Psychological Testing in North County San Diego
Testing that takes your questions seriously.
If you are wondering whether something has been missed, or you have been told to "just keep trying," a thorough evaluation can give you the kind of clarity that changes what you do next. We test adults, teens, and kids, in person across Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista.
Serving North County since 2018 · Doctoral-level psychologists
Typical fee: $3,000–$5,000 · Out-of-Network · Superbill Provided · Free 15-Min Consultation
The process: Consult (Free) → Clinical Interview → Testing → Feedback. About 9 hours of your time across 3-4 sessions, with a written report.
What makes us different
Testing done by psychologists who actually do therapy.
Every evaluation is conducted by a doctoral-level clinician. No interns. No automated reports.
We are clinicians, not a testing factory.
Our evaluations are written by the same psychologist who tested you, in language you can use with a school, a doctor, or yourself.
We test the question, not a checklist.
We tailor each battery to what you actually want to know. We will tell you up front what we can and cannot answer.
Reports you can read.
Plain English, specific recommendations, and a feedback session where we walk through what we found together.
Connected to the work that comes after.
If therapy, coaching, or accommodations are part of what comes next, we hand you off thoughtfully and stay reachable.
Choose your door
Which testing service is right for you?
Five common reasons people come to us. If you are not sure which one fits, the 15-minute consultation is built for exactly that.
01 / Ages 5+
ADHD evaluation
Are you (or your kid) actually working harder than the result suggests?
For grades that don't match effort, late-diagnosed adults, and people whose first ADHD assessment didn't go deep enough.
- Cognitive, attention, and executive function batteries
- Rating scales from home, school, or work
- Differential ruling out anxiety, sleep, learning issues
02 / Ages 5+
Autism evaluation
For adults and teens who have always known something fit differently.
Late-diagnosed autism, women and gender-diverse adults, and clients whose pattern was missed by a generalist.
- Developmental history, sensory and social profiles
- Affirming, identity-respecting framing
- Co-occurring ADHD, anxiety, and trauma noted clearly
03 / Ages 5+
AuDHD evaluation
When ADHD and autism overlap, evaluating both at once is more accurate.
For late-diagnosed adults (especially high-masking adults and women), kids and teens with mixed presentations, and anyone who has received one diagnosis but feels something hasn't been fully explained.
- Differentiates ADHD and autism where they overlap
- One integrated report, not two that don't speak to each other
- Specialized experience with high-masking adults and women
04 / Student or adult
Academic & learning
Effort, output, and result are not adding up.
Dyslexia, dysgraphia, processing speed, and the kinds of patterns that produce capable kids who hate school.
- Cognitive, achievement, and processing batteries
- Reports schools and 504/IEP teams will accept
- Recommendations specific enough to use right away
05 / Ages 5+
Personality & differential
For when therapy is not moving and you suspect the diagnosis is wrong.
Personality assessment, mood and trauma differentials, and the second opinion that finally makes the picture coherent.
- MMPI-2, MCMI-IV, PAI, Rorschach, structured clinical interviews
- Honest formulation rather than a label search
- Direct handoff to your therapist or ours
You won't be sold testing on the consultation. About 1 in 5 calls ends with us recommending a different evaluation, a different provider, or no testing at all — because the consult is for figuring out what you need.
How it works
What the process actually looks like.
Most evaluations span three to five appointments across two to four weeks. Nothing surprises you. We tell you what each session is for before you book it.
01
The free 15-minute call.
You tell us what you are trying to figure out. We tell you whether testing is the right tool, what battery would fit, and what it would cost. No sales energy.
15 min · Phone call
02
Clinical interview.
A 60 to 90 minute conversation about your history, your concerns, and what you want this evaluation to do for you. For pediatric and AuDHD work this includes structured developmental measures (e.g. ADI-R) so we design the battery from data, not just impressions.
60–90 min · in person or online
03
Cognitive and neuropsych testing.
Core cognitive batteries are administered in person, with breaks. Common instruments include the WISC-V (children), WAIS-5 (adults), and D-KEFS for executive function. Pediatric cases often add NEPSY-II for fine-grained processing measures, and the CPT-3 for sustained-attention performance.
3–4 hours · in person
04
Achievement, social, and adaptive measures.
Where the question requires it, we add achievement testing (WIAT-4), social-communication measures (SRS-2), and adaptive functioning measures (ABAS-3). Personality and mood differentials are administered alongside, not as an afterthought.
3–4 hours · in person
05
Outside expert review and team consultation.
Before any report leaves the practice, the case is reviewed by an outside consulting expert and presented to our full team in weekly consultation. Diagnostic impressions are stress-tested against alternative explanations, not rubber-stamped.
Behind the scenes · built into every case
06
Feedback session and the written report.
A 60 to 90 minute feedback session where we walk through what we found, in plain English. The written report emailed to you briefly after the feedback session. You can use it with schools, doctors, employers, therapists, or other providers.
60-90 min + written report
Who we test
Adults, teens, and kids, with specific reasons for being here.
We are not a generalist clinic. The people who get the most out of testing with us tend to share a particular shape of question.
"We test the question, not a checklist."
Conditions we diagnose
- ADHD (inattentive, combined, and hyperactive presentations)
- Autism in adults, teens, and kids, including high-masking presentations
- AuDHD: co-occurring autism and ADHD
- Specific learning disorders: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia
- Twice-exceptional (2e) profiles in gifted students
- Persistent depressive disorder and other mood differentials
- OCD and OCD-spectrum presentations
- Complex trauma and PTSD
- Attachment patterns and personality differentials
Referrals we accept
- Outside therapists asking for a second opinion
- Primary care physicians and psychiatrists
- College and graduate school disability offices
- Schools and IEP teams in San Diego County
The team
Six psychologists & one psychological associate who do testing.
Every evaluation is conducted, scored, and written by the same doctoral-level clinician. No interns. No handoffs to a writer.
Chelsea Dudley, PsyD
Director of Psychological Testing
Lindsey G. Robertson, PhD
Co-owner & Director of Professional Development
Clare Edwards, PhD
Vista Site Director
Jessica Kim, PsyD
Director of Couples Therapy
C. Julieta Aguilera Rice, PhD
Trilingual (English/Spanish/French)
Julia Avila, PhD
Bethany Ling, PsyD
What it costs
We post the prices because you should not have to ask.
The ranges below are estimates based on typical case complexity. Most evaluations land inside them; some come in lower, and a smaller number require more time and run higher. We believe you should understand the cost before any work begins, so we'll walk through all of it together on the free consultation call. The bulk of the process is fixed: 9 hours for the intake, testing, and feedback session. Report writing is the one piece we can't predict precisely, since the time it takes depends on what your data shows. We bill a minimum of 3 hours for the report, with most falling in the 3 to 6 hour range. No hidden costs, just an honest picture of what to expect.
Comprehensive psychological testing is a real investment. We are out-of-network with all insurance plans, which lets us spend the time the work actually requires. We provide a superbill you can submit for partial reimbursement under CPT codes 96136, 96137, 96130, and 96131.
Specific learning disorder evaluations (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) are often not reimbursed by insurance, even with a superbill. Plan accordingly, and ask us during the consultation if your case applies.
Out-of-network · Superbill provided · HSA / FSA accepted
ADHD evaluation
Adult or child. Cognitive, attention, executive function, rating scales.
$3,000 – $5,000
Autism evaluation
Adult or teen. Developmental history, sensory and social profiles.
$3,000 – $5,000
AuDHD evaluation
Integrated ADHD + autism battery in one report. Specialized for high-masking adults and women.
$3,000 – $5,000
Academic / learning evaluation
Cognitive, achievement, and processing batteries with school-ready report.
$3,000 – $5,000
Personality & differential
MMPI-2, MCMI-IV, clinical interviews. Common second-opinion battery.
$3,000 – $5,000
Combined / complex evaluation
Two-question batteries (e.g. ADHD + autism, learning + mood).
$4,000 – $6,000
Fees include the consultation, all interview and testing time, scoring, the written report, and the feedback session.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions.
The questions below come up almost every week. If yours is not here, the 15-minute call is the place for it.
How long does the whole process take, start to finish?
About 9 hours of your time across 3-4 sessions plus the feedback session. From your first appointment to receiving your written report, the full process typically takes 6-8 weeks.
How do I know which type of testing I need?
You don't need to know before calling us. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation and we'll help you figure out the right fit based on what you're experiencing. We'll also tell you honestly if we think a different kind of evaluation or a different provider would be a better starting point.
At what age do you test?
We test children starting at age 5, teens, and adults of all ages. For younger children, we'll happily refer you to colleagues who specialize in early childhood evaluation.
Do you accept insurance?
We are out-of-network with all insurance plans. Most PPO plans reimburse a portion of testing costs when submitted with a superbill, though specific learning disorder evaluations are often not reimbursable. We recommend calling your insurance company before scheduling. We provide a superbill you can submit for partial reimbursement under CPT codes 96136, 96137, 96130, and 96131. HSA and FSA accounts are accepted directly.
What's the difference between psychological testing and neuropsychological testing?
Neuropsychological testing is a specialized type of psychological testing that focuses on brain-behavior relationships across many cognitive domains. It's typically used after a head injury, stroke, or in cases where complex cognitive impairment is suspected. Most of our evaluations are comprehensive psychological evaluations focused on a specific question (ADHD, autism, learning, personality), which use many of the same instruments but are scoped differently.
Can the report be used for school accommodations or a 504/IEP?
Yes. Our reports are written to the standards that school districts, college disability offices, and the College Board accept. We will tell you up front whether your specific case requires anything additional.
I already had testing once and it didn't feel right. Should I do it again?
Probably worth a consultation. We see a lot of clients whose first evaluation was rushed, narrow, or missed a co-occurring condition. The 15-minute call is the place to figure out whether a re-evaluation would actually answer what your first one didn't.
Should I get tested for ADHD or autism, or both?
If both feel like they might apply, getting evaluated for both at once is usually more accurate, more efficient, and more cost-effective than doing them sequentially. The two conditions overlap in important ways (executive function challenges, sensory differences, social fatigue) and a combined evaluation lets us see how the pieces fit together rather than evaluating each one in a vacuum. We'll talk through whether a combined evaluation is right for you on the free consultation call.
Where are your offices?
We have offices in Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista. Most testing is conducted in person at our Vista office. We'll discuss the right fit for you on the consultation call.
When you're ready
Let's figure out whether testing is the right next step.
Fifteen minutes on the phone with our Director of Psychological Testing, Dr. Chelsea Dudley. No pitch, no pressure. By the end of the call you'll know what you need, what it would cost, and whether we are the right people for it.