Assessment Series

• Assessment I
• Assessment II
• Assessment III
• Neuropsychological Screening

This series explores the interplay between subjective versus objective ways of learning about client issues. The series complements concurrent coursework, integrating concepts of psychological testing and measurement with their relevance to clinical experience. Students think critically about the possibilities and limitations of information gathering in the clinical setting. They also learn to make informed, critical judgments about the uses, appropriateness, accuracy, and reliability of assessment tools. In the first trimester, students explore the assessment of cognitive functioning using standard measures of intelligence and other dimensions as aids to clinical diagnosis. They learn key aspects of several models of cognitive functioning, and their relationships to the assessment of cognitive and intellectual functioning. The course emphasizes the administration and use of the WAIS-IV, and other measures of intelligence and cognitive styles.

The second series explores the assessment of personality and psychopathology using standardized tests including the MMPI, as well as projective measures such as the Rorschach. Students administer tests, interpret findings, and prepare reports that integrate theoretical and clinical issues.

The third series synthesizes and advances student skills by focusing on administering, interpreting, and writing up the complete assessment test battery. Students also learn to give feedback to clients and answer referral questions.

The final offering in the Assessment series provides a clinically oriented overview of neuropsychology and major theories of brain-behavior relationships. Students examine investigative methods in neuropsychology by reviewing case material illustrating major principles and syndromes. Several common screening measures are explored, with an emphasis on increasing students' awareness of when referrals for more comprehensive assessment might be indicated.

Click here to view assessment elective concentrations

Click here to view additional clinical assessment experiences available at the Wright Institute

"I was sure I wanted to join the Wright Institute community after attending an open house. I was immediately drawn by the warmth of the faculty and students, and their infectious dedication to their personal growth and clinical work. I'd spent the last ten years working with people in various counseling jobs, but I felt like I was figuring out my interventions on the fly without much supervision or direction. My intention in pursuing a doctorate was to give myself a solid foundation in theory and clinical skills, and the Wright Institute has exceeded my expectations in that respect. What I didn't anticipate was how my professors and supervisors would also challenge me to take a larger view about my role as a clinician to society, not only as a therapist, but as a multicultural ally, researcher, supervisor, teacher, and leader. I feel that I will leave this program with more than just new skills - the Wright Institute has helped me to build a professional identity as a psychologist that feels truly meaningful."

Jane Hobart, Current Student