Immigration Psychological Evaluations in Oklahoma
You've been through enough. We handle the evaluation so you can focus on what's next.
Ala Therapy Collective provides specialized forensic immigration psychological evaluations for extreme hardship waivers, cancellation of removal, VAWA, asylum, U-Visa, and T-Visa cases. We work statewide across Oklahoma via secure telehealth and also serve clients in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah.
These are high-stakes cases and we treat them that way. Our evaluations are thorough, clinically sound, and written in a format that is useful to your attorney and appropriate for submission to immigration authorities. We take the time the case deserves and we do not cut corners.
Three turnaround tiers available: Standard (15 business days), Expedited (10 business days), and Urgent (5 business days).
Our Immigration Evaluators
Our immigration evaluation services are designed for those who need support in their journey toward a safer and more stable life.
Shylah Ridgway, LCSW, LICSW, provides psychological evaluations to help immigrants document the challenges they have faced. She is licensed in Oklahoma, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah and has experience producing evaluations that meet the standards attorneys and adjudicators expect.
Demetria Bonds, LMSW, also works in our immigration evaluation practice and collaborates with Shylah on cases.
We are dedicated to our clients, providing honest, reliable and thorough reports. You can be confident that your evaluation will be conducted by an experienced professional familiar with the specific requirements of immigration court, ensuring a strong and convincing psychological report that supports your case.
We offer psychological evaluations and reports for both hardship waivers and cancellation of removal cases.
Here are some of the reasons you may qualify for one of these evaluations:
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In asylum cases, an individual has been mistreated and abused in their home country due to political beliefs, religious affiliation, ethnic identity, gender, or violence in the family of origin. They seek asylum or safety from their country of origin within the U.S. Many of these individuals have experienced a great deal of trauma and emotional upheaval, which can have lasting psychological implications.
A psychological evaluation will establish the mental health consequences of prior abuse or persecution. It will also help determine how their experiences in their home country psychologically impacted them and explain some of their symptoms now and in the future. -
A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident applies for an immigration waiver because the deportation of a family member will cause extreme hardship for themselves or their family. Cancellation of removal is very similar, except the foreign-born individual is already in removal proceedings. For both case types, a psychological evaluation can be a powerful piece of evidence showing the extreme hardship the U.S. relative would suffer.
Examples of extreme hardship may be:A U.S. Citizen whose partner is deported, resulting in a lack of emotional, financial, and childcare support.
A primary caregiver for a U.S. citizen with significant medical needs is at risk for deportation and could go without assistance.
A child with significant medical concerns that need to be treated solely in the United States and can't relocate
Separating a U.S. citizen child from their foreign-born parent
A psychological evaluation documents the mental health consequences of separation and explains how the applicant would be affected, providing clinical support for both hardship and cancellation of removal cases. -
A T-Visa can be granted to victims of human trafficking and their immediate families if they agree to assist law enforcement in testifying against their perpetrators. It can apply to two main types of trafficking: sex trafficking and labor trafficking. To be eligible for a T-Visa, an individual must demonstrate that they will endure unusual or severe harm if deported from the U.S. This can be related to their age, physical or mental condition, the likelihood of future victimization, and fear of punishment or retribution by traffickers should they return to their home country.
A psychological evaluation will establish the mental health consequences of the physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse they endured while trafficked. -
A U-Visa may be granted to an undocumented individual living in the U.S. who is a crime victim (typically a felony). They must demonstrate that they have experienced psychological ramifications following the crime. Ideally, this person must also be willing to help law enforcement and provide information that assists with the prosecution of the person that committed the crime. However, a U visa can also be used if the perpetrator is not arrested.
A psychological evaluation can help establish how the crime affected the victim during the event and afterward. -
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides a pathway to citizenship to men and women who have been physically and/or emotionally abused by their U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child.
If an individual is undocumented, married to a U.S. citizen, and a victim of domestic abuse, they may be eligible for permanent residency in the U.S.
A psychological evaluation will help establish the psychological impact the physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or sexual abuse has had on the individual.
How the Process Works
Our immigration evaluation services are available to people of all nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
Professional translation services are included when needed. Here is what to expect:
Step 1: We’ll start by scheduling an intake call to thoroughly understand your situation.
During this call, you can also ask any questions about the process.
Step 2: We will meet for up to three comprehensive evaluation sessions via Zoom.
These sessions are confidential and conducted in the language of your choice.
Step 3: We will write a psychological report and deliver it on the timeline of the tier you selected.
Standard tier delivers in 15 business days, Expedited in 10, or Urgent in 5. We are available to answer questions before, during, and after completion. You will have direct input to ensure the accuracy of the content.
Step 4: Once you approve the report, your attorney may review it.
If you or your attorney have any changes or edits, we can make them even after the final report is completed.
Step 5: Lastly, we will send the completed report to you and your attorney.
Pricing
Standard Evaluation (15 business days): $1,200
Expedited Evaluation (10 business days): $1,700
Urgent Expedited Evaluation (5 business days): $2,000
Evaluation changes after approval (1-2 weeks): $300
A sliding scale and payment plans are available. A typical payment plan is 50% at the first session, 25% at the second session, and 25% when the final report is ready. Reach out to ask about sliding scale or payment plan options. We want this service to be as accessible as possible.
Are you ready to get started?
Frequently Asked Questions
We understand this process can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of questions and answers we often hear from clients, so you can know exactly what to expect:
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See the Pricing section above for our three turnaround tiers: Standard (15 business days, $1,200), Expedited (10 business days, $1,700), and Urgent (5 business days, $2,000). Sliding scale and payment plans are available on request.
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Your attorney can use a clinical evaluation to support your case and move you forward with your immigration proceedings. It is a valuable tool when applying for an immigration waiver.
There are a number of reasons why a psychological evaluation would be helpful or sometimes even required in order to move forward with immigration proceedings.
These reports consist of a thorough document your legal counsel can use to strengthen your court case. For example, when looking at asylum cases, while only 30% of asylum seekers are approved overall, 90% of those who have a psychological evaluation as part of their asylum application are approved.
If your attorney suggested that you obtain a report of a psychological evaluation, you’ve come to the right place! -
The most active part of your evaluation will be a clinical interview. It is not meant to be a scary process. It is a real conversation with a caring clinician. We will gather information over two or more one-hour sessions.
Session One: An informal interview to assess emotional strengths and difficulties, mental functioning, and relevant family history. This tends to run slightly longer than one hour.
Session Two: Your second session occurs at least one week (usually 7-10 days) after your first. It lasts approximately 45-60 minutes and includes a second interview and completion of diagnostic scales.
All of the information gathered is used to create the report we provide to your legal counsel.
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If you are anywhere in Oklahoma or one of our other licensed states, we can meet with you virtually via a secure online platform. All you need is an internet connection and an email address.
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We take credit cards, payment apps, and cash. We typically break payment into two separate payments. One payment is due the day of your first appointment, and the second is due upon completion of the first draft of your report.
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In most cases, no. However, there may be instances in which obtaining a copy of your medical or legal records would be helpful. We can discuss this at the time of the evaluation.
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After the interview, we write a comprehensive forensic report (typically 20+ pages) detailing your personal, family, educational, and medical history, along with any relevant mental health diagnoses and clinical findings. Every report includes a summary section that directly addresses the legal question specific to your case, written in language appropriate for immigration authorities and useful to your attorney. When relevant, we also request, review, and incorporate supporting medical or legal records.
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Once all interviews and required documentation are complete, your report is delivered in 15 business days for Standard, 10 for Expedited, or 5 for Urgent. We are available to answer questions before, during, and after completion. You will have direct input to ensure the accuracy of the content.
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Yes. We provide immigration evaluations for children and adolescents and have specialized training in the evaluation of unaccompanied minors.
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No, we only work with clients who are out of detention.