Charles E.W. Berthold, PhD
Individuals, Seniors, Learning Disabilities and ADHD Testing
Dr. Charles Berthold is a licensed clinical psychologist working in the St. Charles office. He is an expert in depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, impulse control and anger management, and Senior issues, as well as a skilled marital and family counselor. He has experience as a classroom teacher of college students, and has been a presenter on various topics of psychological interest.
Individual Counseling
Dr. Berthold believes that psychotherapy is a collaborative process between patient and psychologist, which typically produces longlasting and positive, significant change. The likelihood and magnitude of change are increased when the client feels they are in a warm and caring environment that fosters trust, safety, and hope. Therapy also needs to be tailored to the individual and his or her problems.
“One of the primary benefits of counseling is that you will walk away from the experience with a healthier perspective on life, improved resilience, a stronger sense of self, a better self-concept, and the ability to apply what you’ve learned to better navigate through life.”
Seniors
“I work with seniors to assess if loss of mental sharpness is a just a normal sign of aging or a sign of depression or dementia. Depression can be tricky to recognize and can sometimes look like Alzheimer’s disease or other brain disorders such as dementia. Mood changes and signs of depression can also be caused by medicines for arthritis, high blood pressure or heart disease. The good news is that people who are depressed often feel better with the right treatment.”
Learning Disabilities and ADHD Testing
Dr. Berthold is a specialist in aiding families who are in need of unique help for their struggling children and adolescents. “I like making a difference in people’s lives. I believe in a collaborative effort between the psychologist and client to help achieve goals quickly and successfully.”
Children and adolescents sometimes needlessly struggle through their school years with undiagnosed learning disabilities. Some children cannot seem to do well in school, despite good effort. Their teachers and parents may complain that they are not trying hard enough. Other parents are told that their child will “outgrow” his or her problems. Sometimes, these children can perform very well in certain school subjects, but do poorly in others. Many children just work slowly and need extra time to complete tasks. For school related difficulties, as well as more social and psychological difficulties, psychological assessment is a helpful tool. Individualized testing provides a diagnostic understanding of a child’s strengths and weaknesses in intellectual, academic, learning, behavioral, and psychological spheres. This comprehensive understanding helps generate recommendations in terms of school programming, counseling, and other more specialized assistance for a child and his family.
The testing usually takes about 5-8 hours to complete. Typically, this time is broken into several smaller testing sessions to avoid fatigue. Most children can be scheduled within two weeks of a parent’s first call. Testing is usually scheduled on Saturday and Sunday during the school year so the child’s school schedule is not disrupted.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a serious disorder, which can have major consequences for learning and social skills. There is no one test for ADHD. It must be carefully diagnosed by an experienced and qualified psychologist who can see how a child behaves during various tasks, some of which demand concentration and focus, and some that do not. There are good tests for distractibility, which go along with ADHD. Additionally, and most importantly, an experienced clinician can observe a child, talk with his/her teachers and parents, and get a good sense of a child’s behavior. The diagnosis should be based on data gathered from a number of different sources (tests, behavioral observations, teacher reports, parent reports). The disorder must be closely monitored, especially if medication is prescribed. Teachers and parents must be given specific strategies for helping the child.
“I have made a lifelong commitment to education. I have had years of intense study and rigorous clinical training that enable me to carefully assess your situation and choose an approach that will provide the most effective solution for you. I have taught undergraduate students, actively pursued research and written and presented at various conventions and universities throughout my career.”
Dr. Berthold’s credentials:
PhD: Counseling Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
BA: University Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, IL
Advanced Clinical Training: “Attention Deficit Disorder Throughout the Life Cycle”, “Treating Child and Adolescent ADHD”, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA “The Harvard Conference on Child Psychotherapy”
Certificate: National Register of Health Care Providers
Member: American Psychological Association, Division 12, Clinical Psychology, Division 17, Counseling Psychology, Division 40, Neuropsychology; Illinois Psychological Association; American Counseling Association.
Presentations: “Why Can’t You Hear What I’m Saying” “Depression and ADD Revisited” “Attention Deficit Disorder Diagnosis”, “ADD and Differential Diagnosis” “Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Adult Attention Deficit Disorders” “Is It Really Attention Deficit Disorder?” presented to ADD Conference, “Adult Attention Deficit Disorder: Recent Developments in Assessment and Treatment” “Using Intelligence Wisely”
