Frequently Asked Questions

The Therapy Clinic and the Comprehensive Assessment Clinic operate on a sliding scale, and each client’s costs are based upon income and family structure. Therapy services range from $5–$85/session, and comprehensive assessments range from $200–$1350. The relatively low fees are possible because all services are provided by graduate student trainees enrolled in the clinical child PhD program at DU who are supervised by licensed clinical psychologists. Although we do not accept any insurance, including Medicaid, we work hard to accommodate all clients so that we may serve an economically diverse clientele. We are also happy to provide anyone who has private health insurance with a “super bill” that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement if behavioral health is part of your insurance plan. You can learn about your specific costs for therapy and comprehensive psychological assessments by calling 303-871-3306.

Developmental Neuropsychological Assessments cost $2100 for all clients. While this fee is notably lower than that typically found in our community, it is higher than other services we provide because a licensed clinical psychologist works directly with clients during parts of the evaluation. We do not accept public or private insurance but are happy to provide you with a “super bill” that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement if neuropsychological assessment is part of your insurance plan. You can learn more about Developmental Neuropsychological Assessments by calling 303-871-4403.

All clients will be provided with a written Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of the total cost of their services within one month of their first appointment. Clients have a right to legal recourse if their GFE under-estimates their annual costs by more than $400. Notice of Good Faith Estimate.

Many problems can be improved by re-doubling efforts or by turning to self-help approaches; however, sometimes that is not enough. Emotional and behavioral problems in yourself or a family member can be challenging and even overwhelming, and it’s hard to know who to trust for advice. Before we embark on any intervention, our clinical staff will assist you with decisions about professional help by clarifying the nature of your presenting concerns and by providing you with known information about the usefulness of treatment. All clinical plans are developed in collaboration with our clients. If you’re thinking professional help might be useful, give us a call and we can help you decide how to move forward.

Engaging in therapy and assessment requires clients to make a significant investment of time, money and emotional energy, and we believe clients should be given the best chance possible at a positive outcome. We study the scientific literature to ensure we understand what treatments tend to work best for people with various types of problems, and then we administer those gold-standard interventions and assessments to our clients to maximize their chance of improving their overall functioning and happiness. Many providers at other clinics offer long-term, “supportive” counseling in which clients can come in to vent about problems, but research has not shown those types of approaches to result in predictable improvements. We instead focus on skills-based, time-limited interventions that have been shown to work more reliably among clients in research studies, and track your progress over the course of treatment to ensure you’re actually improving in the areas that matter to you. We do all of this while attending carefully to the relationship between the client and clinician to ensure that your personal values and goals are being respected and acknowledged.

We know that finding the right client and clinician match is essential for good therapeutic progress — you’ve got to work with someone you “click” with and someone who knows how to best treat the challenges you’re facing. For these reasons, after you’ve done your phone intake, we review your presenting concerns and thoughtfully consider which clinician would likely be the best match. We also work to ensure that the supervisor overseeing the case has specific expertise in your area of concern.

Some clients have a pretty good idea about the type of mental health problem(s) they are experiencing. For instance, they might have noticed a persistent sad mood and withdrawn behavior, which makes them recognize they are dealing with depression. For those types of clients, starting therapy right away seems like a good plan. Other clients call our clinic feeling very overwhelmed from a mixture of things and they don’t yet have a sense as to what is actually causing their problems. For instance, they might be experiencing meltdowns at home, suspensions from school and thoughts of self-harm, but not be sure why. For those types of clients, starting with an assessment can be very helpful because the assessment results will help inform subsequent therapy.

Our Developmental Neuropsychology Clinic primarily works with youth who are experiencing academic challenges that may be related to learning disabilities in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), or math (dyscalculia) and/or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Associated concerns like intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and certain medical contributors can also be assessed. A screening of psychological concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety) is conducted as part of the assessment and a more in-depth evaluation of these domains can be conducted if necessary.

Our Comprehensive Assessment Clinic works with youth who are experiencing complex challenges that span the emotional, behavioral and sometimes academic realms. We conduct psychological testing aimed at understanding things like depression, anxiety, behavioral outbursts, psychotic disorders and others mental health conditions. For cases in which academic concerns are also present, we conduct academic testing to determine whether learning disorders and/or ADHD are contributing factors. Associated concerns like autism spectrum disorder can also be evaluated.

In summary, if learning or other developmental difficulties are the primary concern, the Developmental Neuropsychology Clinic is likely the best fit. If emotional, behavioral or psychological difficulties are the primary concern, the Comprehensive Assessment clinic is likely the best fit.

The steps are slightly different for our various clinics. For the Therapy Clinic and for the Comprehensive Assessment Clinic, the first step is to contact the center for a telephone intake at 303-871-3306 or to complete this online form. You will speak briefly to a clinic assistant who will take basic information about your situation and concerns. If we are operating on a waitlist, we will estimate your likely wait time or provide you with referrals. Once we are ready to begin your therapeutic services, we will schedule you for a 20-30 minute phone screening appointment. During that call, the clinic assistant will gather more details about your concerns. All information gathered through telephone intake is confidential with reasonable exceptions specified by the law. Shortly thereafter, a clinician will be assigned to your case and will contact you to schedule your first appointment.

For the Developmental Neuropsychology Assessment Clinic, the first step is to contact our clinic coordinator. Our coordinator will take basic information about your situation and concerns. If we are operating on a waitlist, we will estimate your likely wait time or provide you with referrals. If you are interested in an assessment through our clinic, our clinic coordinator will send our initial paperwork. Once paperwork is completed and returned, you will be formally added to our client list. When it is time to schedule the assessment, our clinic coordinator will be in touch with dates for the interview, evaluation sessions and feedback appointments.

We unfortunately do not accept Medicaid. Clients with Medicaid should call the Professional Psychology Clinic at DU's Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) at 303-871-3626.

We are dedicated to providing state-of-the art services based on current psychological research to a diverse clientele. Our student clinicians are trained in up-to-date assessment and treatment methods that may not be widely available outside a university setting. Further, they carry relatively small caseloads that enable them to focus on integrating psychological science with compassionate care. They are closely supervised and attain the additional benefit of their supervisor’s years of clinical experience. This level of monitoring and supervision exceeds the level available to most independent clinicians in the community. Finally, we take accountability very seriously and work with our clients to evaluate the progress being made throughout the course of treatment.

We are located on the campus of the University of Denver. The center is on the first floor of Frontier Hall, the home of the Department of Psychology. Frontier Hall is at 2155 S. Race St., Denver, CO, 80208, just off Evans Avenue near its intersection with South High Street. Free parking is available to center clients in designated spaces at the intersection of South High Street and East Warren Avenue. We are also just a couple of blocks south of the University of Denver light rail station. The center is wheelchair accessible. Some of our services are offered remotely using telehealth.

We provide free child supervision on most afternoons and evenings so that caregivers can participate in therapy without interruption. Feel free to call ahead to ensure that your child will be able to be supervised by one of our work-study students who provide fun and engaging interactions with children while their caregivers receive clinical services.