U-Visa Psychological Evaluations in Oklahoma
The harm did not stop when the crime did.
We document what you are still carrying.
Ala Therapy Collective provides psychological evaluations for victims of crime petitioning for U nonimmigrant status (the U-Visa), filed on Form I-918. We work with petitioners and immigration attorneys across Oklahoma through secure telehealth, and we also serve clients in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah.
A U-Visa petition asks USCIS to recognize that you were the victim of a qualifying crime, that you cooperated with law enforcement, and that the crime caused you substantial harm. A strong evaluation documents that harm in clinical terms, so it counts as evidence rather than just your account of it.
Who the U-Visa Protects
The U-Visa is for people who were victims of certain qualifying crimes, who have information about what happened, and who have been, are, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting it.
Qualifying crimes are a specific list set by law. They include crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, felonious assault, kidnapping, trafficking, and others, along with closely similar offenses and attempts to commit them. To qualify, you generally need to show that you were the victim of one of these crimes, that you suffered substantial physical or mental abuse, that you have information about the crime, and that you assisted or are willing to assist law enforcement.
One requirement is specific to the U-Visa: a law enforcement certification, Form I-918 Supplement B, signed by an agency confirming your cooperation. USCIS gives it significant weight. It is required, and it is also not the only thing that decides your case.
What the Evaluation Documents
The U-Visa rests on substantial abuse, and that is exactly what a psychological evaluation is built to show. We document the mental and emotional harm the crime caused and how it continues to affect you.
The evaluation covers your history as a victim, your current mental health, and symptoms such as PTSD, complex trauma, depression, anxiety, and dissociation. It also speaks to the things adjudicators may not understand on their own, including why cooperating with law enforcement can be retraumatizing, and why a closed case does not mean a healed person.
Who Conducts Your Evaluation
Shylah Ridgway, LCSW, LICSW is our primary immigration evaluator, with forensic evaluation experience across six states. She is licensed in Oklahoma, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah, and produces evaluations built to meet what attorneys and adjudicators actually need.
Demetria Bonds, LMSW also conducts immigration evaluations under clinical supervision. She is licensed in Oklahoma and brings focused training in trauma-informed assessment.
Confidentiality and Safety
A U-Visa case often means revisiting a crime while the person who committed it may still be out there. We work in a way that keeps you in control of who knows what.
The evaluation is prepared for your petition and goes to you and your attorney, and we follow your lead on contact with law enforcement rather than reaching out on our own. All appointments are conducted through secure HIPAA-compliant telehealth.
We can accommodate flexible scheduling for clients with safety concerns, and interpretation services are available for an additional fee.
Turnaround Times
Standard: 15 business days from the completed appointment to the delivered report.
Expedited: 10 business days for an additional fee.
Urgent: 5 business days for an additional fee, subject to availability.
We do not offer same-day or next-day evaluations. These reports require time to do well, and rushed work invites the exact scrutiny it is supposed to prevent.
How to Get Started
Reach out through our contact form or email immigration@alatherapycollective.com.
We typically respond within 48 hours, usually much faster, to talk through your case, your timeline, and what to expect.
Once we are engaged, we schedule the clinical appointment, complete the evaluation, and deliver your report on the agreed timeline.
Get StartedFor Immigration Attorneys
We work directly with immigration attorneys on U-Visa petitions and offer engagement letters, fee schedules, and case-specific collaboration. We can adjust the depth of the assessment, report scope, and timing to fit your filing, whether you are documenting substantial abuse for the initial petition or responding to a request for evidence.
Attorney referrals welcome. For attorney inquiries, email immigration@alatherapycollective.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
My case never went to trial, or the person was never arrested. Can I still get a U-Visa?
Possibly. A conviction or arrest is not required. What matters is that you were the victim of a qualifying crime, that you have information about it, and that you were helpful, are being helpful, or are willing to be helpful to law enforcement. The evaluation documents the harm you suffered regardless of how the criminal case itself turned out.
What is the I-918 Supplement B, and can you sign it?
Form I-918 Supplement B is a certification signed by a law enforcement agency confirming that you were helpful in the investigation or prosecution. Only a qualifying agency can sign it, not a clinician. What we provide is the psychological evaluation that documents the substantial mental abuse you experienced, which is a separate and essential piece of the petition.
What counts as "substantial physical or mental abuse"?
It is the level of harm the crime caused you, and mental abuse counts fully, not just physical injury. Anxiety, depression, PTSD, and the lasting disruption to your daily life all speak to substantial abuse. Documenting that harm clinically, and tying it to the specific crime, is the core of what a U-Visa evaluation does.
Do you contact the police or share my evaluation with them?
No. The evaluation is prepared for your petition and released only to you and the people you authorize, typically your attorney. We follow your lead on any contact with law enforcement rather than reaching out on our own, and all appointments are conducted through secure HIPAA-compliant telehealth.
Will reliving the crime during the evaluation make things worse?
We conduct these evaluations in a trauma-informed way, at a pace you can handle, precisely because revisiting a crime can be retraumatizing. The goal is to document what happened and how it affected you without adding harm in the process. You stay in control of what you share and when.
Related Immigration Evaluations
The U-Visa is one of several immigration evaluations we provide. See our full immigration psychological evaluations overview, or read about VAWA psychological evaluations, T-Visa psychological evaluations, asylum psychological evaluations, and hardship and cancellation psychological evaluations. Attorneys can also visit our attorney referrals page.