During your first appointment, you will be asked you why you have come. You will be asked to describe your concerns in as much detail as possible. Some of the questions will likely include:
You may also be asked how the problem has affected your life in terms of personal distress, family and peer relationships, academics, recreation, and other activities of daily living.
By gathering all this information, your concerns can be comprehensively evaluated, understanding how it affects your well-being. This phase of gathering information can take one or more sessions and it may be supplemented by the use of psychological tests. It will be determined whether it would be helpful to conduct a full psychological assessment at this time.
Psychological tests are extremely well researched tools. They help to understand more about you by comparing your performance on the measure with the performance of others. The tests assess a number of skills and behaviours (e.g. thinking (cognitions), emotions, relationships, achievement, neurological functioning).
Dr. Andres-Lemay will work with you to identify how she can help you and your family manage or overcome the difficulties and their impact on your life. Then, you will carry out this plan together to ensure your success.
During the first session with Dr. Andres-Lemay, the risks and benefits of psychological treatment or assessment, and the limits of confidentiality will be explained.