Thorough clinical-psychological diagnostics for adults
A key focus of my practice lies in differentiated clinical-psychological diagnostics in adulthood. This includes in particular ADHD in adults, personality diagnostics and the careful classification of more complex psychological conditions.
It is important to me not to label symptoms prematurely, but rather to understand them in the context of biography, current life situation, psychological structure and possible differential diagnoses. For me, diagnostics is therefore not merely classification, but a process of careful clarification.
ADHD in adults
The diagnostic assessment of ADHD in adulthood is a particular focus of my practice. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. While the older ICD-10 still refers to hyperkinetic disorders, the more recent classification systems ICD-11 and DSM-5 use the internationally established term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Many adults seek an explanation for persistent problems with attention, self-organisation, impulsivity, inner restlessness or emotional self-regulation only late in life. This is precisely why careful differential diagnostics is important. Not every difficulty with concentration is an expression of ADHD. Conversely, ADHD in adulthood often remains unrecognised for a long time.
In my diagnostic work, I follow current professional guidelines and structured diagnostic procedures. These include, among others, the DIVA-5 (Kooij, Francken, Bron, & Wynchank, 2019) as a structured interview for ADHD in adulthood, as well as the HASE — Homburg ADHD Scales for Adults (Rösler, Retz-Junginger, Retz, & Stieglitz, 2021). I continually pursue further training on this topic in order to maintain current professional standards in my diagnostic work.
Further information on the HASE diagnostic test battery is available at the Hogrefe Test Centre.
ADHD in women
ADHD in adult women is frequently recognised later or initially overlooked. Symptoms often manifest less as external restlessness and more as chronic overwhelm, exhaustion, inner tension, self-doubt or high levels of compensation. I also take such trajectories into account in my diagnostic assessment.
Personality diagnostics
A further focus of my practice lies in the diagnostics of personality disorders and personality accentuations.
Terms such as "narcissistic", "borderline" or "avoidant" are frequently used in everyday language. However, not every conspicuous trait and not every pronounced personality style constitutes a mental disorder. It is precisely here that careful professional classification is important.
Among other instruments, I use the SCID-5-PD (Beesdo-Baum, Zaudig, & Wittchen, 2019) for categorical diagnostics of personality disorders according to DSM-5, as well as the SCID-5-AMPD (Hörz-Sagstetter, Mokros, & Zimmermann, 2025) for dimensional aspects of personality diagnostics. For psychodynamic diagnostics and treatment planning, I also work with OPD-3 (Arbeitskreis OPD, 2024).
Diagnostic approach and quality assurance
The basis of my work typically includes a comprehensive diagnostic interview, biographical and current history-taking, structured clinical assessment and, where appropriate, standardised questionnaires and diagnostic interviews.
Diagnostic precision is also important to me during ongoing psychotherapy. I continuously evaluate my therapy outcomes using standardised questionnaires in order to systematically monitor progress and align treatments as precisely as possible with the actual course. The continuous evaluation of psychotherapy outcomes is an established approach to quality-assured treatment. See: Lutz, W., Neu, R., & Rubel, J. A. (2019). Evaluation und Effekterfassung in der Psychotherapie. Göttingen: Hogrefe.
Psychological assessment
For selected questions, I also offer psychological assessment and professionally substantiated expert opinions.
Contact
If you would like to clarify whether a diagnostic assessment for ADHD, personality diagnostics or a further psychological evaluation would be appropriate, please feel free to get in touch. I also offer the possibility of coming to my practice solely for diagnostic purposes — even if I am unable to provide any subsequent therapy that may be needed.