Immigration Evaluations in Chicago, Illinois
Immigration Mental Health Evaluations
Trauma-Informed Clinical Mental Assessments
Trauma-Informed Clinical Mental Assessments at Hearten Therapy
When your immigration case depends on documenting what you have lived through, you need someone who understands both the clinical work and the weight of what you are carrying. Katie provides immigration mental health evaluations for Asylum, VAWA, U Visa, T Visa, and Extreme Hardship Waiver Cases, Preparing Objective, thorough reports that document psychological impact for immigration proceedings.
This is careful, human work. Katie meets clients from all kinds of backgrounds with cultural sensitivity, professionalism, and the kind of presence that makes it possible to talk about hard things. If you have never sat down with a clinician before, it can help to know what to expect at your first session so the process feels a little less unfamiliar.
Who This Service Is For
If you are involved in an immigration process where documentation of psychological impact, trauma, or hardship matters to your case, an evaluation can give your legal team something concrete to work with. These reports translate lived experience into clinical language that immigration proceedings recognize and respect.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you reach out. The evaluation process is built to meet you where you are, and every case starts with a conversation about what you need.
Meet the Specialist Behind Your Evaluation
Katie Donovan is a certified immigration mental health specialist and licensed clinical social worker with experience working alongside individuals from a wide range of cultural, linguistic, and personal backgrounds. She understands that behind every immigration case is a real person carrying a real story, and she approaches each evaluation with the care that story deserves.
Her role is a specific one. Rather than serving as a therapist, Katie works as an objective, independent evaluator whose job is to listen closely and document what she finds with clinical rigor. That objectivity is part of what makes an evaluation credible, and it is something she protects throughout the process. She creates a calm, respectful space where you can talk about difficult experiences at your own pace, and she works closely with your legal team so the final report speaks directly to the questions your case needs answered.
Let’s talk about what support could look like for you.
What the Process Looks Like
Step One: Your First Session
You will meet with Katie for 60 to 90 minutes so she can understand your specific needs and complete a thorough interview about your case. This is where your story gets the time and attention it deserves.
Step Two: Follow-Up and Report Development
If additional clarification or documentation is needed, Katie will arrange a second 60-minute session. She works closely with you and your legal team to build a comprehensive, trauma-informed report tailored specifically to your situation.
Step Three: Your Completed Report
Katie submits the finished report in a HIPAA-compliant format to both you and your lawyer, ready to support your case.
Types of Cases We Support
-
When a spouse or family member who is a U.S. citizen would face extreme hardship if their loved one were deported, that person is interviewed about the emotional and practical impact a separation would create. The report documents what that hardship would mean for them.
-
For clients seeking asylum in the United States after a dangerous or traumatic past in their country of origin, the evaluation documents the psychological footprint of what they have survived.
-
This evaluation documents a person's experiences of abuse and the emotional, psychological, and functional impact of that abuse by someone living in the U.S., supporting their path toward independent citizenship. VAWA protections are available to women and men.
-
For individuals who have been victims of crime and have cooperated, or are willing to cooperate, with law enforcement, the assessment documents the emotional and psychological impact of the crime and provides a clinical report that may support a U visa application.
-
For individuals who have experienced human trafficking, including labor or sex trafficking in the United States, the evaluation documents the psychological impact of that experience.
You Do Not Have to Navigate This Alone
Immigration proceedings ask a lot of you, often at the hardest moments of your life. A clinical evaluation is one way to make sure what you have been through is seen, understood, and documented with care.
When you are ready to talk through your case, get in touch through our contact page, and we will help you understand what an evaluation could look like for you.
-
The flat fee is $1,000, which covers the assessment sessions, a comprehensive 10 to 20 page report, and coordination with your lawyer. Payment plan options are available.
-
Insurance does not cover this service at this time.
-
Reports are typically completed within 2 to 4 weeks after the initial assessment. Rush options are available for an additional fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Katie provides services in English. If you need interpretation, you are welcome to bring your own certified translator, or Katie can help connect you with a certified translator she has worked with before for an additional fee.
-
Katie is based in Chicago, Illinois, and provides immigration evaluation services virtually for clients in Illinois, Ohio, and New Mexico.
