About Me
About Dr. Tricia Steeves
I'm Dr. Tricia Steeves, a licensed counseling psychologist with over a decade of experience providing client-centered care. I earned my Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of Northern Colorado, in a program with a strong emphasis on psychological testing. Between 2016-2018, I completed two years of training at Emerge Professionals, an autism-centered assessment center in Denver, CO. In 2018-2019, I completed a six-month assessment-focused core rotation during my pre-doctoral internship at the SLC VA. I also spent two years training (2018-2019) and then working (2022-2023) at The Partridge Group in Riverton, UT, conducting pre-employment psychological evaluations for a police psychologist.
In recent years, my work has centered on psychotherapy and clinical intake, which has given me a close view of how mood, trauma, personality characteristics, and substance use or other addictive behaviors can cloud the diagnostic picture. I'm excited to bring that experience back to comprehensive psychological testing, and to remain engaged in ongoing training and peer consultation to keep my evaluations rigorous and current.
I've spent a lot of time learning about neurodivergence over the last decade, fueled in part by my psychotherapy clients' experiences, but also by my own. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 42, after decades of wondering why I struggled to reach my goals. Receiving that diagnosis as an adult felt validating and gave me language for patterns I'd lived with my whole life. It changed how I viewed myself and gave me tools to work with my unique brain.
I believe change starts with insight. Before you can do things differently, you have to understand what's actually going on: why you respond the way you do, where those patterns came from, and what they're costing you. Awareness isn't the whole answer, but without it, most attempts at change don't stick. My evaluations are designed to give you that understanding, along with clear recommendations for what comes next.
My Philosophy for Psychological Assessment
I approach testing as a tool for understanding, not a process for applying labels. A good evaluation doesn't just tell you what's 'wrong.' It gives you language for patterns you've likely sensed for years, connects the dots between your history and your present, and points toward recommendations that actually fit your specific needs.
I also believe clarity should be honest, even when it's not simple. My role isn't to confirm a diagnosis you've come in expecting; it's to follow the data wherever it leads, even when that means the answer is different from what you anticipated or perhaps even hoped to receive.
Sometimes the answer is a single clear diagnosis. Oftentimes it's more layered than that: two or three things overlapping, or a pattern that doesn't fit neatly into one category. Either way, you'll leave with an honest picture, not a rubber stamp.
Testing Questions I Can Help Answer
Do my difficulties with attention, focus, or organization fit a pattern consistent with ADHD, and are they affecting how I learn, work, or perform under pressure?
Could traits I've had my whole life be explained by autism, even if no one considered it when I was younger? How do they shape my day-to-day life?
What's really driving how I feel: anxiety, depression, trauma, or some combination? How do they interact, and what would actually help?
I've always been told I'm bright and capable, so why are some things still so hard? Could an attention or learning difference be hiding behind my strengths?
What documentation do I need to qualify for accommodations in college, graduate school, or on a licensing exam? Is my current documentation recent and specific enough?
Testing Questions I Cannot Help Answer
Some questions require a neuropsychologist or another specialist with advanced training in medical concerns. These include:
Forensic evaluations
Clarity following a dementia diagnosis
Assessment following a traumatic brain injury
Clarity following a stroke or other cerebral event
If your concerns fall into one of these areas, I recommend reaching out to your neurologist or your insurance physician referral page for a neuropsychologist working near you.