) on tele-assessment in general and his involvement in developing remote methods for both the WJ and the WISC. The conversation then turns to the six guiding principles for conducting remote assessment during these times. If you’ve read the principles, you’ll have some familiarity wit...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Join Dr. Susie Raiford and I as we talk through the ins and outs of remote assessment, or telepractice, with the WISC-V and KTEA. We spend the first part of the episode talking through the research on telepractice, covering topics like equivalency, norming, and equating as we evaluate different modes of test administration. The conversation then shifts to practical guidelines for administering the WISC-V and KTEA remotely. Here are a few things we cover: Is remote assessment a viable, valid alte...
Apr 03, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. For those of you who typically listen at double speed, you might want to slow this one down. Dr. Stephen Kanne and I cover a TON of information about the ADOS-2 and autism spectrum assessment in general. We spend about half the time talking about the GAIN program, a tele-training approach that allows clinicians around the world to observe and code ADOS administrations right alongside experts in the field. The other half is spent digging into ASD ...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. I was sitting in on an ADOS-2 a few months ago with a nonverbal little guy. He used a fair amount of sign language, which got me thinking: do the pragmatic communication problems associated with autism happen in nonverbal or deaf children? After a little Google searching, I found Dr. Aaron Shield, a linguist out of Miami University, who has specialized in this very niche for much of his academic career. Join us today as we dive into this fascinat...
Feb 25, 2020•58 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Longtime Testing Psychologist Community member, Dr. Emin Gharibian, is here to talk all about assessing criminal and civil competency. This is one of those episodes where I learned a great deal, simply by virtue of not knowing much about this area. Emin breaks things down in an easy-to-understand way that left me feeling like I could actually venture into the world of assessing competence (assuming I was *cough* competent enough to do so *cough*)...
Feb 17, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Does anyone else get a cold sweat and chills when you go to check your Quickbooks? Do you even use Quickbooks? Does the term “P & L” strike fear – or worse, stark confusion – into your heart? You’re not alone! Talking about numbers and digging into finances are some of the hardest tasks for mental health practice owners. Luckily, Adam Lean is here to provide support for us. As the president of the CFO Project, Adam lives and breathes financia...
Feb 10, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Are you overwhelmed in your practice and trying to figure out how to delegate the tasks that you don’t enjoy? If so, you’re similar to about 99.99% of the coaching clients I work with. The episode today is for all of you practice owners who are drowning in admin tasks, scoring, emails, and all the other non-clinical tasks that we do. Uriah Guilford, owner of The Productive Therapist, is here to talk all about US-based, mental-health specific virt...
Feb 03, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Welcome to the Winter Business Series! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be interviewing folks on a variety of business topics that will help boost your practice in a number of ways. Today I’m here with John Sanders to talk all about Google Ads and how they can help you gather referrals in your testing practice. Google Ads can be helpful for those just launching a practice, those who are new to a certain area, or those who are growing a new service w...
Jan 27, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. 2019 was an amazing year for the Testing Psychologist podcast. The listening audience continued growing at a rapid pace, and I continue to be lucky enough to talk with a variety of incredible people. This episode is a recap of the most-downloaded episodes of 2019. A couple of these were expected, but a couple were totally UNEXPECTED. Listen to find out which shows the audience loved the most from this year! Cool Things Mentioned Episode 81: Dr. M...
Jan 14, 2020•17 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. “I have every printout of your Instagram posts from the school resource officer.” Dr. Leite, from our interview Threat assessment & management is something that few of us specialize in, yet it is incredibly important these days in the context of school violence. Dr. Stephanie Leite is here to talk about her practice and specialty in threat assessment and management, primarily with adolescents. Here are just a few things we touch on: What is t...
Dec 23, 2019•57 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Dr. Brenna Tindall is back to talk with me about her work on assessing and treating intimate partner violence and sexual violence. We dive deep into how these concepts overlap and discuss the relatively small amount of research in this area. For those of you in the forensic arena, and anyone else interested in violent behavior within relationships, this is a must-listen. Here are just a few topics we cover in the episode… How to assess intimate p...
Dec 18, 2019•58 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Rachel Kapp and Steph Pitts, co-hosts of the Learn Smarter podcast, really brought the fire to today’s interview! Their collective energy made this a dynamic, fun conversation about educational therapy and executive functioning intervention for kids. We covered a lot of ground. Here are just a few things that came up in our conversation… What is educational therapy The first step in teaching executive functioning skills How to work with rigidity ...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In my beginner practice mastermind the other day, we got to talking about how to train a VA or in-office assistant to “sell” testing services on the initial client phone call. I shared my 4-part script, breaking down each of the components that have proved helpful in booking clients for testing appointments during that phone call. Today, I’m talking all about that script and each of the parts involved. Here are the key elements in writing a phone...
Nov 25, 2019•21 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today is the 100th episode! Anyone who’s been listening over the years knows that I like to take milestones like this as a signal to reflect on the past and plan for the future. Today’s episode is all about gratitude – to the listeners and to those who’ve supported me in this podcast and consulting journey. Here are just a few folks who’ve played a huge role in getting to 100 episodes: My wonderful wife (obviously) and family, who stuck through t...
Nov 12, 2019•15 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Rob Reinhardt is a licensed professional counselor with a side business very aptly called Tame Your Practice, where he provides all kinds of support with business and technology for practice owners. Rob is also the co-host of the podcast, Therapy Tech with Rob and Roy, with former podcast guest, Roy Huggins. Rob has also carved out quite a niche as a reviewer of mental health/psychiatric EHR systems. We spend our time today talking through tons o...
Nov 12, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. For those of us who work with kids, coordinating with schools is a must. Zhanna Shekhtmeyster is an expert on school intervention, 504 plans, and special education support. She is here today talking with me about a wide variety of topics related to school-based intervention and how we, as private practitioners, can integrate with a child’s school. Here are just a few things we cover: The different tiers of intervention in RTI/MTSS How to navigate...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. I met Kat Love this summer at the Group Practice Owner’s Summit and found them to be one of the most endearing, delightful individuals I’ve ever spoken with. It’s just good fortune that they’re also one of the top website designers and copywriters for therapists right now. Kat talks with me today about how to dial in your website so that it communicates a clear, compelling message that reflects who you are as a clinician. Here are just a few thin...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. How many times have you run into challenging or ambiguous ethical situations and looked around your office, wishing an attorney would appear to answer all of your questions? For me, it’s countless. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski doesn’t answer ALL the questions that have ever come up, but she came really close on today’s episode! As a dual attorney-psychologist and risk management consultant for The Trust, Dr. Zelechoski has a unique, insider’s perspectiv...
Oct 14, 2019•1 hr 15 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. The Rorschach has been a source of mystery and debate in our field for decades now. As someone who went through grad school at a time when the Rorschach had fallen out of favor (especially with my advisor), I don’t use it and know very little about it. That’s why I’m so grateful to be talking today with Dr. Joni Mihura, co-author/developer of the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS). The R-PAS has come to be regarded as the most curren...
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 13 min
How many of us have been in a clinical interview and wondered, “Could this be a thought disorder?” Sometimes it’s unclear which symptoms are worth concern and which ones are more typical. My guest today, Dr. Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian, has been conducting research and practice with psychotic disorders and prodromal states for nearly her entire academic career. We cover a lot of ground during this interview. Here are just a few things that we discuss: When should we really start assessing for ps...
Sep 16, 2019•1 hr 16 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Have any of you worked with non-verbal kids? Many of us have. I’ve had several kids who were not speaking well into childhood and struggled with diagnostic impressions. In a few cases, it turned out to be selective mutism. My guest today, Dr. Aimee Kotrba, is an expert in this area. Aimee has specialized in selective mutism for years and shares a ton of helpful information during our interview. We talk about many key points like… What exactly is ...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Have you ever formally assessed shame? Me neither. My guest today, Dr. Julie Cradock O’Leary, has made a career of research and practice all around shame. She is the co-author of the Thurston Cradock Test of Shame, a projective measure aimed at assessing shame in individuals of all ages. Julie talks with me today all about shame: what it is, why it’s important, how it might show up in our assessments, and of course, how her test may help in that ...
Aug 28, 2019•1 hr 7 min
If you haven’t heard of the School Psyched podcast, you’ve got to check it out. As one of the only other podcasts out there that’s focused on psych testing, we’ve shared many guests and topics of discussion. I’m so fortunate to have the three co-hosts – Rebecca Comizio, Rachael Donnelly, and Eric Elias – on the show with me today for a little crossover episode. You’ll learn all about their journey with School Psyched, and we dive into some of the most common issues in bridging the gap from priva...
Aug 19, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. I’ve known Dr. Rob McNamara longer than any other psychologist friends. We met a few days before starting grad school together, and he has remained one of my closest friends over all the years since. Rob is here today talking with us all about his role as a hospital-based psychologist, which allows him to conduct capacity evals and evaluate medical decision-making. This is an area of assessment that was largely unfamiliar to me before our podcast...
Aug 12, 2019•1 hr
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. My good friend John Clarke is back for the first “business-y” episode in quite a while. John is walking us through digital marketing and specifically focusing on the Google side of things. We talk all about good website copy, tips to help rank higher in search engines, how to find keywords, ways to nail the FREE Google My Business listing, and so much more. Maybe most importantly, John shares his philosophy of branding and how good, basic princip...
Aug 08, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. This has been a busy summer as far as conferences go. I attended the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology’s annual conference in early June and just returned from the Group Practice Owners Summit a few days ago. Both were in Chicago, though they were held in different areas of the city. I thought about going to APA in August for a true Chicago conference trifecta but ultimately decided to go to the beach with my family instead. This episo...
Jul 22, 2019•27 min
It turns out that Dr. Robin McEvoy and I have a lot in common. We’re both in Colorado, we have some mutual psychologist friends, and we’ve both pursued craniosacral therapy for our children! Wait, what? Yes, craniosacral therapy. Join Robin and I as we talk all about her approach to integrative assessment for kids. We cover her evaluation process, what a “holistic” assessment is, some common influences on behavior that we might overlook, and a number of alternative treatment approaches (includin...
Jun 03, 2019•1 hr 20 min
