Memory and Cognitive Concerns

Does This Sound Familiar?

People reach out to Encore about memory and thinking for reasons like these:

• Losing track of names, appointments, or recent conversations more often than before
• Repeating questions, or leaning harder on notes, alarms, and reminders to get through the day
• Losing the thread mid task, or finding familiar routines at work or at home harder to hold together
• Trouble managing money, driving, or paperwork, or keeping up with the daily tasks your health depends on
• Finding words more slowly, or losing your place in a conversation
• Family members noticing changes before you do, or noticing them differently than you do
• A doctor who has asked for objective testing before deciding on next steps

Seeing yourself in this list does not tell you what is causing it. That is the question testing is built to answer.

When an Evaluation May Be Appropriate

A psychological or neuropsychological evaluation is worth considering when:

• The change has lasted beyond a rough patch, or seems to be building over time
• It is affecting work, driving, finances, or independence at home
• You and the people around you are describing different things, and no one is sure who is right
• A doctor, neurologist, or care team wants objective testing rather than an impression
• An earlier workup did not answer the question, or gave an answer that never quite fit
• You want a clear record of how thinking works right now, so later questions have a reference point

Testing does not promise a set result. It gives a clear picture of how memory and thinking are working, what the findings do and do not support, and what steps may make sense from here.

Who You Will Be Working With

Encore Psychology was founded by Dr. Brooke Colman, a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Michigan. Her training spans medical and hospital settings, assessment-based practices, college counseling centers, and Veterans Affairs facilities. Encore Psychology is part of Michigan Healthcare Professionals (MHP), a larger affiliated physician group.

Common Questions

Does an evaluation mean someone has dementia?

No. Testing is how that question gets examined rather than assumed. Memory and thinking change for many reasons, and the findings may point somewhere else entirely.

Can testing tell us what is causing the change?

Testing shows in detail how memory and thinking are working, and it compares that picture to what is expected for someone of a similar age and background. Where the evidence is there, the findings support a diagnostic impression. They also often show what else should be checked medically. Some questions need a doctor's workup alongside testing, and the report will say so.

Can a family member take part?

Family members and close partners often notice changes that are hard to see from the inside, and that view can be useful. Ask us whether and how someone can take part in your evaluation, and what would be shared with them.

Do you provide ongoing treatment for memory concerns?

Encore Psychology is a non-prescribing practice and does not provide psychiatric care. We evaluate, explain what we find, and coordinate with the providers who handle that part of your care. Therapy is available at Encore, and recommendations may include therapy when it is a good fit.

Related Conditions

• ADHD, which affects attention and follow-through and can look like a memory problem
• Learning Disorders, which affect how people read, write, and work with numbers
• Autism, which shapes how a person connects, senses, and takes in the world