What Does a Psychologist Actually Do? Therapy vs Evaluation Explained

If you are searching for a psychologist in Seattle for yourself or your child you may be wondering — what exactly does a psychologist do? And what is the difference between therapy and an evaluation? These are great questions and the answers matter for making sure you get the right kind of help.

WHAT IS A PSYCHOLOGIST?

A licensed psychologist holds a doctoral degree — either a Ph.D. or Psy.D. — in psychology and is trained to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. In Washington state psychologists must complete extensive supervised training and pass rigorous licensing examinations before they can practice independently. Psychologists are distinct from therapists, counselors, and social workers in that they have doctoral level training and are qualified to conduct psychological testing and evaluations — not just therapy.

WHAT IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION?

A psychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment process that uses standardized testing, clinical interviews, and behavioral observation to understand how a person thinks, learns, processes emotions, and experiences the world. Evaluations are used to diagnose conditions like autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, and other neurodevelopmental or mental health conditions. They result in a detailed written report with a diagnosis if supported by the data, and specific recommendations for school, therapy, and everyday life. Think of an evaluation as answering the question: what is going on? An evaluation is typically a time-limited process — not an ongoing relationship. It involves an intake interview, one or more testing sessions, report writing, and a feedback meeting. At my practice most evaluations are completed within 4 to 6 weeks.

WHAT IS THERAPY?

Therapy — also called psychotherapy or counseling — is an ongoing process of working with a psychologist or therapist over multiple sessions to address specific challenges, build skills, process experiences, and improve functioning and wellbeing. Think of therapy as answering the question: what do we do about it? Good therapy is not just talking about problems. Evidence-based therapy uses specific techniques that have been proven to work for particular conditions. For example Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety. Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD. Parent training programs for behavioral challenges in children.

DO YOU NEED AN EVALUATION BEFORE THERAPY?

Not always. Some people come directly to therapy knowing what they want to work on. Others benefit from getting an evaluation first to make sure they have an accurate understanding of what is driving the difficulties before starting treatment. For example a child who is struggling in school and having behavioral challenges might benefit from an evaluation first to determine whether ADHD, anxiety, a learning disability, autism, or a combination is contributing — and then therapy can be targeted to the actual diagnosis rather than a best guess. For an adult who has always felt different and suspects autism an evaluation can provide the diagnostic clarity that makes therapy more meaningful and specifically tailored.

WHAT DO I OFFER?

At my practice in Seattle I offer both comprehensive psychological evaluations and evidence-based therapy. For evaluations I assess for autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety disorders, giftedness, and neuropsychological concerns for children as young as 2 through adulthood. For therapy I specialize in anxiety disorders, OCD, school refusal, and behavioral challenges in children and adolescents. I also offer parent training programs for families of children with anxiety, ADHD, and challenging behaviors. If you are not sure whether you need an evaluation, therapy, or both — that is exactly what a free 15-minute consultation is for. We will figure it out together.

Reach out at salloni@drsalloni.com or call (206) 486-0592. I serve clients in Seattle, the Eastside, and across Washington state via telehealth.