People confuse neuropsychologists with neurologists. With psychiatrists. With therapists. The confusion is understandable. The names are similar and the overlap in territory can seem murky from the outside. But what a neuropsychologist does is specific, and it fills a gap that none of those other specialties fill.
The gap between "something seems off" and "here is exactly what is happening and why."
What is clinical neuropsychology?
Clinical neuropsychology is the study of how the brain's structure and function relate to behavior and cognitive abilities. It is a specialty within psychology, distinct from neurology and psychiatry, that focuses on measuring and understanding how the brain works day-to-day through behavioral observation and standardized testing.
Neuropsychologists study brain-behavior relationships, including how different brain systems contribute to memory, attention, language, reasoning, motor skills, and emotional regulation. When those systems are disrupted by injury, illness, developmental differences, or the normal aging process, neuropsychological evaluation is the tool that makes those disruptions visible and measurable.
The output of neuropsychological work is not a brain scan. It's a comprehensive, written, clinically interpreted picture of how a person's brain is functioning, and what to do about it.
Brain-behavior relationships
Understanding how specific brain systems correspond to specific cognitive and behavioral abilities, and what happens when those systems are affected.
Standardized cognitive measurement
Comparing an individual's cognitive performance to population norms using scientifically validated tests, not guesswork or clinical impression alone.
Diagnostic clarity and actionable recommendations
A written report that explains findings in plain language and translates them into specific, practical recommendations for the patient, family, and treatment team.
What it is not
Neuropsychology is not therapy, not medication management, and not brain imaging. It is evaluation: comprehensive, documented, and clinically interpreted.
What does a neuropsychologist do?
Three things, done thoroughly: evaluate, interpret, and explain.
Evaluate
A neuropsychologist conducts a structured, comprehensive evaluation of cognitive functioning using validated tests that measure memory, attention, executive function, processing speed, language, visuospatial skills, and more. The evaluation also typically involves clinical interviews and review of records and prior testing. For a standard evaluation, this process takes several hours spread across one or two appointments.
Interpret
The raw scores from testing become meaningful only when integrated with the full clinical picture: history, presenting concerns, observation during testing, and relevant records. The neuropsychologist analyzes patterns across domains, not just individual scores, to reach diagnostic conclusions. This interpretive work is where expertise matters most, and where a board-certified specialist provides the most value.
Explain
The evaluation concludes with a written report sent to the referring provider, with a copy for the patient. The report presents findings and recommendations in plain language. An optional feedback session is available where patients and families can ask questions, understand the implications of the findings, and leave with a clear sense of what to do next. This is not a stack of numbers. It's a roadmap.
Neuropsychologist vs. neurologist vs. psychiatrist vs. psychologist
These four specialties overlap in territory but not in what they actually do. Patients confuse them constantly (understandably). Here's the plain-language breakdown.
Neuropsychologist
Neurologist
Psychiatrist
Psychologist
Degree
Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology + specialty fellowship training
M.D., medical doctor with neurology residency
M.D., medical doctor with psychiatry residency
Ph.D. or Psy.D. in psychology (general practice)
Focus
Brain-behavior relationships, cognitive functioning
Diseases and disorders of the nervous system
Mental health conditions, often medication-focused
Psychological assessment and therapy
Prescribes?
No
Yes
Yes
No (in most states)
Primary work
Cognitive evaluation, diagnosis, written report, recommendations
Medical workup, imaging, neurological diagnosis, treatment
Psychiatric diagnosis, medication management, sometimes therapy
Therapy (CBT, DBT, etc.), psychological testing (general)
Best for
Understanding cognitive strengths and weaknesses, formal diagnosis of ADHD/learning disorders/dementia, documentation for accommodations, post-injury cognition
Seizures, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, stroke, headache disorders
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, medication management
Ongoing talk therapy, coping skills, emotional support
Why board certification actually matters
In most U.S. states, any licensed psychologist can legally call themselves a neuropsychologist. There is no state licensure requirement specifically for neuropsychology as a specialty. This means the title alone tells you very little about a clinician's actual training.
Board certification through the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN/ABPP) is different. It requires completing a formal fellowship in neuropsychology after doctoral training, submitting clinical work samples for peer review, and passing a rigorous examination by specialty board examiners.
Dr. Baldassarre is board-certified in neuropsychology. For patients choosing where to have a neuropsychological evaluation, board certification is one of the clearest indicators that the clinician has met a recognized standard of specialized competence, not just a general psychology license.
When to see a neuropsychologist
You don't need a referral, a diagnosis, or a crisis to reach out. Here are the situations where a neuropsychological evaluation is most useful.
Memory and thinking concerns
You're noticing changes in memory, word-finding, or mental sharpness that feel different from normal. You want to understand whether it's significant, and what it means.
Longstanding attention and focus struggles
You've always had difficulty with focus, organization, or follow-through, and you're wondering if ADHD or another condition explains it. You want a real answer, not a hunch.
Academic or professional accommodations
You need formal documentation for testing accommodations: bar exam, medical boards, graduate school, a licensing exam, or a workplace accommodation request.
After a concussion or medical event
Following a head injury, stroke, neurological illness, or major surgery, you want to understand any cognitive changes and get a baseline or follow-up picture of your functioning.
Learning differences and reading difficulties
You've struggled with reading, writing, or learning in ways that formal schooling never fully explained. An evaluation can identify dyslexia, processing differences, or other specific learning disorders.
Unanswered questions
You've seen other providers and feel like something is still missing from the picture. A neuropsychological evaluation often provides what other assessments don't: specificity, depth, and documentation.
"Neuropsychology demystified is one of the core missions of this practice. Most people don't know what we do, or that we exist, until they need us. I'd rather you understand what this evaluation is and whether it's right for you before you call."
Dr. Megan Baldassarre, Board-Certified Neuropsychologist · Riverside Psychology, River Forest, IL
Have questions about whether
an evaluation is right for you?
Let's talk through it. There's no commitment in asking. If a neuropsychological evaluation makes sense for your situation, we'll tell you. If it doesn't, we'll tell you that too.
Most patients are seen within 2–3 weeks. Online scheduling available.