Psychological Assessments
When an accident has affected a client psychologically, psychological assessments, and follow up treatments if needed, often drastically hasten the client’s recovery in the entire healing process and overall return to a pre-accident level of function.
Symptoms clients exhibit or report that may indicate the need for a Psychological Assessment include:
- Irritability
- Anxiety - fear of going out, jumpiness, avoidance of certain situations
- Fear of driving (highway driving especially)
- Sleep problems
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite or large weight gain
- Loss of motivation or interest
- Ongoing pain with no physical justification
- Low mood - weepy, emotional, guilty, suicidal or withdrawn
Our therapists and psychometrists conduct thorough psychological assessments to determine the extent of effects the accident has had on the client. Their past experiences include ongoing assessments and treatments for motor vehicle accident victims, including pain management, and counseling for grief, anxiety, depression counseling. They all have years of experience working with clients involved in personal injury, motor vehicle and work-related accidents and have dealt with populations from diverse cultural backgrounds.
In addition to providing accurate assessments, each therapist specializes in individual counseling and psychotherapy for treatment of anxiety, depression, panic, stress, chronic pain and interpersonal (relationship) issues. Their approach is based on a cognitive-behavioural model of treatment. Large positive changes are often noted after providing treatment for psychological problems secondary to accident related trauma.
Psychological factors were found to be more relevant than collision severity in predicting the duration and severity of symptoms in collision victims with grade 1 or 2 whiplash associated disorders. (Correlation of clinical findings, collision parameters, and psychological factors in the outcome of whiplash associated disorders. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2004, 75, 758–764, © 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd., M Richter, R Ferrari, D Otte, H-W Kuensebeck, M Blauth and C Krettek).
