Asylum psychosocial evaluation Also called a mental health evaluation for immigration.
An asylum evaluation from me is a psychosocial evaluation documenting how trauma, fear, and the conditions of your life have affected you, for your asylum case. It is for people applying for asylum and for the attorneys who represent them. Evaluations are conducted remotely. To start, send a short, non-confidential inquiry or book a free 15-minute fit call.
Evaluations are conducted remotely and are used in U.S. immigration courts and USCIS adjudications. Please share the venue so I can flag any jurisdiction-specific considerations.
Silence, changing stories, and delayed disclosure are not automatically dishonesty.
Immigration judges and USCIS adjudicators often evaluate credibility through consistency. But trauma, culture, language, shame, developmental history, and fear shape how experience is remembered, ordered, and disclosed. A psychosocial evaluation for asylum provides the contextual bridge between your account and the evidentiary record.
I created CIAS because I refused to keep watching trauma get reduced to a checklist. In an asylum evaluation, it is how I document why some parts of an experience could not be said, or could not be said in order.
What the evaluation looks at
An asylum evaluation is a forensic evaluation: it is written to support the legal record. In an asylum case, it looks at:
In this kind of case
- Trauma and fear of return.
- Disclosure barriers: delayed or partial disclosure, fragmented chronology, or memory gaps.
- Flat affect, avoidance, dissociation, or distress.
- State protection and relocation.
- Istanbul Protocol-informed consistency language.
- Nexus-sensitive discussion and risk-on-return language where relevant.
What every report includes
- Clinical interview and trauma-informed psychosocial history.
- CIAS contextual analysis: cultural, developmental, economic, and U.S. climate factors.
- Functioning, coping, symptom impact, and prognosis.
- DSM-5-TR-informed diagnostic formulation where clinically appropriate.
How it works
1. Fit and scope check
You, or your attorney, start with a short inquiry. Use the inquiry form or book a free 15-minute fit call. The fit check confirms case type, timeline, jurisdiction, conflict check, and whether an evaluation is appropriate before any documents are exchanged.
2. Secure document transfer
After fit is confirmed, relevant records are provided through secure means. Please do not send confidential materials through the first inquiry.
3. Multi-session evaluation
Trauma-informed interviews, interpreter planning where needed, and structured psychosocial assessment. Evaluations are conducted remotely.
4. Draft and final report
A draft is reviewed for factual, jurisdictional, and privilege-related corrections. Clinical opinions are not altered on request. The final report is delivered for the record.
What the evaluation costs
Fees are confirmed in writing after case type, deadline, scope, jurisdiction, interpreter needs, and testimony needs are reviewed.
| Case type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Asylum / EOIR | $1,200–$1,800 | Multi-session evaluation; trauma, disclosure, and contextual analysis. |
| Rush | +$300–$500 | Depending on deadline and availability. |
| Testimony | Quoted separately | Fee schedule provided at engagement. |
Standard turnaround is usually 2–3 weeks from completed intake and document receipt. A sliding scale may be available for qualifying nonprofit legal-aid referrals; please note nonprofit or legal-aid status in the inquiry. All case types and fees are on the fees page.
What to send after fit is confirmed
Please do not send confidential materials through the first inquiry. After scope is confirmed, documents are transferred through secure means. Useful documents may include:
- Current declaration draft
- Prior asylum applications or claims (if any)
- Country conditions documentation
- Any prior mental health or medical records
- Immigration history and key dates
- Notice to Appear or court orders (if defensive)
What to include in the first inquiry
Case type, deadline or hearing date, venue, interpreter needs, nonprofit or legal-aid referral status, and enough non-confidential information to assess fit. Do not send declarations, medical records, or other protected health information until secure intake is confirmed.
If you or your client is detained
Detained clients are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Detained evaluations require coordination with counsel, the facility, and (where needed) telehealth or in-person scheduling. Please flag detention status and facility at the initial inquiry so feasibility can be confirmed quickly.
For attorneys
- Standard turnaround is 2–3 weeks from completed intake and document receipt. Rush is available at +$300–$500 depending on the deadline. Master-calendar timelines are flagged at fit check so scheduling is realistic.
- A draft is shared so counsel can flag factual, jurisdictional, or privilege-related corrections. Clinical opinions are not altered on request.
- Each report is signed under penalty of perjury and includes the credentials, methodology, and limitations sections counsel typically rely on.
- Testimony is available where scheduling allows, including EOIR merits hearings and related proceedings. Testimony fees are quoted separately at engagement and confirmed in writing.
- When the evaluation surfaces information that contradicts the declaration, discrepancies are flagged for attorney reconciliation rather than altered or omitted. The report distinguishes core from peripheral detail where clinically and contextually appropriate.
Process, checklists, and credentials
The attorney overview covers collaboration, document checklists by case type, interpreters, detained clients, and the sliding scale for legal-aid referrals. A current CV is available on request.
No attorney yet?
An attorney prepares and argues your asylum case. I do not give legal advice and I do not assess whether a case will succeed. Read what to do if you do not have an attorney yet →
Common questions
How many sessions does the evaluation take?
The evaluation is multi-session: trauma-informed interviews, interpreter planning where needed, and structured psychosocial assessment. Scheduling is discussed at the fit check. Standard turnaround for the report is usually 2–3 weeks from completed intake and document receipt.
Can the evaluation be done remotely?
Yes. Evaluations are conducted remotely. Please share the venue at inquiry, meaning the court or USCIS office handling the case, so jurisdiction-specific considerations can be flagged.
Do you work with interpreters?
Yes. Interpreter planning is part of the evaluation when language access is needed, with attention to language match, dialect, gender preference, and trauma-informed practice. An attorney may propose an approved interpreter; alternatively, a vetted interpreter can be arranged.
Do you evaluate people who are detained?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis. Detained evaluations require coordination with counsel, the facility, and (where needed) telehealth or in-person scheduling. Please flag detention status and facility at the initial inquiry so feasibility can be confirmed quickly.
What if I cannot talk about what happened?
You do not have to tell your story perfectly, or all at once. Silence, changing stories, and delayed disclosure are not automatically dishonesty. Trauma, culture, language, shame, developmental history, and fear shape how experience is remembered, ordered, and disclosed. The interviews are trauma-informed and take place over more than one session, and part of my work is to document why some parts of your experience have been hard to say, using the CIAS framework.
What if something I say in the evaluation differs from my declaration?
Discrepancies are flagged for attorney reconciliation rather than altered or omitted. Where the data support it, the report frames inconsistency through trauma, disclosure, memory, and cultural lenses.
How is an evaluation different from therapy?
An evaluation documents your experience and its effects for the people deciding your case. It is not treatment. I listen carefully and with respect, but the purpose of the sessions is a written report for the legal record, and clinical opinions in that report are not altered on request.
Who sees the report?
Records are exchanged only after secure intake is established. When an attorney retains me, reports are released to retaining counsel only. If you are filing without an attorney, how the report is delivered to you is confirmed at the fit check. Protected health information is not requested in the initial inquiry.
How much does it cost?
The typical range for this case type is $1,200–$1,800. Rush is +$300–$500 depending on deadline and availability, and testimony is quoted separately. Fees are confirmed in writing after the case is reviewed. A sliding scale may be available for qualifying nonprofit legal-aid referrals.
Do I need an attorney?
I do not give legal advice, and I do not decide or assess anyone's case; that is your attorney's role. If you do not have an attorney yet, this page explains where to start.
Other evaluations I provide
VAWA
VAWA mental health evaluation (I-360): coercive control, battery or extreme cruelty.
U and T visas
U and T visa mental health evaluation (I-918, I-914): abuse, trafficking, and coercion.
Hardship waivers
Extreme hardship mental health evaluation (I-601, I-601A): family separation and caregiving.
All mental health evaluations for immigration · Fees · For attorneys
Ready to start?
The first step is a short, non-confidential inquiry or a free 15-minute fit call.