VAWA Psychological Evaluations in Oklahoma
The Violence Against Women Act allows certain survivors of abuse who are married to or are the child of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to self-petition for immigration status without the abuser's knowledge or involvement. A psychological evaluation supporting a VAWA petition documents the abuse, its psychological impact on the survivor, and the mental health consequences of what they have been through.
This evaluation requires care, clinical skill, and a trauma-informed approach. We do not treat survivors like a checkbox. We treat them like people.
Survivors deserve to be believed. A strong psychological evaluation helps tell that story in clinical terms that matter in an immigration case.
The evaluation includes a thorough clinical interview, trauma and abuse history, current mental health status, assessment of psychological symptoms including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and a detailed report documenting the connection between the abuse and the survivor's mental health presentation. The report is written in a format appropriate for submission with a VAWA petition and useful to the representing attorney.
For Attorneys
If you are an immigration attorney looking for a reliable evaluator for VAWA cases, we welcome referrals. We work with survivors with care and professionalism and produce reports that are thorough and appropriately formatted. Visit our attorney referral page or reach out directly.
What the Evaluation Covers
Shylah Ridgway, LCSW/LICSW, is our primary immigration evaluator. She is licensed in Oklahoma, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah and has experience producing evaluations that meet the standards attorneys and adjudicators expect. She understands both the clinical and legal context of this work and takes it seriously.
Demetria Bonds, LMSW, also works in our immigration evaluation practice and collaborates with Shylah on cases. Reach out for current availability.
Immigration evaluation work is a growing area of our practice and we are intentionally building our team's capacity in this space.
How to Get Started
Fill out our contact form and let us know you are inquiring about a VAWA evaluation. We will follow up to discuss the process, timeline, and fees.