Dr. Merrill leads the intake interview and the family feedback session for most patients.
Naples, Florida
Memory and thinking evaluations,
step by step
Plinth is a two-psychologist practice in Naples for older adults and the families who have noticed a change. One testing morning, a written report and a family meeting where we go through it together.
Evaluations
Three ways we work with you
Each one has its own page with what happens, what it is not, and how it is paid.
- 01
Memory and thinking evaluation
For an adult who, or whose family, has noticed changes in memory, word-finding, planning or following a conversation.
How an evaluation works - 02
Family feedback session
A meeting after testing where your psychologist explains the report in plain words, with the people you choose.
What the session covers - 03
Follow-up testing
A repeat of selected tasks, so today's results can be compared with an earlier evaluation.
When a repeat helps
Is it the right step?
An evaluation, or counseling?
They answer different questions. Many people need one, some need both, and your doctor can help you choose.
| Counseling or therapy | A memory and thinking evaluation | |
|---|---|---|
| The question | Counseling or therapyHow can I cope with what I am feeling or living through? | A memory and thinking evaluationHow are memory, attention, language and planning working right now? |
| What you do | Counseling or therapyTalk with a therapist, usually week by week. | A memory and thinking evaluationSpoken, paper-and-pencil and puzzle tasks, with breaks. |
| What you leave with | Counseling or therapyA working relationship and things to practice. | A memory and thinking evaluationA written report and a meeting to go through it. |
| How long | Counseling or therapyOpen-ended; your therapist sets the pace with you. | A memory and thinking evaluationAn interview, one testing morning, then the feedback session. |
Testing day
What to expect on testing day
A sample morning. Your psychologist adjusts it to you and tells you the plan before the day.
Step 1: Before the day
We talk by phone, send a short form and confirm a time. A family member who knows you well is welcome at the intake interview.
Step 2: Arrival
Check in at the front desk. Bring your glasses, hearing aids and a list of your medicines, and eat breakfast as you usually do.
Step 3: Testing
You and a psychologist work through spoken and paper tasks at a table. There are no needles and no scanner.
Step 4: Breaks
You rest when you want to. A companion can wait in the lounge, and water and coffee are there.
Step 5: Scoring and report
We score the tasks and write the report. At the end of the morning we say when to expect the feedback session.
Step 6: Family feedback session
We sit down with you and the people you choose and go through what we found, in plain words.
The space
The rooms you will sit in
A quiet office, good light and a place for family to wait.
Licenses
Who is licensed to evaluate you
The license numbers are in the footer. This is what each one means.
License
Dr. Cynthia Merrill, Licensed Psychologist
FL Lic. # 000000 · Florida Board of Psychology
Required to practice psychology in Florida
Dr. Alejandro Rosales, Licensed Psychologist
FL Lic. # 000000 · Florida Board of Psychology
Required to practice psychology in Florida
Education
Doctoral degree in psychology
Required for a psychologist's license in Florida
Where we practice
One office in North Naples, licensed in Florida
We see patients in person at the office. A family member anywhere can join the feedback session by video.
- Collier County: Naples, Marco Island, Golden Gate
- Lee County: Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers
We are licensed in Florida only. If you live in another state, your doctor can refer you to a psychologist near you.
Our psychologists
The two people you will meet
Each evaluation is done by a psychologist, start to finish, so you do not repeat your story.
Dr. Rosales runs most testing mornings and writes the reports with Dr. Merrill.
How fees work
What people usually ask before booking an evaluation.
Insurance we work with
Plinth bills Original Medicare Part B for testing that is medically necessary, and works with some preferred-provider (PPO) plans as an out-of-network practice. We do not take Medicaid. Coverage for testing depends on your plan and on why it is ordered, so we check before the intake interview rather than after.
Original Medicare, Part B
Some PPO plans, out of network
Not Medicaid
If you pay yourself
The fee is set by the step: the intake interview (60 minutes), the testing day (half a day, plus scoring and the written report), or a shorter follow-up testing visit. Each fee is written in your estimate before you start. You pay the interview fee at the visit and the rest when the testing day is booked. We hold a testing day for you, so we ask for 48 hours' notice to move it. HSA and FSA cards work.
Receipts for reimbursement
We give you an itemized receipt (a superbill) with the dates and the kind of visit, which your plan may use to reimburse part of out-of-network care. The plan decides what it pays, so ask it before you start. The receipt carries a diagnosis code that your insurer can see.
An estimate in advance
If you pay without insurance, you have the right to receive a written good faith estimate of what your care will cost before you start. We send one before the intake interview. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it. The estimate is not a contract.
Checking your benefits
Our office checks your Medicare or plan benefits before the intake interview and tells you what you can expect to owe. Call your plan as well and ask about neuropsychological testing: the answer can differ from one plan to the next.
Questions
What families ask before they call
Who is an evaluation for?
Adults who, or whose family, have noticed changes in memory, attention, language or planning. Your doctor can refer you, and you can also call us yourself.
What happens on testing day?
You spend a morning with a psychologist doing spoken and paper tasks, with breaks. Nothing is painful, and no one takes blood or puts you in a scanner.
Can a family member come?
Yes. We encourage a family member to join the intake interview and the feedback session. On testing day they can wait in the lounge.
Will the report tell us what is wrong?
The report describes how your memory and thinking are working today and what that pattern may point to. Some questions need your doctor, a scan or lab work, and the report says which.
Does insurance pay?
Medicare Part B can cover testing that is medically necessary, and some plans reimburse out-of-network care. We check before the intake interview. See How fees work for the details.
What do I do in a crisis?
Call or text 988, any time. In an emergency, call 911. This site and our messages are not monitored around the clock.
Not sure it is the right step?
Read what the first visit is like. No testing happens at the intake interview, and you can bring someone.
Write to us
Ask about an evaluation
We reply within one business day. If it is easier to talk, call the office during the hours below.
Phone(239) 555-0101
Hours
- Monday – ThursdayToday
- 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- FridayToday
- 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Saturday – SundayToday
- Closed