Integrating Psychoanalytic Thinking into Neuropsychological Assessment (1.5 CEs)

Abstract

Principles, processes, and practices of “combined” psychodynamic and neuropsychological assessments are illustrated through the study of a woman with insecure attention and executive function deficits. The case study highlights the following:

• The limitations of doing a “straight” neuropsychological evaluation for some patients
• The advantage of having a psychodynamic lens through which to understand all data
• How to integrate data from projective and neuropsychological measures

Learning Objectives

1. To increase understanding of the importance of referral question, the interpersonal context and interactions within the evaluation, and the importance of integrating different kinds of data.
2. To help participants understand the necessary training required for such assessments.
3. To show the limitations of each separate evaluation type.

Speaker 

A neuropsychologist and trained psychoanalyst, Dr. Melinda Kulish first became interested in psychological testing as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, where she did research on The Early Memory Questionnaire with her first mentor, Dr. Martin Mayman. She went on to complete her doctorate in clinical psychology at Northwestern University (division of psychology, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences). She completed her APA accredited internship at The Cambridge Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She went on to complete 2 years of post-doctoral training in adult neuropsychology through The Cambridge Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kulish completed her psychoanalytic training at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. She has also trained with Dr. Stephen Finn in Therapeutic Assessment. She is the founder and director of Integrated Assessment Services in the Boston area, a testing clinic that synthesizes neuropsychology and personality assessment. Dr. Kulish is on the faculty at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School.