Sometimes the most important question is also the simplest one: what is actually going on? A psychodiagnostic assessment helps clarify the presence of a mental illness, so that treatment — and support — can be built on an accurate understanding rather than guesswork.
At Silm Centre for Mental Health, psychodiagnostic assessments are offered to children, adolescents, and adults at our North York (Toronto) and Oakville locations.
What the assessment involves
- A thorough clinical interview, both unstructured and structured
- A review of available files and records
- Gathering collateral information (with consent)
- Psychometric (psychological) testing
What you receive
At the end of the assessment, you receive documentation that outlines the findings and describes recommendations for treatment and/or accommodations for work or school. People seek psychodiagnostic assessments for many reasons: to understand themselves better, to get a second opinion, to provide documentation to support physicians with medication decisions, or to support accommodations or a disability application. We support assessments for all of these reasons.
Disability applications and documentation
Many psychodiagnostic assessments at Silm Centre for Mental Health support applications and claims where clear documentation of a mental health condition and its functional impact is required — including the Disability Tax Credit, long-term disability, and ODSP. If you are applying, tell us at the consultation stage: the assessment and report can then be structured with your application’s requirements in mind. (An assessment provides accurate, professional documentation; it cannot guarantee an application’s outcome.)
Measures we use
Psychodiagnostic assessment at Silm Centre for Mental Health include unstructured clinical interviews, validated structured clinical interviews (e.g, SCID/DART/CAPS-5), empirically-supported omnibus measures (e.g., PAI, CBRS), and symptom-specific narrowband measures (e.g., PCL-5, Y-BOCS), selected and combined according to the referral question.
Who does this assessment
Assessments at Silm Centre for Mental Health are conducted by our assessment team — psychologists working with psychometrists:
Psychologists
Psychometrists
Clinical Associate
Cost and first step
Psychodiagnostic assessments cost $2,500–$3,000. Costs can vary depending on the type of documentation required. The first step is a free initial consultation, where we gather information about what you need and explain the assessment and its cost before you commit to anything.
Our services are offered by registered psychologists (often with the support from psychometrists), which means they are often covered by extended health benefits plans.
If you are wondering about more than one thing — for example, a learning disability and a mental health concern — we can often assess for both together. We will discuss the cost of the combined assessment with you at intake, or later, if we notice during the assessment that something requires further exploration. The cost is generally $500 to $1,000 more than the cost of a single assessment, depending on the scope of the additional assessment — not the cost of both assessments added together. We will never proceed without your consent.
How we approach every assessment
Every assessment at Silm Centre for Mental Health is person-centred and trauma-informed. Where records are available, we review them; with your consent, we also gather collateral information from people who know you well. And we are always screening beyond the original question: an assessment here does not simply answer yes or no — it looks for the best explanation for a person’s symptoms and patterns, which is sometimes a different explanation than the one expected. When that happens, we may ask your consent to broaden the scope of the assessment, so the answer you get is the right one.
Common questions
How long does the whole process take?
Once you reach out to us, we aim to have your intake completed within one to two weeks, and your first testing appointment scheduled two to three weeks after that. Testing is usually done in longer sessions, and we aim to complete it within one to three appointments. After testing, we aim to have your report ready within three to four weeks — so from first contact to final report, the process typically takes 8 to 12 weeks. Assessments can be completed virtually, in-person at our North York or Oakville offices, or a combination of both. We have no waitlist, and evening and weekend appointments are available.
Who is a psychodiagnostic assessment for?
Anyone — a child, adolescent, or adult — whose mental health picture is unclear, whose treatment isn’t working as expected, or who needs formal documentation of a diagnosis.
How is this different from a psychoeducational assessment?
A psychoeducational assessment focuses on learning and identifies learning disabilities. A psychodiagnostic assessment focuses on mental health and clarifying the presence of mental illness. Some people benefit from both; the free consultation helps determine which fits your question.
Will the report help with accommodations?
Yes — the documentation describes recommendations that can support accommodations at work or school, and assessments can also support disability applications, including ODSP and long-term disability.
Book a free initial consultation: fill out our initial consultation form, or book an intake with one of our psychologists. You can also reach us at (416) 384-1111 · admin@silmmentalhealth.com