Diagnosis & Evaluation
Our first stage of helping our patients involves a thorough evaluation process. This process begins with filling out a personal and medical history form through this website. Once a patient or parent has made contact with us through the website we’ll give you a login to the introductory form.
This form is very detailed but best serves our patients and us. Giving such thorough information before our first visit means we’ll already have a good idea of what your needs are. This way our patients won’t be burdened with the weight of “So, where do I begin?”
We’ll continue our evaluation process during our first visit and use the form answers as a guide to what we need to investigate further. The main areas we consider are:
Physical: If possible, we’ll research a patient’s history even prior to birth. We also want to discover any history of head injuries, high antibiotic use, vaccinations, and general health including certain diseases.
Emotional/Mental: It’s here we may find out the chief complaint or issue that caused our patient to seek therapy. We’ll want to know if there have been any previous diagnoses of depression, ADD/ADHD, OCD, anxiety, or other emotional or behavior issues.
Nutritional: Often food allergies can cause some significant effects to mood and temperament as well as physical reactions. We commonly perform allergy tests as part of our evaluation.
Genetic: We review family history of psychiatric diagnoses, auto-immune disorders, thyroid disorders and gastrointestinal issues.
Environmental: Knowing what our patient is exposed to on a regular basis can provide great insight into their issues and treatment options.
Neurological: Brain Mapping is a common diagnostic technique at 17th Ave Psychiatry. Understanding imbalances in certain brainwaves can give major insight into determining the most effective treatment plan.