A diagnosis box checked is not the same as understanding what is happening. Core Spring's Oconomowoc evaluations examine what is actually behind the depression, for children, teens, and adults. Reach out on your own, no referral needed.
We look at how the depression is actually showing up, the low mood, the fatigue, the lost interest, the hopelessness, and the changes in concentration, sleep, and appetite, and at how it affects work, school, and daily life. A foundational baseline grounds the picture. From the first conversation through the feedback session, one psychologist guides the entire process, with pacing that stays individualized rather than locked into fixed sessions or hours.
A child might show persistent sadness or irritability, withdraw, lose energy, or change in sleep, appetite, or how engaged they are at school.
A teen might struggle with ongoing low mood, lost interest, fatigue, and trouble concentrating in ways that interfere with daily life.
An adult might seek answers for persistent low mood, burnout, lost motivation, or emotional strain that is weighing on work and home.
Your evaluation begins with a one-hour clinical interview where your psychologist gathers a thorough history, from early experiences through your current mood, energy, and daily functioning. This conversation helps distinguish depression from other conditions that can present similarly and determines which assessments will provide the most accurate diagnosis.
Your psychologist selects a personalized battery of mood and psychological assessments. Testing involves 2 to 6 hours of in-person evaluation over one to two days. You will also be sent home with self-report questionnaires, and someone close to you can complete their own questionnaire if they choose. If your psychologist identifies signs of other conditions (such as anxiety, ADHD, or bipolar disorder), those areas are screened for as well.
All testing data, clinical observations, and questionnaire results are compiled into a detailed diagnostic report. Differential diagnosis is a key component: your psychologist carefully evaluates whether symptoms are best explained by depression, another condition, or a combination. Any co-occurring conditions are fully documented.
Approximately two to three weeks after testing, you return for a feedback session. Your psychologist walks through the diagnosis and provides individualized recommendations: evidence-based therapy options, lifestyle strategies, medication guidance if applicable, and next steps tailored to your specific needs.
It helps to gather any prior evaluation reports, therapy notes, school or work records that reflect how depression has affected your functioning, and a list of current and past medications. You do not need to arrive with everything perfectly organized; the clinical interview is designed to capture your history systematically. Think in advance about when your symptoms began, what makes them worse or better, and what you most want the evaluation to address.
Yes. With the client’s authorization, family members can attend the feedback session to hear the findings and recommendations. The psychologist explains results in plain language and can answer questions from family members in the context of the evaluation findings. The written report is also available to share with family members or caregivers who are involved in the individual’s care.
Depression in older adults can present differently than in younger populations, with more somatic complaints, cognitive changes, and social withdrawal rather than prominently sad affect. The evaluation at Core Spring Diagnostics is adapted based on age and developmental context, and the clinical interview explores life history, recent transitions, and health factors that can contribute to late-life depression. Cognitive testing is particularly important in older adults to distinguish depression from early cognitive decline.
Yes. Depression is common in the context of chronic illness and chronic pain, and the clinical interview at Core Spring Diagnostics explores the relationship between physical health and mood symptoms. While Core Spring Diagnostics does not conduct medical evaluations, the report documents how physical health factors appear to be contributing to depression and may recommend collaboration with relevant medical providers.
Major depressive disorder involves discrete episodes of significant depressive symptoms that represent a clear change from baseline. Persistent depressive disorder (formerly dysthymia) involves a lower-level but chronic depressive mood lasting two or more years. Both are assessed in the evaluation at Core Spring Diagnostics, and the distinction matters for treatment planning since they respond somewhat differently to therapy and medication approaches.
Yes. Core Spring Diagnostics works with individuals from Oconomowoc and the Lake Country region seeking thorough depression evaluations. One psychologist manages every step of the process, from the first clinical interview through the final feedback session and written report.
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