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  • Admissions Information
    • Overview
    • What Parents Should Look For
    • Getting Started
    • Understanding Insurance Coverage
    • Insurance Coverage Validation
    • Financing
    • Jennifer Golick Treatment Scholarship
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Petaluma Resources
    • For Professionals
    • Request a Brochure
  • Topics in Teen Treatment
    • Sleeping Disorders
    • Teen Intervention: What You Need to Know
    • Teen Rehab and Today’s High-Potency Marijuana
    • Teen Rehab for Marijuana Use Disorder
  • Why Parents Choose Us
    • Comprehensive Family Program
    • Gender-Specific Treatment
    • Academic Excellence at Muir Wood
    • Treatment Comparison Guide
    • The Gold Standard
    • What Parents Say
    • Muir Wood Outcomes
  • Meet Our Professional Staff
    • Meet Our Team of Professionals
    • – Founder & Executive Director
    • – Clinical and Medical Staff
    • – Administration and Admissions
    • – Academics
    • – Resident Assistants
    • – Family Program Staff
    • – Outpatient Program Staff
    • – Adventure Therapy Staff
    • – Experiential Therapy Staff
  • Treating Teen Mental Health
    • Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
    • Adjustment Disorder
    • Teen Anxiety Disorders
    • Depression in Teens
    • Disruptive Behavior
    • Personality Disorders
    • Phobias
    • PTSD and Trauma in Teens
    • Teen Depression and Substance Misuse
  • Boys Clinical Program
    • Clinical Program Overview
    • Individual & Group Therapy
    • Psychological Testing & Assessment (Optional)
    • Benefits of Psychological Testing
    • Pharmacogenomic Testing
    • Equine-Assisted Therapy
    • Holistic and Experiential Therapy
    • 12-Step Program
    • Adventure Therapy
  • Boys Residential Teen Rehab
    • Boys Residential Program Overview
    • Life at Muir Wood
    • A Typical Week in Teen Rehab
    • Daily Schedules
    • Academic Excellence
    • Optional 45-Day Parent Coaching & Aftercare
    • Physical Fitness
  • Learn About Muir Wood
    • Notice of HIPAA Privacy Practices
    • Teen Rehab: An Introduction
    • About Muir Wood Teen Rehab
    • Pharmacogenomic Testing
    • Message from the Founder
    • A Message to Parents
    • Who We Treat
    • Watch Our Videos
    • Upcoming Events
    • Remembering Jennifer Golick, PhD
  • Call Us at 866-705-0828
  • Call Us at 866-705-0828
  • Insurance Validation
  • Brochure
  • Information & Resources
  • Contact Us
  • Tour Our Campuses
  • Getting Started
  • Search
  • Admissions Information
      Admissions Information
      Learn about the admission process, get information on paying for treatment and validate your health insurance coverage here.
    • Overview
    • What Parents Should Look For
    • Getting Started
    • Understanding Insurance Coverage
    • Insurance Coverage Validation
    • Financing
    • Jennifer Golick Treatment Scholarship
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Petaluma Resources
    • For Professionals
    • Request a Brochure
  • Topics in Teen Treatment
      Topics in Teen Treatment
    • Sleeping Disorders
    • Teen Intervention: What You Need to Know
    • Teen Rehab and Today’s High-Potency Marijuana
    • Teen Rehab for Marijuana Use Disorder
  • Why Parents Choose Us
      Why Parents Choose Us
      There are myriad reasons why parents choose Muir Wood to transform their teen. This section provides many compelling and empirical reasons to trust us with the treatment of your child.
    • Comprehensive Family Program
    • Gender-Specific Treatment
    • Academic Excellence at Muir Wood
    • Treatment Comparison Guide
    • The Gold Standard
    • What Parents Say
    • Muir Wood Outcomes
  • Meet Our Professional Staff
      Meet Our Professional Staff
    • Meet Our Team of Professionals
    • – Founder & Executive Director
    • – Clinical and Medical Staff
    • – Administration and Admissions
    • – Academics
    • – Resident Assistants
    • – Family Program Staff
    • – Outpatient Program Staff
    • – Adventure Therapy Staff
    • – Experiential Therapy Staff
  • Treating Teen Mental Health
      Treating Teen Mental Health
    • Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
    • Adjustment Disorder
    • Teen Anxiety Disorders
    • Depression in Teens
    • Disruptive Behavior
    • Personality Disorders
    • Phobias
    • PTSD and Trauma in Teens
    • Teen Depression and Substance Misuse
  • Boys Clinical Program
      Boys Clinical Program
    • Clinical Program Overview
    • Individual & Group Therapy
    • Psychological Testing & Assessment (Optional)
    • Benefits of Psychological Testing
    • Pharmacogenomic Testing
    • Equine-Assisted Therapy
    • Holistic and Experiential Therapy
    • 12-Step Program
    • Adventure Therapy
  • Boys Residential Teen Rehab
      Boys Residential Teen Rehab
      Our boys residential rehab program accepts a maximum of 16 boys at one time. This small number of boys allows for highly individualized and extremely effective treatment for mental health issues such as trauma, depression, or poor self esteem that often lead to self-medication with drugs and/or alcohol, as well as the substance use itself.
    • Boys Residential Program Overview
    • Life at Muir Wood
    • A Typical Week in Teen Rehab
    • Daily Schedules
    • Academic Excellence
    • Optional 45-Day Parent Coaching & Aftercare
    • Physical Fitness
  • Learn About Muir Wood
      Learn About Muir Wood
      Muir Wood is a world renowned northern California treatment center for teens struggling with mental health, behavioral, and substance abuse issues. We offer residential inpatient treatment for teen boys 12–17 in Sonoma County, and outpatient treatment for boys and girls 12–19 in Marin County. 
    • Notice of HIPAA Privacy Practices
    • Teen Rehab: An Introduction
    • About Muir Wood Teen Rehab
    • Pharmacogenomic Testing
    • Message from the Founder
    • A Message to Parents
    • Who We Treat
    • Watch Our Videos
    • Upcoming Events
    • Remembering Jennifer Golick, PhD
The Muir Wood logo, a stylized tree
Muir Wood Logo

Psychological Testing & Assessment (Optional)

Dr. Barbara Nova implements psychological testing
Dr. Barbara Nova, Ph.D.
Psychological Testing
Dr. Jenny Forman implements psychological testing
Dr. Jenny Forman, Ph.D.
Psychological Testing

At Muir Wood, comprehensive psychological testing is optional if clinically necessary and facilitated by leading neuropsychologists. Psychological testing and assessment is conducted by Dr. Barbara Nova, Dr. Jim Moses, or Dr. Jenny Forman, all widely recognized experts in this field. Testing plays a critical role in treatment and a summary of the results is presented by one of these three trusted professionals with parents either during treatment or at time of discharge.

Among teenagers, drug and alcohol abuse is very often a symptom of an underlying mental health disorder, behavioral disorder, or learning disability, often referred to as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. Teen boys struggling with these underreported (and often undiagnosed) issues frequently turn to drugs and alcohol to seek relief from feelings of poor self-esteem, worthlessness, frustration, fear, and sadness.

During his treatment at Muir Wood, your son may receive comprehensive neuropsychological, cognitive, and personality testing, along with medical, psychiatric and clinical evaluations. As experts in treating co-occurring disorders, we are able to use the information from to establish a specialized treatment plan to address underlying issues and individual needs of every boy in our care.

Psychological Testing allows us to:

  • Create a customized plan to treat the underlying cause of maladaptive coping strategies like substance abuse
  • Develop a strategy for medication (if necessary) based on empirical evidence, and make adjustments when necessary
  • Identify and work on interpersonal issues that might disrupt an ability to maintain sobriety

What tests are used?

We utilize a full battery of tests to identify areas of need in your son’s functioning abilities, that may include the following:

  • Client Interview and History (typically 1-2 hours)
  • Parent Interview and History (typically 1-2 hours)
  • Intelligence Testing such as the WAIS, WISC, or other (typically 1-2 hours)
  • Achievement Testing (typically 1-2 hours)
  • Bender Gestalt Visual Motor Test (half hour)
  • Beery-Buktenica Visual Motor Integration Test (half hour)
  • Holden Personality Inventory (50 minutes)
  • Trailmaking (.25 hour)
  • MMPI-2 (2 hours)
  • MACI (1.5 hours)
  • Rorschach Inkblot Test (2-3 hours)
  • Projective Card Test RATC, TAT, AAT (1-2 hours)
  • Projective Drawing Tests/Incomplete Sentence Test (1 hour)
  • Parent-Teacher Questionnaires BASC, Achenbach, Conners (1 hour)
  • Feedback Sessions with teen and parent (2 hours)

Drs. Nova, Moses, and Forman administer cognitive and psychological testing. All are accomplished psychologists, who uses neuropsychological tests and clinical interviews designed to identify and describe the emotional, behavioral and learning problems that your teen may be experiencing. This valuable information is used to customize his treatment plan based on the diagnosis and is fully integrated into daily treatment. When done correctly, a thorough psychological test can be integral in the success of treatment and yield key findings such as the severity of depression or anxiety, the presence of a learning disability, academic strengths or weaknesses, causes of emotional difficulties, positive and negative coping strategies, reasons for aggression, and insight into issues such as trauma and attachment issues. This information helps us to create a unique program of treatment that actively and specifically addresses all underlying issues, providing your son with the tools necessary to make real progress and sustained healing.

    • Clinical Program Overview
    • Individual & Group Therapy
    • Psychological Testing & Assessment (Optional)
    • Benefits of Psychological Testing
    • Pharmacogenomic Testing
    • Equine-Assisted Therapy
    • Holistic and Experiential Therapy
    • 12-Step Program
    • Adventure Therapy

CONTACT US

Whether you are ready to begin the admissions process or just interested in learning more about the services at Muir Wood, please fill out the information below and we will contact you shortly.

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Muir Wood Boys Residential Program

Sonoma County, CA
866-705-0828