It’s no secret that life is stressful. Many of us are having trouble dealing with stress, but keep that fact a secret. Why?

The many people who request mental health evaluations at Columbia Treatment Center fall into three categories:
  1. Adults who want a richer, more satisfying life and are willing to ask for
    guidance in creating it.
  2. Parents who are concerned about their teens’ mood or behavior changes and
    want to know how to help them.
  3. Adults or adolescents requiring assessment for legal, work or school issues.

What happens in an evaluation?

Columbia Addictions Center - Mental HealthAdults spend about an hour with a therapist specialized in diagnosing and treating a variety of emotional/behavioral issues: depression, anxiety, ADD, post traumatic stress, unhealthy anger, and eating disorders, to name a few.

Teens are typically accompanied by at least one parent and sessions take an hour to 90 minutes. Mood and behavioral issues are viewed within the context of the family, with the goal of understanding how life might be improved for all family members.

Assessment results are not shared with anyone but the participants without their written permission. (In legal, work and school situations, you will let us know who requires the results.)

At the end of the evaluation, the therapist makes one of the following recommendations:

  1. No formal treatment is necessary
  2. Individual, group, family or wellness sessions at Columbia Treatment Center
  3. Referral to another level of care
  4. Referral for further assessment (ex: to a psychiatrist we trust)

Note: If we refer you elsewhere, please keep us in the loop. We want to know you’re being taken care of.