Services Available
Assessment and Diagnosis
Psychological and Psychoeducational Evaluations
People seek out psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for different reasons. The purpose of assessment and diagnosis is to develop recommendations and a treatment plan to address the needs of an individual. Dr. Jones uses a developmental framework and multiple methods to observe and describe an individual’s ability to function in the world. Methods may include: behavioral observations, standardized assessment tools, interviews with parents, teachers, or medical providers, and a review of existing records. The outcome of such an assessment is a clear understanding of an individual’s strengths and needs, taking into account the multiple factors that influence learning, behavior, and social and emotional well-being.
Examples of reasons for referral for evaluation:
Learning concerns (such as difficulty in reading, writing or math)
Difficulty with attention or impulsivity
Concerns about emotional well-being
Challenging behaviors
Difficulty making or keeping friends
Examples of assessments include:
Intellectual assessment (i.e., IQ testing)
Academic achievement
Executive functioning
Social, emotional, and behavioral functioning
Treatment
Individual Therapy
Health and Behavior Interventions
Psychological treatment, or psychotherapy, seeks to help individuals improve their mental health and well-being. While there are any number of ways to work with individuals, Dr. Jones relies heavily on cognitive and behavioral interventions to help children, adolescents, and young adults improve their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may be contributing to psychological difficulties. Dr. Jones has extensive experience in treating children with anxiety disorders, depression, and adjustment disorders, among other mental health problems.
In addition, Dr. Jones’s specialty training in pediatric psychology enables him to work with youth with chronic health problems. Youth with chronic health problems often face unique difficulties related to having a chronic health problem. Dr. Jones’s approach to psychological treatment specifically targets these difficulties to help improve associated symptoms, quality of life, and management of the chronic illness (e.g., treatment adherence). With an emphasis on the mind-body connection, relaxation strategies, mindfulness practice, and acceptance-based strategies are incorporated into treatment.
Common reasons to seek out psychological treatment:
Feeling worried or nervous
Feeling sad
Challenging behaviors
Common medical diagnoses that benefit from psychological treatment
Headaches
Irritable bowel syndrome
Conversion disorder (i.e., Functional Neurological Disorder)
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Diabetes
Toileting concerns (enuresis, encopresis)
Cancer
Consultation
Educational Consultation
Consultation with Medical Providers
Consultation is useful when the strengths and needs of a child, adolescent, or young adult have been established, and when a clear, consistent plan needs to be developed to address needs across multiple environments. Dr. Jones works with those stake-holders who have a vested interest in ensuring that recommendations are being implemented across settings with fidelity. Consultation may include such practices as document reviews (e.g., IEPs, Evaluation Reports), informal phone conversations with teachers, school administrators, other psychologists, and medical providers, or attendance at multidisciplinary meetings, such as IEP meetings or team case conferences.