Dr. Crystal I. Lee (She/Her)
Where I work
Online Only- California
Who I Work With
I specialize in therapeutic neurodivergent-affirmative adult autism assessments in California, particularly for those who are typically overlooked (e.g., BIPOC, assigned female at birth, LGBQTIA+, gender expansive). In my assessments, I also look at other forms of potential neurodivergence, such as ADHD, OCD, and C-PTSD.
About Me And How I Work
The assessment consists of four or more 45-minute weekly sessions via teletherapy (e.g., secure video chat). In my experience, about half of clients finish the process in four sessions; the other half of the time, five or more sessions are needed before a diagnosis can be confirmed. Each session is the same day and time each week.
My therapeutic and conversational assessment process focuses on unpacking and understanding your internalized experience rather than solely relying on what’s observed externally. Instead of feeling observed under a microscope, I’ll take time to understand your experience with deep conversation, curiosity, and understanding of your experience. I ask follow-up and clarification questions as needed, and, throughout the process, I share some of my thoughts with you. This contributes to a feeling of being part of a collaborative autism assessment process— a conversation being had with you rather than a test being done to you.
Conducting the autism assessment in this way, I get to know you over many weeks. This allows you to become more comfortable with me and increasingly more vulnerable and authentic in sessions. This comfort and authenticity is key to accurate identification. Getting to know you over numerous weeks also enables me to take note of more varied data. This process increases the accuracy of identifying autism, especially in women/those assigned female at birth, non-binary people, the transgender community, and people of color.
Qualifications and Professional Background
I have over 20 years working with autistic people across the lifespan; autism is truly my passion and specialty. Though I'm trained in formal neuropsychological assessment, as an autism specialist in Los Angeles, I’ve found that traditional adult autism assessments don’t always take into account the lived experiences of the people pursuing a diagnosis and are very poor at identifying autism in adults or people who have non-stereotypical presentations of autism (e.g., high masking). This is why I've moved away from traditional neuropsychological assessments for autism and use my therapeutically-focused assessment process instead.
Next Steps
If you're interested in working with me, please send me an email at drlee@laconciergepsychologist.com. In your email, let me know that you'd like an adult autism assessment and whether you've already read my adult autism assessment webpage (https://laconciergepsychologist.com/adult-autism-assessment). If you have schedule restrictions, it's helpful to know when you can/cannot meet for sessions. Unless I am out of the office, I typically respond within 24 business hours with either potential days/times I can begin seeing you or, if I have a waitlist, information about my waitlist (e.g., how long the estimated wait is, how the waitlist works).
Costs
Assessments are $1,500-$2,250, depending on how many sessions it takes to complete. You start with an initial four sessions, paid for upfront via PayPal, which is $1,500. If you need additional sessions, I let you know by the end of the third session so you have time to adjust to the idea of additional sessions. Each additional session is $375.
I am not in-network with any insurance companies; this ensures your diagnosis is not part of your official medical records and cannot be accessed by anyone. However, if you have out-of-network benefits, you can check with your insurance to see if they provide partial reimbursement for out of network providers billing under the CPT code 90834. Please note, though, that getting reimbursement through your insurance requires your diagnosis be disclosed.
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