Depression that has resisted the simple answers deserves a closer, more careful look. Core Spring's Waukesha evaluations go layer by layer to understand what is really happening, for children, teens, and adults. No referral needed to reach out.
We look at the persistent low mood, the fatigue, the hopelessness, the lost motivation, and the concentration and sleep changes, and at how they affect daily life and relationships. The evaluation starts with a foundational baseline so nothing important is missed. Because depression often overlaps with other concerns, we screen for comorbidities and, when the picture calls for it, recommend our comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation as the right next step.
A child might become irritable or withdrawn, lose their usual spark, or change in sleep, appetite, or how they handle school.
A teen might sink into a lasting sadness, lose motivation, struggle to focus, or quietly step back from the people around them.
An adult might carry chronic low mood and fatigue, feel burned out, and find work, relationships, and routines steadily harder.
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.
Screening for bipolar spectrum presentations is built into every depression evaluation because the two conditions share significant overlap and misdiagnosis is common. The clinical interview specifically explores mood cycling, periods of elevated or decreased sleep need, increased energy or goal-directed activity, and impulsivity. Cognitive testing also helps contextualize mood findings. If a bipolar presentation is suspected, the evaluation scope is adjusted and recommendations reflect that clinical picture.
People with depression frequently describe difficulty concentrating, slowed thinking, forgetfulness, trouble making decisions, and mental fatigue. These symptoms are sometimes called cognitive depression or depressive pseudodementia. At Core Spring Diagnostics, cognitive and executive function testing directly measures these effects and distinguishes between cognitive symptoms caused by depression versus co-occurring conditions such as ADHD or a neurodegenerative process.
Yes. Depression in teenagers often presents as irritability, school refusal, social withdrawal, and behavioral changes rather than the classic sad affect seen in adults. The clinical interview for adolescent evaluations is adapted accordingly, and assessment tools are age-normed. Parents or caregivers typically provide collateral information, which is incorporated into the full clinical picture. One psychologist manages every step regardless of the client’s age.
The evaluation is designed to be comprehensive rather than narrow. The clinical interview covers symptom onset, history, developmental context, and prior diagnoses or treatments. Cognitive testing provides objective data. Comorbidity screening casts a wide net. And because one psychologist manages every step, the interpretation of findings is contextually grounded in everything learned throughout the process.
Yes. Every recommendation in the report is specific to the individual’s findings and designed to be usable by you, your therapist, your employer, or any other provider. Recommendations may include specific therapy modalities, medication consultation referrals, accommodations, lifestyle adjustments, and strategies for managing cognitive and functional symptoms. The goal is a clear, concrete plan, not a list of generic suggestions.
Yes. Core Spring Diagnostics serves individuals from Waukesha and the surrounding area seeking thorough, evidence-based depression evaluations. One psychologist manages the entire process, from the initial clinical interview through the final feedback session and written report.
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