Different by Design artwork showing a person surrounded by vivid interconnected patterns

Psychological assessment for adults

Understanding yourself can change everything.

Autism, ADHD, cognitive and personality assessment with clinical rigor, lived understanding and respect for the whole person.

Request a private fit call Read why this work is personal ↓

California-based · Private-pay assessment

Why Different by Design

A clinical practice shaped by lived experience

For years, I had explanations for pieces of my life. None explained the whole.

I learned that I was autistic at 38. That understanding did not change who I was. It changed the meaning of what I had lived.

It helped me see why areas of personal relationships and daily life had felt so difficult—even as I built a career as a psychologist. The right assessment can bring that same kind of clarity: not a predetermined answer, but a more coherent understanding of yourself.

Different by Design combines doctoral-level clinical experience with an appreciation for the ways neurodivergence can be missed, masked or misunderstood in adulthood.

“A diagnosis is not the end of the story. Done well, assessment can help you finally read the story accurately.”

Assessment services

Questions deserve more than a checklist

A rigorous process built around what you need to understand.

Adult autism assessment

A thoughtful evaluation of lifelong patterns, masking, relationships, sensory experience and the full clinical picture.

Explore fit ↗

Adult ADHD assessment

A careful look at attention, executive function and the overlap with anxiety, trauma, sleep and other influences.

Explore fit ↗

Combined autism + ADHD

An integrated process when one label alone may not explain how you think, work, connect and move through the world.

Explore fit ↗

Cognitive + personality

IQ, cognitive and personality assessment selected to answer a real clinical question—not simply to generate scores.

Explore fit ↗

Who this may help

You do not need to arrive certain

You may simply know that the usual explanations have never quite fit.

✦ You have succeeded outwardly while privately struggling with overwhelm, relationships or recovery from ordinary demands.

✦ You have learned to mask, rehearse or carefully manage how others experience you.

✦ ADHD, anxiety, trauma or personality explanations capture part of your experience—but not all of it.

✦ You want an evaluation that remains open to every reasonable conclusion, including no diagnosis.

What to expect

Clear from the beginning

A personal process. A clinically independent conclusion.

Private fit call

We begin with what you hope to understand and whether this practice is the right fit.

Focused evaluation

Interviews, records and testing are selected around your questions and individual history.

Clear feedback

You receive a direct explanation of the findings, their limits and what they may mean for you.

A useful path forward

The final report turns insight into practical recommendations for daily life and care.

Fees, expected timeline and what is included are reviewed before you commit to an assessment.

Start with fit

A private first conversation

You do not have to know the answer before asking the question.

A brief consultation can clarify whether assessment is appropriate, what type may fit and whether Different by Design is the right practice for you.

Serving adults located in California at the time of service. Secure scheduling link to be connected before launch.