Understanding first. Diagnosis when it matters.
Psychological evaluation and consultation for adults and adolescents looking for solutions, answers, and, if appropriate, diagnosis.
In that order.
Assessments for ADHD, Autism, anxiety, depression, and diagnostic clarity are available virtually in 40+ states through PsyPact.
I Built This Practice For You
You're the one who has always handled it. The first in your family to do this, the one others lean on, the one whose competence has never been questioned. And privately, you are tired in a way that no amount of rest seems to fix. You've started to wonder if this new normal is exhaustion from a lifetime of achievement, burnout, masking, or an underlying disorder.
You suspect there is a name for what you have been managing your whole life—something more specific than anxiety, more accurate than depression. You've read enough to recognize yourself in the descriptions. Now you want a rigorous answer from someone who will not flatten you into a checklist.
You are the parent of a daughter the school keeps describing as 'just shy' or 'just dramatic.' You've watched her work twice as hard for half the recognition. You want someone who understands how ADHD and autism present in girls, and who will read your child accurately, not generically.
You are a therapist or psychiatrist who has hit the edge of what therapy alone can answer. Your client deserves diagnostic clarity, and you want to refer them to a clinician who will return them to you with a report you can actually use.
What Sets This Practice Apart
Research rigor in private practice
Most assessments use templated batteries. The Mending Place builds the battery around developmental history, cultural context, and client's specific question.
Measures are selected, not defaulted.
Cultural and contextual interpretation that sees what shaped the symptoms
Diagnosis is interpreted through the full architecture of a person. This includes their identity, family system, history, and the environments they have had to survive.
Context is not an afterthought to the data. It is part of the data.
A report you can actually use
The evaluation deliverable is built to be used by the client, by the family, and by the clinicians supporting them. The feedback session translates findings into language and direction that can inform what happens next.
Findings translated into action.
Pathways Into the Work
01
DIagnostic Evaluation
Comprehensive psychological evaluation for ADHD, autism, and diagnostic clarification. Adults and adolescents.
02
Clinical Consultation (Roadmap Session)
Structured conversation to determine what the client actually needs. This often includes collecting history and screeners. Converts in three directions: evaluation, referral to better-fit therapist, or ongoing work here.
03
Ongoing Clinical Work
Therapy and coaching for a limited number of clients whose work aligns with specialty areas: identity integration, family-of-origin, or the psychology of being the first, the only, or the one who has held it together.
Dr. Leann V. Smith, PhD
Licensed Psychologist (#38882) | Texas
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT)
Dr. Leann V. Smith is a licensed psychologist and researcher whose clinical work centers on assessment that honors the full person. Trained across integrated behavioral health, community wellness, academic, and private practice settings, she brings a research record in impostor phenomenon, racial socialization, and culturally responsive assessment to every evaluation. She built The Mending Place to do work she could not do inside an institution.
Her approach is rooted in the belief that good care starts with good understanding. Rather than defaulting to a single treatment model, she uses comprehensive assessment to clarify what's actually happening—then builds a path forward based on that clarity.
Our Evaluation Process
The Consultation
A 15-minute call to determine if evaluation is the right next step. No commitment, no pressure.
The Assessment
Two- to four-hour testing session tailored to the question being asked. Measures are chosen for the person, not pulled from a template. Virtual session, in person for select cases in Houston.
The Feedback Session
A working conversation, not a one-way delivery of results. Findings are translated into language and direction that can actually be used.