Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Emily Crawford-Thompson, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in Clinical Psychology and comprehensive psychological evaluations and counseling for teenagers and adults (individuals age 16 and older).

• Completing a psychological evaluation accelerates your therapy progress. Psychological evaluations help you hit the ground running by identifying treatment goals, and focusing in on the most pressing issues with a more in-depth understanding of the specific symptoms and struggles you are experiencing. 
• Each evaluation report contains thorough data and summaries of all the tests, diagnosis(es), and specific and practical treatment recommendations and resources.  An evaluation provides clarity on any relevant diagnosis(es) such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, PTSD, or other diagnosis(es), and offers detailed and thorough treatment recommendations, including College Board Test (ACT/SAT) and College Accommodations for ADHD and Learning Disorders.
• In addition, psychological evaluations help you become more aware of one of your most powerful inner resources-your strengths.  Every person has a purpose.  Every person has a message.  Every person has a unique set of strengths.  It is my life’s passion to help you discover or re-discover who you really are. You are NOT your symptoms, diagnosis, or struggle.  Your strengths are an untapped resource and major clue into who you are.  It is my pleasure and honor to help empower you to discover these strengths, which will help you in current and future struggles.  Psychological Evaluations help you and your counselor build on your strengths. 
• In addition, many people find that the process of participating in a psychological evaluation fosters increased insight, as the questions you are asked naturally lead to self-reflection and raise awareness of patterns in thinking and relationships.

Dr. Emily Crawford-Thompson, Ph.D. has specialized experience since 2009 in psychological evaluations including:

Autism Spectrum Disorder in Teenagers and Adults(“Asperger’s”), using standardized semi-structured interviews for Autism such as the ADOS-2 and MIGDAS-2.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), using objective measures of sustained attention and effort

Learning Disorders in Reading, Writing, and Math

College Board Test (ACT/SAT) and College Accommodations for ADHD and Learning Disorders

Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE)

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other effects of trauma

Diagnostic Clarity

Strengths-Based Treatment Recommendations 

Anxiety, Mood, and Thought Disorders

Behavioral Concerns

Personality/Interpersonal Patterns

Intellectual Ability/IQ Testing

Independent Living Skills

Guardianship

Bariatric Pre-Surgical Evaluations

Pain Stimulator Pre-Surgical Evaluations

Transplant Pre-Surgical Evaluations

Emotional Support Animal Letters

Are you a teen or adult who wonders about the possibility of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, PTSD, or another diagnosis(es)?  I do comprehensive psychological evaluations with the best evidence-based measures in order to differentiate diagnosis, so that you can be confident in your results and treatment recommendations, including College Board Test (ACT/SAT) and College Accommodations for ADHD and Learning Disorders.

While clarifying diagnosis and making treatment recommendations is certainly a large part of what I do, I also try to help you discover and restore your true identity.  I focus on “what’s right” with you, and help uncover strengths that you may not have realized were strengths, or that may have been dormant and hidden for a long time.  People who meet with me find that I make this process both comfortable and rewarding.

Learn what is right; fix what is left When I ask people what their goals are, I often hear, “I want to know what’s wrong with me.”  While I will help you learn more about your struggles and how to fix them, I also emphasize learning what is “right” with you.  I help you discover your strengths in the midst of the struggle. I take my time to really get to know you and understand how you see yourself, and the use of standardized assessment tools ensures that you are getting the most accurate information about you and the diagnosis(es) or struggles you have.

Do you want to know more about your personality or why you do what you do? Maybe there is something that you have been struggling with for a long time, and you feel “stuck” and hopeless about making progress.  I have a lot of experience helping people get “unstuck” from a variety of complex problems, with my psychological evaluation process.   In this process, I take my time with you to really get to know you and hear you talk about yourself.  I believe that people know themselves better than they are often given credit for, and each and every individual deserves to be really listened to and heard.

With our evidence-based and collaborative psychological evaluations, you learn a lot about yourself and you walk away with a tangible product that you can review every time you need a bit of hope or encouragement-when you complete an evaluation with me, I provide you with a comprehensive and strengths-focused written report with detailed and practical recommendations for treatment and services. I also discuss all the results with you and answer your questions in a detailed feedback session.  Evaluation is an intervention that creates an opportunity for a detailed dialogue and objective understanding of your concerns and treatment goals.

An evaluation can help us better understand the reasons why your teen may be having problems with mood, learning, and/or behavior.

An evaluation provides clarity on any relevant diagnosis(es) such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, PTSD, or other diagnosis(es), and offers detailed and thorough treatment recommendations, including College Board Test (ACT/SAT) and College Accommodations for ADHD and Learning Disorders.

An evaluation can also serve as a bridge between your teenager and the school and/or community support services that they may need.

A thorough evaluation of cognitive and social-emotional domains helps you understand your teenager better and make more informed decisions about their future.

An evaluation provides a comprehensive, holistic understanding of your teenager’s strengths and challenges or areas of needed growth.

An evaluation is an investment in your teen’s future.

A psychological evaluation with Dr. Emily Crawford-Thompson, Ph.D. takes place in three sessions:

In the first session, you will meet with Dr. Emily for about an hour so that she can learn more about you and your history, understand what problems or concerns you are currently experiencing, and learn about your goals for the evaluation.  You are encouraged to reflect on areas of your life that are puzzling or troubling to you. 

In the second session, you will meet with Dr. Emily again for anywhere from 3-4 hours to answer some more specific questions tailored to your individual needs.  You will likely complete some standardized, evidence-based questionnaires, which will help you learn more about your personality, any possible diagnosis, and specific recommendations to help you, your counselor, and your other treatment providers.  Depending on your goals, you might also be asked to participate in some tasks that help us learn more about your strengths as well as areas where you might need help.  You are not expected to answer everything correctly or to excel at everything, there is no way to “fail” a psych eval, and so you are simply asked to do the best you can.  Every effort is made to ensure your comfort throughout the evaluation (e.g. snack breaks and opportunities to ask questions, etc.), and most people find that the time goes by surprisingly fast. 

After Dr. Emily reviews all the data, a comprehensive report is written and provided to you in the third session, a feedback session (about an hour) in which you have the opportunity to review all the results and recommendations and ask questions about the report, which is yours to keep.  Dr. Emily emphasizes a collaborative, humanistic approach to evaluation that highlights your strengths and promotes resilience.

During the testing (second) session, you will meet with Dr. Emily for anywhere from 3-4 hours to answer specific questions tailored to your individual needs.  Knowledge is power, and psychological evaluations help us gain knowledge about the whole person to a depth that can’t be achieved in a one-hour counseling session.  The standardized, evidence-based assessment measures (questionnaires and tasks) are some of the most objective and scientific tools that we have in the mental health field.  These measures provide you with valuable information about yourself. 

Your health is important, and deciding on the type of counseling or medications or other treatment is a big decision.  It is wise to gather as much data and information as possible before making any major decision. Psychological Evaluations help you gather data to make the most informed decisions about your mental health treatment.

Remember, the time goes by quickly, most people find the process interesting and comfortable, and I sure do let you take breaks! 

After I have compiled all the data, I will discuss all the results and recommendations with you, and give you a copy of your detailed evaluation report.

It is not uncommon for individuals with a trauma history to develop ways of relating to themselves and other people that reflect wounds.  Trauma can wound us in many ways; for example, in one evidence-based treatment for trauma, Cognitive Processing Therapy, we address how trauma has affected the ability to trust, feel safe, have a sense of power or control, be intimate or close with others, and hold people (including ourselves) in high esteem or regard.  Rather than judging interpersonal patterns as a “disordered personality,” I prefer to think of these patterns as a complex reaction to trauma. 

In general, diagnostic labels are useful when they are used correctly; that is, to communicate a lot of information in a succinct manner that facilitates treatment. Beyond that, they are just a term that should not ever be used in a manner that judges, causes shame, or encourages stigma. 

Interested readers might also take note that Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., the psychologist who developed the treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, acknowledged that she herself has had this diagnosis.  This should give all those who have received such a label hope that no diagnosis, no matter how stigmatizing its label appears to be, need prevent you or limit you in any way from living into your full potential.  After all, Dr. Linehan is a very successful psychologist and professor who has helped a great deal of people.

Check with your individual provider here, as we are an association of independent providers, some who may be in network with insurance.

In order to provide you with the highest quality care, Dr. Emily is NOT in network with insurance. You may be able to submit to insurance for reimbursement under your out of network coverage. Upon request, Dr. Emily will provide a super bill showing the services invoiced. Dr. Emily does not bill insurance directly, nor do we communicate with insurance on your behalf. You might find assistance with resources such as the Missouri insurance commissioner or www.reimbursify.com. Please verify with your insurance any out of network coverage you may have if you plan to submit to insurance.

Since Dr. Emily does not directly bill health insurance plans, payment for services is required in order to reserve an appointment. Please note that your psychological services are tax deductible when paying out-of-pocket.  

Insurance companies often work better with you directly, as they want to keep your business, than they do with us healthcare providers.  Your insurance company is invested in keeping you happy, and therefore is likely to reimburse you in a shorter amount of time compared to provider reimbursement schedules.  

Here is information for you to ask your insurance company for reimbursement: When asking your insurance carrier about the possibility of getting reimbursed for your psychological services, ask about these specific “CPT codes” that are used for psychological services: 90791 (initial interview), 96136 (1st 30 minutes of testing/scoring), 96137 (each additional 30 min. testing/scoring)96130 (first hour interpretation/report-writing), 96131 (each additional hour interpretation/report-writing), 90837 (feedback/therapy session), and 90853 for group therapy.

I am not contracted with insurance companies because, particularly when it comes to psychological evaluations, I believe that treatment works best when you and I make the decisions about your care in a way that does not include unnecessary restrictions from a third-party insurance company. This is because when providers contract with insurance companies, insurance companies often delay the start of treatment, limit the amount or type of treatment that can be provided, require certain mental health diagnoses (and reject to reimburse certain diagnoses), and require the release of your private information.  The insurance company decides what is “medically necessary,” what tests I can and cannot use, how much time I spend with you, and how much time I spend compiling your evaluation report.

In the interest of providing you with the most efficient and highest quality care, I am not on insurance panels. This means that you get scheduled with me very quickly, due to the treatment delays and hassles caused by health insurance companies.  The unreasonably low reimbursement rates that providers who contract with insurance companies are forced to accept means seeing more clients within a shorter amount of time, thus providing less quality care.  At Columbia Psychology Healing Center LLC, we believe in efficient and quality care.

Read more about our individual providers’ policies and fees here.

For Dr. Emily:

Psychological Evaluations:

Initial interview (1^st session) $250

Testing (2^ndsession) $2000 (most testing is 3-4 hours, and an additional 10-12 hours is spent scoring/interpreting tests, compiling collateral information, reviewing any available records, gathering treatment recommendations/resources, and writing the report. You are not being charged for the cost of the testing materials, which are significant-Dr. Emily covers the cost of the tests.)  Dr. Emily Crawford-Thompson personally administers, scores, and interprets all tests. NO psychometrists are utilized.  Learning Disorder testing sessions (that is, if a request is made to look at a specific learning disorder in reading, writing, and/or math) are $2500 as they require additional testing and report-writing time.

Feedback (3^rdsession) $250

When you consider the amount of time that Dr. Emily spends on your comprehensive evaluation, not to mention the cost of the tests that she covers, you are paying less than her counseling rate of $150/hour!

Bariatric, pain, or transplant Evaluations take place in one session $600

Dr. Emily’s Individual counseling sessions $150

Group counseling sessions $40