As a therapist and social worker with deep experience working alongside immigrant communities, I approach this work with empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a deep awareness of the emotional impact these experiences can have. Here's what you can expect from me during the evaluation process:

• A supportive and compassionate approach – I recognize how stressful the immigration process can be and aim to make you feel as safe, heard, and respected as possible throughout the evaluation.

• Collaborative communication – I work closely with you and your immigration attorney to ensure your evaluation supports your specific case. I respond promptly and keep the process moving efficiently.

• Flexible scheduling – I offer both in-person sessions in Portland and virtual appointments across Oregon, with evening and weekend availability to fit your needs.

• Bilingual services – I speak Spanish and can conduct your evaluation in your native language.

• Interpreter support – If you speak a language other than English or Spanish, I will coordinate with a certified court interpreter to ensure clear, accurate, and respectful communication.

I strive to make the evaluation process as smooth and supportive as possible. Here’s what you can expect step-by-step:

• Initial Consultation
  I’ll begin with a brief phone consultation—either with you, your attorney, or both—to understand the nature of your case and answer any initial questions. We’ll then schedule your first appointment.

• Paperwork and Consent Forms
  Before we meet, I’ll provide secure access to intake forms and consent documents. These must be completed prior to our first session to ensure we can make the most of our time together.

• Evaluation Sessions
  Evaluations are conducted either in-person at my office in Portland or virtually for clients anywhere in Oregon. Most cases require 1-2 sessions, each lasting 1–2 hours. In these sessions, we’ll talk about your background, life experiences, emotional and psychological history, and the impact of your immigration circumstances.

• Comprehensive Written Report
  Within 14 business days of our final meeting, I will send a completed, signed psychological evaluation report directly to your attorney and to you. In urgent cases, expedited evaluations are possible.

1. What are the fees for an immigration psychological evaluation?

• Standard evaluation (two 1–2 hour interview sessions + detailed clinical report): $1,000

• Expedited evaluation (report delivered within 7 business days of our final session): additional $400 (total $1,400)

2. Do you offer sliding scale fees or payment plans?

• I may be able to offer sliding scale fees in certain circumstances.

• Payment plans are available to help make payments more manageable.

3. What types of payments do you accept?

• I accept Venmo, Zelle, credit cards, or cash.

4. Why should I get a mental health evaluation as part of my immigration case?

A psychological evaluation provides objective, professional documentation of the emotional and psychological impact of trauma, hardship, or persecution—often proving crucial in immigration proceedings. Key research shows:

• Including a mental health evaluation can increase an asylum approval rate by nearly 20 percent1.

• Systematic reviews of refugee populations have found that cases with detailed psychological assessments are significantly more likely to receive protective status2.

• The American Psychological Association’s guidelines endorse forensic mental health evaluations in asylum and related cases, noting they supply critical, trauma‑informed evidence for legal decision‑making3.

By adding a psychological evaluation to your case, you can significantly strengthen your application for waivers, asylum, VAWA, U‑Visas, T‑Visas, and other relief by ensuring decision-makers understand the full scope of your experiences.

Footnotes/References

1. Lustig, S., et al. “Effect of Psychological Evaluations on Asylum Grant Rates,” Journal of Immigrant Health, 2007. ↩

2. Silove, D., Sinnerbrink, I., Field, A., Manicavasagar, V., & Steel, Z. “Anxiety, depression and PTSD in asylum‐seekers: Associations with pre‐migration trauma and post‐migration stressors,” Social Science & Medicine, 2001. ↩

3. American Psychological Association. Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology, 2012.