The Testing Psychologist Podcast

Available Episodes

5 of 526

540. The NIH Toolbox w/ Dr. Stephanie Ruth Young
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Stephanie Ruth Young from Northwestern University about the NIH Toolbox family of assessments: powerful, research-backed instruments that many clinicians still overlook. We explore how these tablet-based and mobile tools can bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, reduce examiner error, and simplify workflow without sacrificing rigor. Stephanie also walks us through the new Baby Toolbox for infants and toddlers and the Mobile Toolbox for remote data collection, sharing how these innovations may shape the future of neuropsychological and developmental testing. Main Topics Covered 00:01 – Introduction: Stephanie’s background and motivation for bridging research and practice. 02:38 – Overview of the NIH Toolbox: Purpose, development, and structure. 05:06 – The Suite of Tools: NIH Toolbox, Baby Toolbox, and Mobile Toolbox. 06:35 – Barriers to Adoption: Why clinicians haven’t heard more about these tools. 09:47 – Misconceptions: Addressing misconceptions about “brief” measures and the value of integrated domain coverage. 13:34 – Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT): How it works and why it matters. 17:52 – Deep Dive into the Baby Toolbox: Tasks, materials, and examiner advantages. 24:46 – Clinical Utility: Validation, norming, and clinical utility across the NIH Toolbox family. 31:46 – Mobile Toolbox Use Cases: Research and clinical potential for the Mobile Toolbox. 33:36 – Validation vs. Norming: What clinicians need to know. 39:15 – Assessment Advantages: Common examiner errors and benefits of computerized assessment. 45:11 – Future of Testing Technology: AI, automation, and cognitive load reduction. 51:09 – The Human Role: The irreplaceable human role in psychological interpretation. 53:03 – Getting Started: How to access, pilot, and collaborate on Toolbox projects. Cool Things Mentioned The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists NIH Toolbox official site: www.nihtoolbox.com Contact for access/support: [email protected] REDCap research data-capture platform: www.project-redcap.org Featured Resources I am honored to partner with two AMAZING companies to help improve your testing practice! PAR is a long time supporter of the Testing Psychologist podcast, and I will continue to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com. TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Stephanie Ruth Young Stephanie Ruth Young is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor of Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Clinically trained as a bilingual pediatric neuropsychologist (Spanish-English), Dr. Young earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, completed her clinical internship at Dell Children’s Medical Center, and her clinical fellowship at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Since joining Northwestern in 2021, her research has focused on advancing the accuracy and efficiency of psychological assessments for clinical workflows. To this end, her team has created and validated dozens of assessments of various domains of functioning, designed for the youngest infants to the oldest adults. Dr. Young serves as Multiple Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on several large NIH-funded projects, primarily focused on tracking cognitive trajectories and early detection of cognitive impairment. Get in Touch & Resources: For questions about the NIHTB products email: [email protected] For questions about mobile toolbox email: [email protected] To speak with Stephanie directly email: [email protected] Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieruthyoung/ About Dr. Jeremy Sharp I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call! Schedule Your Call
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539. Cut Your Report Writing Time in Half
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I tackle one of the most time-consuming challenges in assessment psychology: report writing. I explore why many psychologists spend 5–30+ hours per report creating comprehensive documents that research suggests referral sources aren’t fully reading, and offer a data-driven roadmap for reclaiming that time without sacrificing clinical integrity. Drawing on stakeholder surveys and readability research, I challenge the field’s ingrained belief that quantity equals quality, and make the case that conciseness is actually a mark of clinical expertise. I share practical tactics, from modular templates and voice dictation to AI tools like Reverb (which I co-founded), while addressing the mindset shifts, ethical considerations, and philosophical questions that make this transition so difficult for many practitioners. Main Topics Covered 00:00 Introduction to Report Writing Challenges 02:53 Understanding the Time Investment in Report Writing 05:46 Core Principles for Efficient Report Writing 09:12 Tactics to Cut Writing Time 12:00 Mindset Shift in Report Writing 14:47 Ethics and Liability in Report Writing 18:08 Tools and Technology for Report Writing 21:07 Philosophical Reflections on Time Management 24:13 Conclusion and Call to Action Cool Things Mentioned CRAFT: The Membership Community for Testing Psychologists Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists Featured Resources I am honored to partner with two AMAZING companies to help improve your testing practice! PAR is a long time supporter of the Testing Psychologist podcast, and I will continue to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com. TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!fer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Jeremy Sharp I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call! Schedule Your Call
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538. How VR and AI Are Redefining Psychological Practice w/ Dr. Skip Rizzo
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo, one of the world’s leading innovators in using virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance psychological assessment, rehabilitation, and clinical training. We trace the history of VR in mental health from a 1990s Game Boy inspiration to today’s immersive, data-rich tools, and explore how conversational AI and virtual humans are changing the way clinicians evaluate, treat, and connect with clients. Skip shares insights from decades of groundbreaking work with veterans, autistic adolescents, and clinical trainees, while addressing ethical guardrails, practical adoption strategies, and why he remains a cautious optimist about AI’s role in our field. Main Topics Covered Why Skip chose VR: the excitement of endless innovation Early history of VR in mental health: from Game Boy/SimCity to immersive rehab Early mental-health use cases: exposure therapy, spatial reasoning, and neurorehab The 1998 Virtual Classroom—first immersive CPT for attention assessment The new frontier: merging VR with conversational AI VA “Battle Buddy”: AI-driven mobile support for veterans (design, naming, de-stigmatization) AI safety and empathy research—why people sometimes prefer virtual agents Paul Meehl’s quote and VR as the “ultimate Skinner box” for systematic experiences What’s commercially viable today (exposure, pain, mindfulness, cognitive rehab) + the “Amazon of Clinical VR” idea Affordable standalone headsets (e.g., Meta Quest 3) as a tipping point for clinical practice Cool Things Mentioned The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting: www.thetestingpsychologist.com Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists: www.reverbreports.com Meta Quest 3 headset: www.meta.com/quest Virtually Better (exposure-therapy applications): www.virtuallybetter.com CogniClear cognitive assessment system: www.cogniclear.com U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Immersive Healthcare Initiative: www.va.gov/innovationecosystem RAND Corporation study on AI safety and suicide prevention: www.rand.org JAMA article – VR-based Motivational Interview Training (Rizzo et al., VA Puget Sound): www.jamanetwork.com Dan Marino Foundation Job-Interview VR Trainer: www.danmarinofoundation.org. Featured Resources I am honored to partner with two AMAZING companies to help improve your testing practice! PAR is a long time supporter of the Testing Psychologist podcast, and I will continue to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com. TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Skip Rizzo Skip Rizzo is a Clinical Psychologist, and directs of the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) Medical VR Lab. He is a research professor in both the USC Dept. of Psychiatry and the School of Gerontology. Over the last 30 years, he has conducted research on the design, development and evaluation of VR systems across the domains of psychological, cognitive and motor functioning in healthy and clinical populations. This work has focused on PTSD, TBI, Autism, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, psychedelic therapy, and Suicide Prevention, and other clinical conditions. Get in Touch & Resources: Email: [email protected] Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlbertSkipRizzo/videos About Dr. Jeremy Sharp I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call! Schedule Your Call
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537. Diversify or Double Down?
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the most tempting moves for private practice owners: diversification. We’ve all felt the pull to add new services like coaching, therapy, or wellness programs, especially when the market slows down. But diversification isn’t always the answer, and it can easily backfire if done reactively or without alignment. I’ll walk you through the data, real-world examples, and a concrete framework to decide whether expanding your services will strengthen or dilute your practice. Main Topics Covered 00:00 Why diversification feels so tempting, and the post-COVID mindset behind it 02:12 The hidden costs: brand dilution, operational complexity, and financial lag 04:36 Real-world example: what happened when I added a medication prescriber 07:01 Culture confusion and team impact during expansion 08:24 When diversification does work: shared client journey, high-margin additions, and partnerships 11:37 The three-part evaluation lens: alignment, margin, and capacity 14:05 Common pitfalls: adding therapy or medical services without infrastructure 16:29 Modeling ROI and minimum margin targets for new services 18:31 Balancing profitability with personal energy and joy 20:45 How to pilot new services, track data, and set a “kill date” 22:30 Final takeaway: clarity beats complexity: double down on your niche Cool Things Mentioned The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists Featured Resources I am honored to partner with two AMAZING companies to help improve your testing practice! PAR is a long time supporter of the Testing Psychologist podcast, and I will continue to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com. TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Jeremy Sharp I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call! Schedule Your Call
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536. Paying Well Without Sinking the Ship
Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, I walk through four compensation models that work for testing and therapy practices – percentage split (fee-for-service), salary + production bonus, salary + profit share, and flat hourly – plus when each model makes sense. I break down the math behind forecasting (capacity, reimbursement, payroll taxes, PTO, benefits), show where owners get into trouble (overpaying early, ignoring utilization, fuzzy admin time), and share a step-by-step rollout plan with transparency practices that improve retention and engagement. You’ll leave with clear guardrails to pay people well without sinking the ship. Main Topics Why compensation causes the most stress for owners and how it became confusing (00:00) Percentage split (fee-for-service): ranges, pros/cons, when it fits (02:23) Salary + production bonus: structure, turnover impact, transparency keys (04:24) Salary + profit share: culture/retention upside and owner transparency (06:51) Flat hourly per billed hour: predictability vs. reimbursement risk (09:18) Forecasting the math: eval capacity → revenue → sustainable pay (11:40) Aligning pay with values: quality, timeliness, client satisfaction (16:30) Pitfalls and guardrails: utilization, admin caps, COL raises, communication cadence (18:55) Cool Things Mentioned The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists APA Work in America Report (context on workplace stress): www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2024/2024-work-in-america-report.pdf [American Psychological Association] BLS Occupational Outlook—Psychologists (national wage benchmarks): www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm [Bureau of Labor Statistics] BLS Occupational Employment & Wages—May 2024 (wage tables): www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ocwage.pdf [Bureau of Labor Statistics] Pay transparency and business outcomes (SHRM research summary): www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/inclusion-diversity/shrm-research-pay-transparency-improves-business-outcomes-close-wage-gap [SHRM] Profit sharing & retention (PayScale brief): www.payscale.com/compensation-trends/new-research-finds-profit-sharing-increases-employee-retention-and-engagement [Payscale] WorldatWork Pay Transparency Study (policy approaches): worldatwork.org/research/pay-transparency-study [WorldatWork] Featured Resources I am honored to partner with two AMAZING companies to help improve your testing practice! PAR is a long time supporter of the Testing Psychologist podcast, and I will continue to bring you featured items from their catalog! Listen to each episode for specific product recommendations and links. Learn more at www.parinc.com. TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! About Dr. Jeremy Sharp I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to schedule a complimentary 30-minute pre-consulting call! Schedule Your Call
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