FAQ on psychology assessments

A psychology assessment is a specialized service provided by appropriately trained psychologists to understand your psychological health, diagnose mental and emotional problems and provide recommendations to help you achieve the best possible mental well-being.

Clinical counsellors are healthcare professionals with training in areas such as psychology or social work. Clinical counsellors primarily use connections and relationships in order to create change in clients’ lives.

A clinical counsellor’s toolkit will often include psychotherapy (talking therapy), coaching and support. Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Registered Social Worker, and Canadian Certified Counsellor are specific designations that indicate a minimum of a masters level education and clinical supervision.

Clinical psychologists are healthcare professionals who specialize in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, emotional disorders and behavioral problems. A clinical psychologist’s toolkit includes standardized assessments, psychological tests and psychotherapy.

Registered Psychologist (R.Psych) is a designation that, in most cases, indicates a minimum of a doctoral degree in psychology. All TELUS Health Clinical psychologists are R.Psych designated.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have pursued specialized training in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists are experts in the use of medical treatments, such as medication to treat mental illness.

Psychiatry has also recently expanded to include the use of brain imaging, non-invasive brain stimulation and genomics. Some psychiatrists also provide psychotherapy.

The psychology assessment includes both virtual visit time with the psychologist, as well as time for the psychologist to review submitted assessment forms, histories and the formal assessment report.

The assessment typically includes a diagnosis, a treatment plan and a report that can be used for school, work and insurance purposes.

Some examples of the type of assessment offered by our psychologists include:

You can view the biography of our psychologists in the app to see the full range of assessments they can provide.

To get started, please follow the steps below:

The Initial Evaluation is a 50-minute virtual appointment that gives you an opportunity to learn more about the psychologist’s area of expertise, and provides an overview of your concerns to see if the assessment package is the right fit for you.

Once you and the psychologist mutually decide to move to the Full Assessment, our Clinical Support team will reach out to schedule your first assessment appointment.

The cost of the Initial Evaluation is $225 + applicable tax, and the cost of the Full Assessment package is $1500 (inclusive of taxes and fees).

You will receive an email from our Clinical Support team outlining the assessment forms that you will need to complete.

The Clinical Support team will also arrange all of the appointments with the Psychologists and ensure that the final report is sent to you after the assessment is completed.

All clinical notes written by our mental health professionals are accessible by you through our app. You may share these with others as you deem appropriate, and in some cases these notes can be as useful as a final report.