Julie Keen

Things change in this world. The only constant truth is that humans are always evolving. Just when we think we have the right definition for something, a new pattern emerges, prompting us to expand our understanding and reshape our perspectives on client assessment.For me, the importance of developing and teaching through the Assessment Academy stems from my belief that identifying our clients' mental health challenges requires accurate and knowledgeable use of assessments. This accuracy is esse

A client says, “I can’t get started.” That is an important clinical observation. It is also incredibly ambiguous. How many possible diagnoses or explanations have already flashed through your mind? Difficulty initiating tasks is frequently associated with ADHD. But “I can’t get started” is not an ADHD symptom with only one possible meaning. It is a description of an experience—and many different processes can produce that experience. What Does “I Can’t Get Started” Actually Mean? For one...

For a time, children with chronic irritability, severe emotional outbursts, and dramatic shifts in behavior were increasingly diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder. The reasoning seemed plausible. These children could be intensely reactive, impulsive, aggressive, distractible, and difficult to settle. Their emotions sometimes appeared to shift rapidly. Because irritability can occur during mania, some clinicians began to view this pattern as a childhood version of bipolar disorder—even...