Mental Health Evaluation, Diagnosis and Treatment from a Therapist

A therapist can help determine the most optimal way to restore your emotional and mental well-being. The process will involve proper mental health evaluation and diagnosis. Then, the creation of the custom-fit treatment plan will follow. If you want to know how a therapist can help you, here are the details.

The evaluation

A mental health assessment will give the therapist a clear picture of how a person feels and thinks. It will test the emotional well-being as well. This will happen through a series of formulated questions. A physical exam will also go with it.

The doctor will see it as a priority to ask if the patient is prone to self-harm. The mental evaluation will depend on the patient’s stage of development and age. Its aim is to diagnose mental health illnesses. The evaluation will also differentiate between physical and mental health issues. The therapist will assess the patient because of issues at home, school, or work.

A physical exam will follow. The doctor will check the patient’s medical history and current medications. The aim of the physical exam is to rule out the physical causes of the patient’s mental problems. The doctor will order lab tests. There will be orders for digital imaging scans, such as CT (computed tomography). These can help in ruling out problems in the nervous system.

The diagnosis

Formulating a diagnosis can be challenging for the therapist. Taking enough time to do this will help create the right treatment. Working with the mental health doctor will provide a better understanding of the patient’s symptoms. Mental health professionals consult the DSM-5 in formulating the proper diagnosis. Insurance companies also use this manual to reimburse patients for their treatments.

The available treatments

The therapist will provide a treatment plan according to the type of mental problem. The combination of treatments will be custom-fit. Checking with the patient’s progress will determine the effectiveness of the plan. A mild mental problem will be easy to treat. A more complex mental problem will need a team of healthcare professionals. The team will make sure they meet the patient’s social, psychiatric, and medical needs.

For many of our patients, medication may be administered as one of the primary ways to relieve symptoms. The therapist will ask the patient how the medications are doing during each visit. Combining them with psychotherapy often yields more effective results. Psychotherapy can help the therapist learn more about the patient’s condition, behavior, thoughts, and feelings. The patient could then learn how to manage stress.

More severe mental conditions will need brain stimulation or even hospitalization. The therapist will also recommend substance misuse treatments. These will prevent the worsening of the mental condition. Working with the mental health provider can determine the most effective treatment combination.