Collaborative and Therapeutic Assessment (CTA) is a brief intervention that uses psychometrically validated tests to promote self-understanding and personal growth rather than diagnosis of mental disorders. At The Willow Centre we are offering CTA for adults. CTA is particularly helpful when clients are unclear about their therapeutic needs or the nature of their personal struggles and are wanting to better understand themselves and their negative patterns, or are experiencing treatment impasse within their existing therapy and are in need of clearer goals.

CTA has the following benefits:
• it is a brief, semi-structured therapeutic experience that can clarify the nature of complex problems or symptoms,
• helps gain deeper insight into longstanding patterns and negative cycles,
• prepares an individual for longer-term therapy by providing a sense of guidance and direction,
• helps overcome treatment impasses clients may be facing in their therapy.

The clinical psychologist will initially meet with you to collaboratively help you shape the goals of your own assessment by identifying curiosities or “assessment questions” (AQs) to guide the assessment process moving forward. Examples of AQs include:
• Why do I struggle paying attention in different learning situations?
• What is causing my anxiety or depression?
• Why do I get frustrated so easily?
• Why do I find it so difficult controlling my impulses?
• What can help me stop procrastinating?
• Why do I have such a hard time trusting people?
• Why do I feel overwhelmed by small tasks?

In CTA, inclusion and exclusion criteria ensure the appropriateness and effectiveness of the assessment process for each client. Here are some typical criteria:

Inclusion Criteria:
1. Presenting Problems: Clients with complex psychological, emotional, and interpersonal issues, unclear diagnoses, or treatment-resistant conditions.
2. Willingness to Participate: Clients open to self-exploration and collaborative feedback.
3. Referral from Professionals: Recommendations from therapists, psychiatrists, or other healthcare providers.
4. Need for Comprehensive Understanding: Situations requiring an in-depth understanding of psychological and personality/interpersonal/cognitive functioning.

Exclusion Criteria:
1. Severe Acute Psychosis: Clients experiencing severe psychotic episodes that hinder the assessment process.
2. Immediate Risk of Harm: Individuals at high risk of self-harm or harming others.
3. Active Legal Cases: Clients who are involved in active court cases.
4. Cognitive Impairments: Severe cognitive deficits that prevent meaningful engagement in the assessment process.
5. Lack of Consent: Clients unwilling or unable to provide informed consent.

These criteria ensure that therapeutic assessments are conducted with clients who can benefit most from the process, while also safeguarding those for whom the assessment might not be appropriate or safe.

If you qualify for a CTA, you will meet with your psychologist for an initial session lasting two hours. During the initial session, your psychologist will carefully contextualize your presenting problems against the background of your lived experience and personal history to grasp what happened that brought you here. At the end of this session, the psychologist will collaborate with you to formulate an individualized assessment plan for addressing your AQs.