The Testing Psychologist Podcast

542. AI is Diagnosing Your Clients

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/540-transcript-2/] In this episode, I break down the rapid rise of consumers treating AI systems as medical advisors and what this means for us as psychologists and assessment clinicians. I walk through the drivers of this shift, the risks, the impact on client expectations, and the practical steps practices must take now. I also dig into how AI can support our workflows, why our uniquely human skills are more valuable than ever, and how to position your practice for a future in which AI shapes, but does not replace, clinical assessment. Main Topics * What’s actually happening in AI-driven medical and mental health advice (00:01) * Why patients are turning to AI: speed, confidence, cost, UX (01:00) * The false sense of safety and credibility consumers place on AI (02:25) * Accuracy problems: structured vs. real-world data in diagnosis (03:30) * Why mental health advice from AI can be inconsistent and risky (05:00) * Implications for assessment clinicians: confidence, expectations, and misinformation (06:00) * What AI cannot do: nuance, context, nonverbal cues, effort, standardized testing (08:00) * Rising clinical risk and downstream consequences for practitioners (09:12) * Business implications: redefining value, communication, and pricing (10:00) * How AI can streamline intake, records review, background gathering, and admin tasks (12:30) * Rethinking pricing to reflect high-value human judgment (13:21) * Risk management: informed consent, PHI handling, AI disclosure (14:30) * Ethical limits, liability, and the clinician’s responsibility (16:00) * Concrete steps: updating intake, integrating AI intentionally, staff training (17:29) * Client-facing education on safe AI use (19:49) * Re-centering values and reinforcing human expertise (21:00) * Preparing your team and staying future-focused (22:15) Cool Things Mentioned * The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/craft] * Reverb [http://www.reverbreports.com]: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists * Testing Psychologist AI Competencies [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/528-ai-for-testing-psychologists-my-proposed-ai-competencies/] episode * Source article from the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/well/ai-chatbot-doctors-health-care-advice.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/well/ai-chatbot-doctors-health-care-advice.html] 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 http://www.parinc.com/www.parinc.com [http://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 [https://bit.ly/3Rpwaot] 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 [https://athealth.com/the-testing-psychologist/] 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg] I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling [http://www.coloradocac.com], 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/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 [https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13476033&appointmentType=2843005]

540. The NIH Toolbox w/ Dr. Stephanie Ruth Young

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/540-transcript/] 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 [http://thetestingpsychologist.com/craft] * Reverb [http://www.reverbreports.com]: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists * NIH Toolbox official site: www.nihtoolbox.com [http://www.nihtoolbox.com] * Contact for access/support: help@nihtoolbox.com * REDCap research data-capture platform: www.project-redcap.org [https://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 http://www.parinc.com/www.parinc.com [http://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 [https://bit.ly/3Rpwaot] 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 [https://athealth.com/the-testing-psychologist/] 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 [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Stephanie-Young-scaled.png] 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: help@nihtoolbox.org [help@nihtoolbox.org] * For questions about mobile toolbox email: help@mobiletoolbox.org [help@mobiletoolbox.org] * To speak with Stephanie directly email: stephanieruth.young@northwestern.edu [stephanieruth.young@northwestern.edu] * Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieruthyoung/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieruthyoung/] ABOUT DR. JEREMY SHARP [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg] I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling [http://www.coloradocac.com], 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/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 [https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13476033&appointmentType=2843005]

539. Cut Your Report Writing Time in Half

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/539-transcript/] 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/craft] * Reverb [http://www.reverbreports.com]: 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 http://www.parinc.com/www.parinc.com [http://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 [https://bit.ly/3Rpwaot] 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 [https://athealth.com/the-testing-psychologist/] 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 [https://athealth.com/the-testing-psychologist/] 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg] I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling [http://www.coloradocac.com], 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/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 [https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13476033&appointmentType=2843005]

538. How VR and AI Are Redefining Psychological Practice w/ Dr. Skip Rizzo

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/538-transcript/] 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 [https://www.thetestingpsychologist.com] * Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists: www.reverbreports.com [https://www.reverbreports.com] * Meta Quest 3 headset: www.meta.com/quest [https://www.meta.com/quest] * Virtually Better (exposure-therapy applications): www.virtuallybetter.com [https://www.virtuallybetter.com] * CogniClear cognitive assessment system: www.cogniclear.com [https://www.cogniclear.com] * U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Immersive Healthcare Initiative: www.va.gov/innovationecosystem [http://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 [https://www.jamanetwork.com] * Dan Marino Foundation Job-Interview VR Trainer: www.danmarinofoundation.org. [http://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 http://www.parinc.com/www.parinc.com [http://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 [https://bit.ly/3Rpwaot] 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 [https://athealth.com/the-testing-psychologist/] 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 [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Skip-Rizzo.jpg] 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: rizzo@ict.usc.edu [rizzo@ict.usc.edu] * Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlbertSkipRizzo/videos [https://www.youtube.com/user/AlbertSkipRizzo/videos] ABOUT DR. JEREMY SHARP [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg] I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling [http://www.coloradocac.com], 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/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 [https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13476033&appointmentType=2843005]

537. Diversify or Double Down?

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. [https://thetestingpsychologist.com/537-transcript/] 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com] * Reverb [http://www.reverbreports.com]: 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 http://www.parinc.com/www.parinc.com [http://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 [https://bit.ly/3Rpwaot] 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 [https://athealth.com/the-testing-psychologist/] 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg] I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling [http://www.coloradocac.com], 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 [http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/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 [https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13476033&appointmentType=2843005]