The Alliance - Psychology, Advocacy, & Support - Cheshire, Connecticut

Ambitious D.

I don't see any reviews, so allow me to be the first one.

A few months ago, I've been searching for a reputable psychologist for a neuropsychological evaluation because I've never received a proper diagnosis for what's going on with me. I did extensive research to find a psychologist that not only accepted my insurance (Husky), but also had excellent reviews. I stumbled across Dr. Colwell's profile on Psychology Today. My intuition convinced me that reaching out for an appointment with this practice would be seamless and lead to an accurate diagnosis. Sure enough, I was right. It was easy to schedule an appointment at Alliance Psychology. Ericka was welcoming, friendly, direct with me, and willing to answer any questions/concerns I've had. She was able to set up a Telehealth appointment with Dr. Colwell which was a one month wait for the intake. Not too bad of a wait time and verified that the psych evaluation will be covered in full.

I had my intake done on 12-2-24. Dr. Colwell was professional with me and made sure to get a full picture of my symptoms during my intake. He allowed me to explain my history in depth and listened carefully. The appointment wasn't rushed at all and he validated all of my concerns. He immediately noticed that there were multiple discrepancies with my false diagnosis. For example, he asked why I was prescribed an antipsychotic if they thought my diagnosis was Major Depressive Disorder. He noticed inconsistencies with how I was misdiagnosed and reassured me that he would get to the bottom of this.

12-20-24 was my evaluation and that was the most professional experience ever. Dr. Colwell ensured that I was comfortable during the exam. He noticed that I was stimming a lot and offered me a stim toy to keep my hands busy during the evaluation. The evaluation was thorough and he was patient with me during the entire evaluation. He even praised me for getting puzzles right after struggling with figuring out the patterns and was amazed with how reliable my working memory was. During the ADOS, he noticed that I wasn't picking up on social queues such as sarcasm. I pointed out that I have difficulty understanding sarcasm and that if he's giving me instructions on how to do something to be straightforward and direct. He wrote that in his notes and was completely understanding. After the assessment was over, he assigned me some homework to complete and reassured me that I'm definitely not neurotypical. ADHD was ruled out which was one of the conditions I was misdiagnosed with. Bipolar was ruled out as well which was another condition I was misdiagnosed with. I went home with a smile on my face and feeling confident that I won't be misdiagnosed. Sure enough, I was right.

This Monday I received my diagnosis over Telehealth with Dr. Colwell. He answered my questions while screen sharing his observations in my report. He explained to me how he ruled out certain diagnosis and how I met the criteria for 2 diagnosis that I was concerned that I had. He took his time with my report because he didn't want to misdiagnose me. That is how a neuropsych evaluation should be done. Taking your time if you are unsure about the patient's diagnosis and using process of elimination to avoid misdiagnosis. After the appointment was over, I cried happy tears knowing that I was officially diagnosed properly.

Overall, my experience with Alliance Psychology was completely positive. I have no complaints. I finally received a diagnosis that I agree with and is completely accurate with my symptoms. I meet Dr. Colwell again 2-21-25 to help write down what accommodations I'm eligible for to help me thrive in college with minimal stress or extra academic challenges. I have full confidence that I'll succeed in college and finish my degree now that I have an accurate diagnosis. I can not wait to see what my future entails and this proper diagnosis wouldn't have been possible without the professionalism of Dr. Colwell. His method of testing is precise and thorough. Thank you isn't enough.