Trauma-Informed vs. Traditional Assessment
The main priorities of trauma-informed assessments are not only to answer client's questions, but also to increase self-compassion, self-inspiration, and self-motivation. They are just as effective as traditional assessments, but with the addition of having a therapeutic and transformational impact on the client.
Following is a brief comparison between the two types of assessment:
| Traditional Assessment | Trauma-Informed Assessment |
|---|---|
| Goal To answer the question, “What is going on with me?” | Goal
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| Information Gathering Process The psychologist gathers and interprets information from testing that informs them of what is going on with you. | Information Gathering Process The psychologist gathers information from testing to use as a tool to help inform them of what is going on with you. The psychologist then reviews that information with you, as the co-interpreter, to determine the relevance of that information and what that might look like in your life and what it might mean. |
| Transparency The psychologist shares information about the purpose of the tests and then lets you know how you did at the end of the entire evaluation process. | Transparency The psychologist shares information about the purpose of the tests, and during the course of testing, shares thoughts about patterns they see emerging and engages in a dialogue with you about potential hypotheses. |
| Your Role As the evaluee, you provide history and test responses. | Your Role You are an evaluee, but in a trauma-informed assessment, you also act as a collaborator, co-interpreter, co-observer, and co-writer! Throughout this process, you and I are learning and understanding more about you, experimenting with ideas about how to create change, and putting an action plan into place to help you move toward your goals. |
| Summary of Findings At the end of the assessment, the psychologist will go over the results with you in a “feedback session” and provide a comprehensive clinical report. | Summary of Findings At the end of the assessment, we have a comprehensive summary discussion about the big picture that you and I have discovered over the course of the assessment process. You again act as collaborator, co-interpreter, co-observer, and co-writer so that we can make sure that the summary is an accurate representation of your experiences and relevant to your life. After that summary discussion, I send you a letter that puts everything together, and reminds you of the plan we’ve already put into place, for future growth and healing. |
| Follow-up There is usually no follow-up. | Follow-up You are scheduled for a future follow-up (3-6 months later) for a refresher – to review the assessment outcomes again, determine what the information means for your current life, and revise steps for moving forward. You are also encouraged to reach out for future refresher follow-ups. |
