Psychological Evaluation
Confidential Information
Name: Ms. J Gender: Female
DOB: 01/15/2011 Age: 9
Date of Examinations: 1/16/20 Examiner: XXXX
Referral Question
Ms. J was referred for a projective psychological evaluation by her father, Mr. F. Mr. F reported he is
currently seeking treatment for Ms. J due to the effects of the separation with Ms. J’s mother in
November 2015 and the cutoff of all contact with her mother in July 2018. Mr. F stated that as a result of
the recent loss of contact with her mother, Ms. J has experienced nightmares, questions, and confusion.
Mr. F mentioned that although her nightmares were only reported on two separate nights, he is concerned
with Ms. J’s adjustment to not having her mother around. Ms. J reported she had nightmares that were
disturbing and expressed sadness that her mother has not contacted her in recent months.
Evaluations Procedures
The current therapist sat down with Ms. J one time in order to complete the projective assessment. In the
beginning of the session, the evaluator conducted a semi-structured interview to obtain information about
her medical, psychological, educational, familial, and psychosocial history. At the end of the session, Ms.
J was administered the H-T-P (house-tree-person) test in which she was asked to draw several items: 1)
Person, 2) Family, 3) House, 4) Tree, 5) Car, and 6) Another person. For the first person drawn by Ms. J,
the evaluator instructed her to “draw a person”—without specifying a gender. For the second person, the
evaluator told Ms. J to draw the opposite gender of the original person she drew.
Behavioral Observations
In the beginning of the session during the semi-structured interview, Ms. J appeared her stated age and
she was of average height and weight. She appeared well-nourished. Ms. J was casually dressed and well-
groomed with adequate hygiene. She reported her mood as “good” and presented with appropriate affect
throughout the interview. Her posture and body movements were within normal range and she appeared
engaged throughout the interview as evidenced by her appropriate eye contact and openness to
conversation. During the H-T-P administration, Ms. J was compliant and excited to complete the tasks
instructed by the therapist. Ms. J was a bit resistant after being asked to draw her family and her affect
changed from euphoric to irritable and depressed.
Relevant History
Psychosocial History
Ms. J was born on January 15, 2011 in Florida and is the youngest of two siblings. Her older brother is
her half-brother and he currently resides in South Carolina with Ms. F’s sister and mother. Ms. F did not
want to talk about why Mr. S is not living in Florida anymore. Mr. F reported there were no
complications with her mother’s pregnancy, and she met all of her developmental milestones at a normal
time. Mr. F also reported that Ms. J has never experienced enuresis or encopresis. He denied the presence
of any feeding issues or any difficulties with her cognitive functioning.
Ms. J’s parents were married in 2010 and have lived with Ms. J in Florida since the beginning of the
marriage. Mr. F reported that him and Ms. J’s mother separated October 2015 and Ms. F has not seen or
had contact with Ms. J since July 2018. Ms. J’s mother is currently employed at a car inspection company
and Ms. J’s father is currently employed at the FAU golf course. According to Mr. F, Ms. J is currently
residing with himself and his mother. He also stated he has full parental responsibility of Ms. J.
Mr. and Ms. F reported Ms. J has a close relationship with both of her parents, her grandparents, and her
brother. Ms. J reported she misses her brother and her mother. She stated she enjoys spending time with
her father and grandmother but wishes she could spend more time with her mother.
Mr. F described Ms. J as social and plays with her friends that live next door to them. Ms. J reported she
has friends in the neighborhood that she likes to play with outside and she gets along well with her
classmates and likes to “help them.” Mr. F reported Ms. J used to socialize regularly with her maternal
cousins; however, since the separation and recent loss of contact with Ms. J’s mother, Ms. J has not been
able to spend time with her cousins. Mr. F shared he has family members that live in other states, so Ms. J
can only spend time with these cousins when they visit during the summer. Mr. F reported Ms. J does not
participate in any extracurricular activities at the moment.
Education
Ms. J attends Little Prairie Elementary, where she is currently enrolled in the third grade. Mr. F reported
Ms. J was tested previously, in which her results showed she is below her reading level, but she still
comprehends at an appropriate age level. He stated Ms. J has a 504 plan in school for her reading
difficulties. Ms. J reported she likes going to school and her favorite subjects are math, writing, and art.
She indicated her least favorite subject is science. She reported she enjoys playing on the playground at
school, but she dislikes when teachers punish the students by not allowing them to go to recess. Mr. F
mentioned the only complaint by teachers is that Ms. J sometimes talks too much in class and the teachers
have to re-direct her. There have never been any reports of behavioral problems from Ms. J’s teachers.
Medical History
Mr. F denied that Ms. J has ever had any serious medical conditions. He reported that she recently gained
weight because of her aversion to eating certain foods. Mr. F reported that she has gained about 20
pounds in the last year. Mr. F reported that Ms. J does not like to try new foods and appears “scared” at
times when asked to try new things. He reported that she recently started eating chicken nuggets, beef hot
dogs, apples, bananas, crackers, pizza, and bagels. He stated that she has made progress with trying new
goods but refuses to eat other proteins and vegetables. Mr. F reported that this has been an occurrence for
at least the last three years. Ms. J has not had a recent medical exam in the last year. Mr. F denied any
past or current medications on her behalf and he denied that she has any known allergies to both any
drugs or foods.
Psychological History
The client’s parents denied a psychological or psychiatric history for the client. They elaborated that Ms.
J has never received a psychological diagnosis, psychotherapy, or any psychiatric hospitalizations.
Test Results
Ms. J appeared to put forth a decent amount of effort during the drawing portion of the evaluation
and was not defensive. This may be due to the fact that many children enjoy drawing and regard it as a
“fun” and “carefree” activity. Additionally, Ms. J did not seem to know the purpose of the drawings, nor
did she ask why I was having her do the drawings. Her drawings of the people were not stick figures, but
they did lack details such as their noses and fingers. The drawings did include other essential features
such as eyes, hair, and even facial hair. All of the people drawn had the correct number of limbs and
facial features except for the women—who were drawn with only one eye due to hair covering up the
other eye—and phalanges. Additionally, the hands and feet of each person were drawn as circles. The
omission of the facial features may indicate poor adjustment and anxiety. The missing phalanges could
reflect feelings of difficult with her interpersonal relationships. In all of the pictures of people, Ms. J drew
their heads first before drawing their bodies. The heads were proportionate to the body of each individual.
The arms of each person were drawn at the sides and were close to the individual’s bodies. Both the arms
and the legs of the persons were pressed close to the body. In children, this may indicate a possible
emotional disturbance. Her drawing of the car does not include that much detail but, overall, was average
in terms of drawing ability—especially for her age. All of her drawings were almost perfectly centered on
the page. In children, this suggests high standards of achievement and high drive.
Impressions and Interpretation
1st Gender Drawing
Ms. J drew a picture of a female first which is typical because most individuals tend to draw their own sex
first. When asked why she drew a female figure first she stated that she “wanted to draw me.” The fact
that Ms. J drew an image of a female much older than herself may also represent that she is striving for
maturity and self-control. The woman in the picture appeared happy. The woman was drawn with a floor
underneath her which may suggest that Ms. J has a strong need for stability and security—likely due to
the abandonment by her mother. The female was drawn with only one eye, with the other eye covered up
by the woman’s bangs. The omission of one eye may indicate poor adjustment, feelings of anxiety, or
feelings of depression. The woman was drawn with an extremely large ponytail that was not shaded. This
long, unshaded portion of the woman’s hair could suggest ambivalent sexual fantasies. The upturned line
resulting in a grin on the woman is normal when drawn by a child the age of Ms. J. Ms. J drew the
woman without a nose which suggest that Ms. J may be shy, withdrawn, depressed, or emotionally
disturbed. The woman in the drawing is standing in a rigid, vertical stance with her arms and legs straight
down and closed which may suggest maladjusting rigidity. Ms. J drew the woman, whom she claimed to
be this therapist, on a pedestal. This may suggest that Ms. J views the therapist in a positive light. The
pedestal along with the floor, may also indicate that the client feels stable and secure with the therapist.
2nd Gender Drawing
Ms. J drew a picture of a male second—as instructed by the evaluator. Ms. J indicated both orally and on
the drawing that the male on the drawing was her father. She included more detail in the face of the male
figure by including two eyes, glasses, and facial hair, which may indicate that her father is an important
part of her life. The smile on the male looks similar to the smile on the female. Similar to the first
drawing, Ms. J drew the male without a nose, again suggesting that she may be shy, withdrawn,
depressive, or otherwise emotionally disturbed. In this image, the neck is omitted by Ms. J, which
indicates poor adjustment in children. Ms. J drew the male with very long legs which suggest a strong
need for autonomy. That may suggest that Ms. J is desiring her father to be independent enough to take
care of her without her mother around anymore. Ms. J also drew the male with his legs and arms pressed
close together to the body suggest rigid defenses, and specifically for children, a potential emotional
disturbance. Ms. J drew the male wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and what appeared to be boots, but which she
later clarified were just his feet. Each clothing item was expressed by simple horizontal lines in a rigid
manner. His feet being drawn as flat and large may suggest that Ms. J has strong security needs which
would likely be due to being abandoned by her mother.
Tree
Tree drawings are generally perceived as a way to show an even deeper version of the self. Out of all of
Ms. J’s drawings, the drawing of the tree was the least detailed. Ms. J’s tree is small in size and is
centered on the page. Ms. J indicated that her tree was an apple tree, which suggests a need for
dependency in children. The small size of Ms. J’s tree may suggest feelings of inferiority or inadequacy.
The tree is also leaning a bit to the left which can reflect fixations on the past and/or fear of the future.
The fixations may involve past experiences with her mother and her fear of the future may include future
abandonment or rejection. Ms. J also drew her tree on the crest of a small hill which can reflect either oral
erotic fixations or feelings of isolations which are often associated with the desire for maternal protection.
Due to the recent events with her mother, the latter is likely more reflective of Ms. J. Ms. J did not draw
any branches on the tree which suggest that she may be lacking enjoyment from her interpersonal
relationships. The tree crown drawn by Ms. J resembled a cloud-like appearance which indicates active
fantasy, low energy levels, and an avoidance of reality. The absence of leaves on her tree suggest inner
loneliness and a potential lack of ego integration. The bareness of the tree trunk drawn by Ms. J indicates
that she may have stunted emotional development. The overall bareness of the tree, trunk, and bark
suggest that Ms. J may be having feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness.
Family
Ms. J was then instructed to draw a family. After explaining to the evaluator who she was going to draw,
she drew and labeled her father, her mother, her brother and herself. The women in the drawings, which
were meant to reflect her and her mother, were drawn almost identically. This may represent her
perception that she is similar to her mother or desires to be like her mother. She drew her mother and
herself similar to how she drew the female person earlier, however she changed the side of the head the
bangs and the ponytail were located on. The only other significant difference between the females drawn
in the family photo compared to the female drawn in the 2 nd person drawing, is that the two females are
smiling with their teeth in this drawing. This may be because Ms. J’s desire is to be together, happy as a
family again, and that would mean they are smiling big. The drawing of her father and brother are very
similar to each other which may just reflect that she draws all men similarly. Finally, the location of her
father and mother is important to note. She drew her mother and father standing next to each other, which
again, may be her fantasy and desire for her mother and father to be back together again.
House
Ms. J’s drawing of the house was one of her most detailed drawings. She drew a house with one tree and
one flower on each side of the house—almost perfectly symmetrical. She also drew two clouds and a sun.
The symmetry in this photo of her house may suggest her desire and need for control and stability. The
house itself was drawn with a pointed roof, three windows, and a door. The clouds added outside of the
house are reflective of generalized anxiety, while the sun may suggest a dependency on someone or
something. The fac that Ms. J grounded the house, the trees, and the floors suggests feelings of
apprehension and insecurity. The flowers drawn by the house are typical for children of Ms. J’s age. The
trees, especially the trees drawn completely bare, may indicate strong dependency needs of Ms. J. In
terms of the house itself, Ms. J drew a relatively small home. A small home suggests feelings of
inadequacy, rejection, and withdrawn tendencies. The absence of curtains and shades over the windows
drawn suggest that Ms. J does not feel a need to hide her feelings to this therapist.
Car
Ms. J’s drawing of the car was meant to serve as a control to ensure that she could draw appropriately and
at an average ability for her age level. Her drawing of the car was of adequate ability for her age and it
served as an intended neutral stimulus with her stating that “it was just a normal car.” When asked about
the antennae sticking up out of the car, Ms. J stated it was similar to the car she saw on the way to the
therapy session. The wheels of the car seeming to be disconnected from the car itself may suggest that
Ms. J is feeling disconnected from someone or something in her life—likely her mother. This disconnect
may also indicate that she does not feel like she has a lot of control or predictability in her life based on
the recent events that have occurred in her life.
Recommendations
Ms. J’s common theme within all of her drawings was her recent emotional detachment from her mother.
Themes of abandonment, rejection, isolation, unworthiness, inadequacy, and a lack of stability were
incorporated within each drawing. It is clear that Ms. J is having a very difficult time adjusting to the
divorce of her parents and the separation from her mother. Ms. J would benefit from seeing a therapist
once a week to help her cope with these feelings of abandonment and rejection. It is recommended that
Ms. J engage in individual psychotherapy to learn coping skills to deal with future stressors including
adjusting to not having contact with her mother and her parent’s separation. Therapy should address the
client’s presenting problems, in particular her nightmares about black holes and being kidnapped. It may
also be beneficial to include family sessions so that her father can learn ways to help with Ms. J’s
adjustment.
Transcript
1st Person
Examiner: Who is this person?
Examinee: You.
Examiner: How old is this person?
Examinee: I think you’re 29 maybe.
Examiner: How does this person feel?
Examinee: Happy.
2nd Person
Examiner: Who is this person?
Examinee: I wrote it right here…it is my dad.
Examiner: What else did you write?
Examinee: Look… “He likes to sleep because he gets up at 4 or 5 in the morning, so he is tired.”
Examiner: What emotions is he feeling?
Examinee: He’s happy.
Tree
Examiner: What kind of tree is this?
Examinee: It’s an apple tree!
Examiner: How old is the tree?
Examinee: I don’t know.
Examiner: Is the tree all by itself?
Examinee: Yeah. There is nothing else by it but the ground.
Family
Examiner: Whose family is this?
Examinee: I wrote it down again…it is my mom, dad, brother, and me.
Examiner: Is the family happy?
Examinee: Yeah…see look…they’re smiling.
Examiner: Where does the family live?
Examinee: They used to live together.
House
Examiner: Who lives in this house?
Examinee: My dad, grandma, and me.
Examiner: What goes on inside the house?
Examinee: We eat and watch TV.
Examiner: Do people ever visit the house?
Examinee: No—not really. But sometimes my neighbor friend comes over when my grandma and dad let
her.
Car
Examiner: Who does this car belong to?
Examinee: I don’t know. It’s just a normal car.
Examiner: What is the purpose of the antennae?
Examine: I saw it on a car I saw when we drove here to therapy.
Examiner: Does the car drive fast?
Examine: It just drives at a normal speed.
