Counseling Resources & Assessments

Tools for Understanding, Reflection & Growth

Counseling assessments and screening tools can provide helpful insight into symptoms, patterns, strengths, relationships, and areas that may benefit from further exploration.

The resources below include established mental health screening tools, educational resources, and self-discovery tools that may be useful before, during, or outside of counseling.

Please remember: Screening tools do not provide a mental health diagnosis. Results are best viewed as a starting point for reflection and, when appropriate, discussion with a qualified healthcare or mental health professional.

Mental Health Screening Tools

Mental Health America — Online Mental Health Screening

Mental Health America provides free, confidential online screening tools for depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar symptoms, PTSD, eating disorders, substance use, and other mental health concerns.

Helpful for: Identifying symptoms or concerns that may benefit from further exploration or professional evaluation.

Take a Mental Health Screening →
https://screening.mhanational.org/

Depression & Anxiety

Depression Screening

Depression screening can help identify symptoms such as persistent sadness, loss of interest, changes in sleep or energy, difficulty concentrating, and other concerns.

Helpful for: Exploring whether symptoms of depression may warrant further discussion or evaluation.

Take the Mental Health America Depression Test →
https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/depression/

Anxiety Screening

Anxiety screening can help identify symptoms such as excessive worry, fear, nervousness, difficulty relaxing, and the impact anxiety may be having on everyday life.

Helpful for: Exploring anxiety symptoms and how they may be affecting daily functioning.

Take the Mental Health America Anxiety Test →
https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/anxiety/

Trauma & PTSD

National Center for PTSD — PTSD Self-Screen

The National Center for PTSD, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, provides a confidential PTSD self-screen to help individuals consider whether their feelings and behaviors may be related to PTSD.

Helpful for: Exploring whether trauma-related symptoms may warrant further discussion or evaluation.

Take the PTSD Self-Screen →
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/screen/

National Center for PTSD — Assessment Resources

The National Center for PTSD also provides information about PTSD assessment and established measures used to evaluate trauma-related symptoms.

Explore PTSD Assessment Resources →
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/

Alcohol & Substance Use

NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provides evidence-based information for people concerned about their own alcohol use or the alcohol use of someone they care about. The Navigator also explains treatment options and how to recognize quality alcohol treatment.

Helpful for: Understanding alcohol-related concerns and exploring treatment options.

Visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator →
https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov/

SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides information and resources related to mental health, substance use, treatment, and recovery.

Helpful for: Learning about treatment, recovery resources, and behavioral health services.

Visit SAMHSA →
https://www.samhsa.gov/

Relationships & Couples

The Gottman Institute

The Gottman Institute provides research-based information and tools addressing relationships, communication, friendship, intimacy, conflict, and strengthening relationships.

Helpful for: Couples and individuals interested in understanding relationship patterns and developing healthier communication skills.

Explore The Gottman Institute →
https://www.gottman.com/

Love Is Respect

Love Is Respect provides information and interactive resources about healthy relationships, dating, communication, boundaries, warning signs, and relationship abuse.

Helpful for: Teens and young adults learning to recognize healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationship behaviors.

Visit Love Is Respect →
https://www.loveisrespect.org/

Children, Teens & Parenting

Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute provides educational information about children's and adolescents' mental health, behavior, learning, development, and common parenting concerns.

Helpful for: Parents and caregivers seeking to better understand emotional, behavioral, developmental, or learning concerns.

Visit Child Mind Institute →
https://childmind.org/

HealthyChildren.org

HealthyChildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides information for parents about children's health, development, behavior, emotional wellness, and adolescence.

Helpful for: Parents and caregivers looking for reliable information about children's development, behavior, emotional well-being, and everyday health concerns.

Visit HealthyChildren.org →
https://www.healthychildren.org/

Health, Illness & Emotional Wellness

Mesothelioma Hope — Mental Health & Cancer Support

A cancer diagnosis can affect emotional well-being as well as physical health. Mesothelioma Hope provides information about the emotional impact of cancer and resources for coping with concerns such as anxiety, depression, fear, stress, and uncertainty.

Helpful for: Individuals and families seeking mental health information and emotional support resources while navigating a cancer diagnosis.

Explore Mental Health & Cancer Support →
Mesothelioma Hope Mental Health Guide

Personal Growth & Self-Discovery

Not every assessment needs to focus on symptoms or mental health conditions. Self-discovery tools can help individuals better understand themselves and provide useful starting points for personal reflection or counseling conversations.

Areas for exploration may include:

Values • Strengths • Personality • Boundaries • Communication • Relationships • Career Interests • Goals • Identity • Purpose

Additional self-discovery assessments will be added as resources are reviewed.

Faith & Spiritual Growth

Spiritual Gifts Test

Spiritual Gifts Test provides a free online assessment designed to help individuals explore their spiritual gifts and consider ways those gifts may be used in service, ministry, relationships, and everyday life.

Helpful for: Personal reflection, spiritual growth, and exploring areas of spiritual giftedness.

Take the Spiritual Gifts Test →
https://spiritualgiftstest.com/

Please note: Spiritual and faith-based assessments are intended for personal reflection and spiritual growth. They are not clinical mental health assessments.

Bringing Assessment Results to Counseling

Assessment results can provide useful information, but a score is only one piece of the overall picture.

Counseling provides an opportunity to explore results in the context of your individual experiences, history, relationships, environment, strengths, beliefs, challenges, and goals.

If you complete an assessment that you would like to discuss during counseling, you are welcome to save or print your results and bring them to your session.

Important Information About External Resources

The assessments, screening tools, websites, and other resources linked on this page are provided for educational and informational purposes only. They are not intended to diagnose a mental health condition or replace individualized evaluation, counseling, medical care, or other professional services.

Unless specifically identified as a Clay Counseling Services or Journey of Life™ resource, external websites and assessments are owned and operated by independent organizations. Clay Counseling Services does not control their content, availability, privacy practices, scoring methods, or recommendations.

The inclusion of an external resource does not imply endorsement, affiliation, or sponsorship by Clay Counseling Services.

If you are experiencing an emergency or need immediate assistance, please visit the Community & Crisis Resources page or contact the appropriate emergency service.