Before You Book: The Free Triage Call
Every adult ADHD assessment with our team begins with a free, no-obligation triage call. This is a short conversation, usually 15 to 20 minutes, where a psychologist listens to what has brought you to us and answers any questions about the process. It is not an assessment in itself · it is simply a chance to check that a full assessment is the right next step for you, and to explain what is involved before you commit to anything.
Many adults tell us this call is the hardest part, simply because it means naming out loud something they have wondered about for a long time, sometimes for years. There is no pressure at this stage, and nothing you say commits you to booking further appointments. You can ask about cost, timing, what the telehealth sessions actually involve, or anything else on your mind, including questions about what a written report can be used for once you have it.
It also gives us a chance to make sure an ADHD-focused assessment is the right fit, rather than our combined ADHD and autism pathway, if your experiences suggest both areas might be relevant. There is no wrong answer at this stage · the triage call exists to help you choose the right path, not to lock you into one.
The Initial Interview
Once you decide to proceed, the first full appointment is a comprehensive interview about your developmental history, current experiences, and the areas of life where attention, planning, or focus feel harder than they seem to for other people. This conversation covers school, work, relationships, and daily routines, and often touches on how these experiences have changed, or stayed the same, across different stages of your life.
It is a two-way conversation, not an interrogation, and our psychologists are trained to ask questions in a respectful, curious way rather than a clinical checklist style. You are welcome to bring examples that matter to you, ask for clarification on any question, and take the conversation at a pace that feels manageable.
This session typically runs for around an hour, and it is normal to find some questions easier to answer than others. If a memory is unclear or a period of your life is harder to recall in detail, that is a completely normal part of the process, not something you need to solve on your own beforehand.
The Assessment Session
The assessment session brings together standardised tools alongside the clinical interview. These tools are widely used in adult ADHD assessment and are chosen because, together, they give a more complete and reliable picture than any single measure could on its own. Your psychologist will explain each tool as you go, so the process never feels like a mystery.
Your psychologist will also screen for other experiences that commonly occur alongside ADHD, such as anxiety or low mood, so that your written report reflects your whole picture rather than a single narrow lens. Sessions run entirely by telehealth, from anywhere in Australia.
Feedback and Your Written Report
After the assessment session, you will return for a feedback appointment where your psychologist talks through the results in plain language, answers your questions, and discusses what the findings might mean for you practically, whether that involves workplace adjustments, further support, or simply a clearer understanding of yourself.
You then receive a written report you can keep, and share with a GP, psychiatrist, workplace, or university if you choose to. There is no obligation to share it with anyone; the report belongs to you, and what you do with it afterwards is entirely your decision. Many adults find it useful to read the report a second time once the feedback session has settled, since it can be a lot to take in during the appointment itself.
How to Prepare
There is no need to prepare extensively. It can help to jot down a few examples from different periods of your life · school reports, work reviews, or moments that stand out to you · but you are not expected to arrive with a case file. If you can, ask a parent or someone who knew you as a child about your early years, since childhood history is a useful part of the picture, though it is not essential if that information is not available to you.
Bring any previous psychological or psychiatric reports if you have them, along with a list of any medications you currently take. None of this is compulsory, but it can help your psychologist build a fuller picture more efficiently, and it can shorten the amount of time spent reconstructing history during the interview itself.
It Is Okay to Feel Nervous
Booking an assessment can bring up a mix of relief, anxiety, and even grief for time spent not understanding your own experiences. All of these reactions are common and understandable, and you do not need to manage them alone or hide them from your psychologist. Our psychologists aim to make the process feel steady and unhurried, with space for questions at every stage, rather than rushing through a fixed script.
Some adults also feel a quiet sense of hope going into the process, particularly if years of unanswered questions are close to being addressed. Whatever mix of feelings you bring, there is room for it within the appointment, and you are never expected to present a particular emotional response to be taken seriously.
This article is educational information only and is not a diagnostic tool. It cannot tell you whether you have ADHD · only a full assessment with a psychologist can do that, and it remains the most reliable alternative to guessing on your own or relying on an online quiz.