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Psychology Tests

Which Tests Should I Take Before Starting Therapy?

Tests don't replace therapy intake, but they can accelerate the first few sessions and help your therapist understand you faster.

Quick Answer

Before starting therapy, take PHQ-9 (depression screening), GAD-7 (anxiety screening), ECR-R (attachment style), and Big Five IPIP-NEO. Bring the results to your first session. This gives your therapist a structural overview faster than intake-conversation alone and leaves more session time for actual therapeutic work.

Key Takeaways

  • ·Symptom screens: PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety) — quantify current symptom severity
  • ·Attachment style: ECR-R — shapes how you relate to the therapist and to the therapy process
  • ·Personality: Big Five IPIP-NEO — provides structural personality context
  • ·Trauma assessment: PCL-5 if PTSD is a concern
  • ·Don't over-test: 1–2 hours of assessment is plenty; more becomes counterproductive
  • ·Bring results to first session; ask therapist to review with you

The minimal useful battery

Four tests, ~90 minutes total: **PHQ-9** (depression, 3 min): quantifies current depressive symptoms. Score helps therapist calibrate whether treatment should prioritize mood, and at what urgency. A score of 20+ is a different clinical situation than a score of 8. **GAD-7** (anxiety, 2 min): quantifies current anxiety. Many therapy clients have mixed anxiety-depression presentations; both scales together map the profile better than either alone. **ECR-R** (attachment style, 10 min): shapes the therapy relationship itself. A dismissive-avoidant client will relate to the therapist differently than an anxious-preoccupied client. Your therapist can adjust approach accordingly. **Big Five IPIP-NEO 120-item** (personality, 20 min): provides structural personality context. High Neuroticism informs treatment planning. High Conscientiousness predicts good homework compliance. Low Openness suggests preferring structured methods (CBT) over exploratory methods (psychodynamic). All useful signals. Optional additions if relevant: - **PCL-5** (PTSD) if trauma is a concern - **DES** (dissociation) if you're aware of dissociative experiences - **AUDIT** (alcohol) or **DAST** (drug) if substance use is part of the picture

What this battery is NOT

**Not diagnostic**: these are screens and self-report instruments, not diagnostic tools. Your therapist will conduct their own assessment, possibly including structured interviews like the SCID-5 for specific diagnoses. Your scores inform that process but don't replace it. **Not comprehensive**: the battery doesn't assess everything. Personality disorders, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and specific conditions require dedicated instruments. Your therapist will identify what else needs evaluation. **Not a substitute for the therapeutic relationship**: the therapy work happens in session, not in assessment. Tests are preparation, not the main event. **Not predictive of outcomes**: the tests tell your therapist where you are now. They don't predict whether therapy will work for you; that depends on the therapeutic relationship, your specific situation, and factors the tests don't measure.

How to bring results to your first session

1. **Take the tests 1-2 weeks before your first session**, so you have them ready to share. 2. **Print or screenshot the results** in a readable format. Don't just tell the therapist "I got an 18 on the PHQ-9" — bring the actual result sheet. 3. **At the first session, offer the results explicitly**: "I took these tests to give you a starting picture. Would it help to review them?" 4. **Let the therapist guide how much to engage**. Some therapists want to see all the data; others prefer to develop their own assessment first. Both are valid preferences. 5. **Don't expect interpretation in the first session**. Test results may not be central to what the first session focuses on. The therapist may set them aside for later. That's fine. 6. **Retake the symptom screens every 4-6 weeks during treatment**. This tracks whether treatment is producing measurable symptom reduction. Many therapists do this automatically; if yours doesn't, suggest it.

When to skip the testing and just start

Sometimes pre-therapy testing is unnecessary or counterproductive: **Acute crisis**: if you're in acute distress, don't delay therapy for testing. Start sessions now; do any needed testing later. Getting help is priority one. **Test-anxiety personality**: if the prospect of tests makes you anxious, skip them. Do intake conversation in session instead. The anxiety avoided is worth more than the information gained. **Prior assessment available**: if you've been tested within the past year (through a previous therapist, a clinical evaluation, or self-administration), bring those results. Don't repeat unnecessarily. **Strong therapist preference for their own intake**: some therapists want to develop their own impression without being anchored by test data. Ask during intake scheduling whether they want test results or prefer fresh intake. Respect their approach. **Limited time**: if you can only devote limited time to pre-therapy preparation, take the PHQ-9 (3 min) only. Even a single symptom screen is useful.

FAQ

Q: Should I take MBTI or Enneagram for therapy prep?
Lower priority than the battery above. MBTI can provide context your therapist might find useful, but it's not a clinical instrument. If your therapist uses Jungian or psychodynamic approaches, MBTI cognitive function data may be specifically useful. For CBT, DBT, ACT, or behavioral therapies, not particularly useful.
Q: My therapist doesn't use test data — should I still take tests?
Depends on your therapist. Some therapists explicitly eschew test data (common in certain psychodynamic and humanistic traditions). If so, honor that; don't insist. You can still take tests for your own benefit without bringing them to therapy.
Q: Is online testing good enough or should I see a psychologist for formal testing?
For the screening battery I've recommended: online self-administration is fine. For comprehensive psychological assessment (NEO-PI-R, MMPI, neuropsychological testing), that requires a licensed psychologist and costs substantially more. Most therapy clients don't need that level of assessment.
Q: How often should I retest during therapy?
Symptom screens (PHQ-9, GAD-7): every 4-6 weeks to track treatment response. Attachment and personality: not repeatedly; these are relatively stable and testing too frequently doesn't produce useful information. Once per year is plenty for stable traits.

Related Reading

Which Tests Should I Take Before Starting Therapy? - PsyZenLab - Psychology Testing Lab