556. Wisdom Over Numbers: Writing Reports Differently
The Testing Psychologist Podcast
Two-Sentence Synthesis and Cognitive Load
Jeremy challenges clinicians to synthesize key findings in two sentences to reduce readers' cognitive load.
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In this episode, I dive deep into the modern evolution of neuropsychological and psychological report writing. We explore why the traditional model of listing scores and rote data is no longer effective for our primary audience: the clients and their families. I discuss the cognitive load placed on readers when we fail to synthesize information and introduce the clinical snapshot as a way to prioritize the most important findings on page one. We also cover the so what rule for narrative synthesis and a tiered approach to recommendations that prevents client overwhelm. The goal is to move from a score-centric document to an integrative narrative that ensures your expertise is actually utilized to improve lives.
Main Topics
- 00:02: The Prime Real Estate of Page One
- 01:45: The Inverted Pyramid and Clinical Snapshots
- 02:27: The Two-Sentence Synthesis Challenge
- 04:35: The So What Rule
- 07:05: AACN Guidelines and Domain Interaction
- 08:20: Managing Reader Shame and Overwhelm
- 09:01: Tiered Recommendations
- 11:16: The Report as a Lasting Product
Cool Things Mentioned
- The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting
- Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
Featured Resources
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About Dr. Jeremy Sharp
I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.
As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
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