Comprehensive Psychological Assessments

Comprehensive psychological assessments can help you better understand your thinking, learning, and emotional functioning. You may seek an assessment if you are experiencing ongoing difficulties with attention, learning, mood, anxiety, addiction, or day-to-day functioning, or if you are looking for clarity about a possible diagnosis.

Our assessments may include evaluations for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disorders, anxiety, depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, substance use, personality, and other cognitive or emotional concerns. The goal of an assessment is to provide a clear and accurate understanding of your strengths and areas of difficulty, along with recommendations for treatment, school, or work.

The assessment process typically involves a detailed clinical interview, standardized testing, and questionnaires that explore different aspects of your functioning. We will work collaboratively with you to ensure the process feels clear, supportive, and tailored to your needs. Following the assessment, you will receive a comprehensive report that summarizes the findings and provides practical, individualized recommendations. Comprehensive psychological assessments at Recovery Paths may be conducted in-person.

If you are looking for clarity or direction related to your mental health and cognitive functioning, a comprehensive psychological assessment can be an important step in understanding your experiences and identifying the supports that will be most helpful for you.

Mental Health Conditions

One in five people in Canada live with a mental illness each year. There are many different types of mental health conditions that affect people's lives. The common defining experience across all mental health conditions is that they cause distress or result in negative consequences to relationships, work or school performance, finances, or participation in other meaningful activities. The psychologists at Recovery Paths assess and treat the following mental health conditions:

• Depression and bipolar disorders
• Anxiety (including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, and phobias)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Personality disorders
• Emotion dysregulation
• Life stress, transitions, and adjustment problems
• Grief and loss
• Occupational difficulties
• Insomnia and sleep problems

All of the mental health conditions above can occur with or without substance use. The presence of a mental illness and an addiction is called a concurrent disorder. For concurrent disorders, integrated treatment is a best practice approach. Integrated treatment refers to treating both the substance use and mental health conditions at the same time in a coordinated way.

Cognitive and behavioural therapies is an effective treatment that can be tailored to each of these mental health conditions. Using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we will explore the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, with the goal of learning and applying new skills to reduce your symptoms, distress, and impairment. Treatment may involve challenging negative thoughts, facing your fears, practicing relaxation, and using problem-solving skills, among other strategies. The goal of CBT is to equip you with the skills and strategies to enhance your well-being and mental health. In addition, skills from complementary psychotherapy approaches, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, may also be integrated into treatment as needed.

If you are struggling with your mental health, we are here to work with you using evidence-based psychotherapy approaches.

Substance Use Disorders

Substance use is common in society and can range from occasional use to more frequent or difficult-to-control patterns. Substances, such as alcohol, cannabis, opioids, and stimulants, can affect how you think, feel, and behave. For some people, substance use can develop into an addiction, which is known as a Substance Use Disorder. This can occur when you find it hard to control your use, continue using despite negative consequences, and/or spend a lot of time using or recovering from substances. Substance Use Disorders can affect your health, relationships, and work or school performance.

Substance use challenges often occur alongside anxiety, low mood, stress, or other mental health concerns, which can make change feel more overwhelming without the right support. The presence of an addiction and a mental illness is called a concurrent disorder. For concurrent disorders, integrated treatment is a best practice approach. Integrated treatment refers to treating both the substance use and mental health conditions at the same time in a coordinated way.

There are effective, evidence-based treatments for substance use challenges. Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are commonly used approaches. Using MI, we will explore your values, strengths, and reasons for change, and work together to set goals that feel realistic and meaningful to you — whether that involves reducing your use or stopping altogether. Through CBT skills, we will identify triggers for your substance use, develop strategies to manage cravings and urges, and build healthier ways of coping.

We may also work on relapse prevention planning, strengthening your ability to manage difficult emotions, and addressing underlying mental health concerns that contribute to substance use. When appropriate, we can also discuss how psychotherapy can work alongside medical or medication-based supports.

If you are struggling with substance use or a concurrent disorder, we are here to work with you using evidence-based psychotherapy strategies and skills to support meaningful and lasting change.

Gambling Addiction

Gambling has become widely available and normalized in the past few years. There are many different types of gambling activities, such as lottery tickets, slot machines, poker, sports betting, prediction markets, and more. These gambling activities can take place either at physical venues or online through mobile betting apps, which are available 24/7. Like alcohol, cannabis, and other substances, gambling can develop into an addiction, which is known as Gambling Disorder. Symptoms of gambling addiction could include trying to recoup your losses; loss of control over your gambling, such as spending more money than you had planned; and spending a lot of time gambling or thinking about gambling. Gambling addiction can also negatively impact your finances and relationships, as well as your mood.

There are effective treatments for Gambling Disorder. Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are evidence-based treatments for gambling addiction. Using MI, we will explore your strengths, values, and reasons for changing your gambling behaviour. We will collaboratively set goals, whether that is stopping altogether or finding a way to reduce your gambling to minimize its negative consequences. Through CBT, we will collaboratively identify triggers for your gambling, problem-solve strategies to reduce or limit your gambling, manage craving and urges, and find healthy alternatives to gambling.

If you are struggling with gambling addiction, we are here to work with you using evidence-based psychotherapy strategies and skills.

Gaming Addiction

Video games have become one of the most popular hobbies for Canadians, with over 60% of people in Canada playing video games on a yearly basis. Modern video games have many features that increase the risk of addiction. These include vast immersive environments, ability to create your own characters, and gameplay that is designed to keep you playing longer. Video game addiction has been formally recognized as an addiction. Symptoms of video game addiction include: gaming taking over one's life at the exclusion of other activities; inability to limit one's gaming; and continued gaming despite the harms it is causing, such as to school or work performance, and conflicts with loved ones.

There is now emerging support that Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can be effective treatments for gaming addiction. Using MI, we will explore your strengths, values, and reasons for changing your gaming habits. We will collaboratively set goals, whether that is stopping altogether or finding a way to reduce your gaming to minimize the negative consequences. Through CBT skills, we will collaboratively identify triggers for your gaming, problem-solve strategies to reduce or limit your gaming, manage craving and urges, and find healthy alternatives to gaming.

If you are struggling with gaming addiction, we are here to work with you using evidence-based psychotherapy strategies and skills.

Support for Families and Friends

On average, one person's substance use problems affect over five other people in their lives. Family and friends are often impacted by the substance use of loved ones. Substance use within families can strain relationships and finances. Loved ones' substance use problems can cause anxiety, depression, social embarrassment, exasperation, and anguish for family and friends. This is especially true when loved ones with substance use problems refuse to seek help. Family and friends may feel like they have to resort to pleading, arguing, and threatening to cut-off or leave their loved ones if changes are not made. If this approach does not work, families and friends may be left feeling alone, resentful, and stuck.

Psychotherapy can help family and friends cope with their loved ones' substance use problems and teach skills they can use to encourage their loved ones to seek treatment. Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is an evidence-based treatment for families and friends who have loved ones struggling with substances, but who are not yet interested and willing to make changes or seek help. It is offered as an individual therapy to one adult family member or friend affected by a loved one's substance use. Using CRAFT, we would work on positive communication strategies that you can use with your loved one, including periods of stress and disappointment. We would also explore ways to reward desired behaviours of your loved ones (positive reinforcement), such as activities that do not involve alcohol or drug use. Taking care of your own health and wellness is another important part of treatment, so we would also explore how happy you are with different areas of your life and set goals to improve your quality of life.

If you are struggling with a loved one's substance use, we are here to work with you using evidence-based psychotherapy strategies and skills.