The Testing Psychologist Podcast

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I dig into the widely discussed New York Times Magazine article, “Have We Been Thinking About ADHD All Wrong?” —and more specifically, I zoom in on one particularly compelling component: the fluctuating nature of ADHD symptoms over time . This idea—that ADHD is not a fixed trait but something that ebbs and flows with ag...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I sat down with my friend and returning guest, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about her family’s leap into full-time RV life and how it’s impacted her leadership, practice culture, and mental clarity. We dug deep into the experience of running a group practice remotely, the evolving d...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. After wrapping up yet another year of reviewing doctoral internship applications, I’m struck by the high quality of the applicants. There are some incredible grad students out there who are going to be fantastic psychologists! In today’s episode, I’m sharing some personal thoughts on what makes an application stand out in a sea of often good applic...

Lately, I’ve noticed a concerning drop in incoming calls to my practice, and in this episode, I’m going to talk about how vital metrics and data analysis are for uncovering and fixing problems like this. I’ll share the systematic way I’ve been investigating this, focusing on the key performance indicators that matter most. You’ll hear about the steps I’m taking to optimize our intake process. For...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In today’s episode, Dr. Stephanie Nelson returns to explore the evolution of evaluation reports, emphasizing the need for a shift from traditional diagnostic approaches to a more contextual understanding of clients. We discuss the limitations of relying heavily on diagnoses and numbers and try to broaden the field for consideration of assessment re...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, I welcome Dr. Rachel Loftin, Chief Clinical Officer at Prosper Health, to discuss the evolving landscape of online autism evaluation and therapy. We dive into Dr. Loftin’s career journey, the neurodivergence movement, the challenges of remote autism assessments, and the importance of maintaining clinical rigor while using digital tools. This...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. We all know that an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is essential for running a practice, but here’s the thing— it’s not enough. If you want a truly profitable, efficient, and stress-free practice, you need a complete tech stack that goes beyond your EHR. Today, we’re breaking down the best tools to help you automate workflows, enhance patient...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most crucial topics for private practice owners: Automation. If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in admin work, constantly behind on notes, or struggling to keep up with scheduling and billing—this episode is for you. Burnout is real. Studies show that clinicians spending more than an hour per day...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ulrich Mayr, a cognitive neuroscientist, about the fundamental limitations of current cognitive and neuropsychological testing. We explore the reliability of test scores, the dangers of overinterpreting profiles, and strategies for improving assessment interpretation. Dr. Mayr shares insights from cognitive science,...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Making it to 500 episodes is no joke, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my amazing partner, Carrie. A therapist and podcaster herself, she has encouraged and challenged me countless times along the way. In our conversation today, we reflect back on the last 8 years of the Testing Psychologist and how it has shaped our family and ou...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today we’re diving into one of the most exciting and rapidly evolving areas of psychological assessment— Virtual Reality (VR) and Holistic Assessment . Traditional assessments are incredibly valuable, but they often have limitations—how well do standardized tests translate to real-world functioning? Are we truly capturing the full picture of a clie...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today’s episode is inspired by something that many of us in the podcasting or even business world experience at some point: negative reviews. We covered negative client reviews a few weeks ago, but today I’m talking about a negative podcast review. A few months ago, I received a review from a listener who was disappointed that I had ‘sold out’ beca...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, we’re diving into an incredibly important topic in autism assessment—the role of standardized diagnostic instruments. If you’ve ever wondered how tools like the ADOS-2 or ADI-R fit into the bigger picture of autism evaluations and whether they’re truly considered the “gold standard,” this episode is for you. We’ll be discussing their intende...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Many of you have either heard of Profit First or implemented it to varying degrees. My guest today, Julie Herres from Green Oak Accounting, literally wrote the book on using Profit First in mental health practices. But this isn’t another “basics of Profit First” episode…Julie and I have a broad conversation covering the principles of Profit First,...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today we’re diving into one of the biggest decisions private practice owners face: when to hire help . If you’ve ever found yourself drowning in scheduling, billing, or intake calls, or if your waitlist is stretching out for weeks and you’re feeling completely maxed out, you’re not alone. In this episode, we’ll talk about both the qualitative and q...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. I’m here with Dr. Ben Morsa for a fascinating discussion that combines two seemingly opposed ideas: psychoanalysis and assessment. This conversation explores the intersection of the two, focusing on the evolution of psychoanalytic thought, the significance of assessment tools like the Rorschach, and the complexities of testing that may go unnoticed...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, we’re diving into a trend that many private practice owners are noticing: client inquiries are staying steady, but conversion rates are dropping, especially for private-pay practices. If you’ve been feeling this shift in your practice, you’re not alone. What’s driving this downturn? And more importantly, what can you do about it? In this epi...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, I’m here with Stephanie Tsapakis to talk about her journey in education, particularly focusing on her work with LDExpert, a company dedicated to providing specialized tutoring for students with learning differences. We discuss the importance of qualified tutors, the certification process for intervention programs, and the current state of dy...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In our conversation today, Jana Parker shares her journey from being a school psychologist to becoming a licensed educational psychologist and entrepreneur. She discusses her motivations, the challenges faced by educational psychologists transitioning to private practice, and the unique role of licensed educational psychologists in California. Jana...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, we’re tackling one of the trickiest aspects of running a psychological practice in the digital age—Google Reviews. Whether you love them or hate them, online reviews are a major factor in how potential clients perceive your practice. But as psychologists, we don’t have the same freedom as other businesses when it comes to managing them. We’l...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, I’m here with Brie Chrisman from Boss Co. to discuss the importance of operations and onboarding in our practices. Brie shares insights on the client onboarding process, emphasizing the significance of effective communication and follow-up strategies to enhance the client experience. We tackle questions like: What are “operations” in a psych...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click Here. Dr. Mariela Shibley returns to discuss the critical role of immigration evaluations in the current immigration system. She shares her personal experiences as an immigrant and mental health professional, emphasizing the importance of these evaluations in providing objective data to support immigration cases. The discussion covers the historical cont...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. That’s right, everyone – it’s time for another “best of” episode! This marks EIGHT YEARS for the podcast, with no signs of slowing down. 2024 was a remarkable year for me. On the Testing Psychologist side, I had the opportunity to interview several subject-matter experts on a wide variety of clinical and business topics. I introduced a la car...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. This conversation delves into the Boston Cognitive Assessment, a self-administered cognitive test designed to measure various cognitive domains efficiently. The assessment aims to provide valuable information for both patients and healthcare providers, especially in the context of aging populations and cognitive decline. The discussion features ins...

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today I’m interviewing Christine Li, the founder of Mentaya, a platform designed to simplify the process of out-of-network billing for mental health services. Christine shares her journey from working in tech at Google to launching Mentaya, driven by her passion for mental health and the desire to create a more accessible system for both providers...