New Psychological Assessment Clinic Opens in Texarkana
Mental Health Services of Texarkana opened on September 1st and is currently accepting new patients. Dr. Mari Overlock, clinical psychologist, provides comprehensive psychological evaluations and assessments for children (ages 5+), adolescents, and adults. They are located at 4100 Summerhill Road.
The practice is designed to identify the factors affecting an individual’s learning, attention, memory, behavior, emotional well-being, and everyday functioning, then offer personalized recommendations for the next steps. Dr. Overlock says she is committed to working with Local families and organizations in providing reliable and professional psychological services.
From Europe to Texas
Dr. Overlock brings more than a decade of experience in mental health. Originally from Budapest, Hungary, she moved to Texarkana in 2001 and began her long educational journey at Texarkana College. She quickly earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Texas A&M University Texarkana. After earning her PhD, she began working at the Telford Unit in New Boston, employed by the University of Texas Medical Branch.
She started as a mental health clinician at Telford before being promoted to mental health manager for three prisons in Longview. Soon after, she was promoted again, which took her to Waco, Texas, where she became the director of a mental health program for maximum-security inmates and served as a senior psychologist at UTMB.
Having been far from her family, she decided to come home early this year. Recognizing how underserved Texarkana is in mental health services, particularly diagnostic services. Together, she and her son—who holds a degree in finance—began planning and organizing for the opening of the new practice.
What the clinic offers
Evaluations cover learning disabilities, ADHD, and executive-functioning concerns; anxiety, depression, trauma, and mood concerns; memory or cognitive changes; behavioral or emotional difficulties; and the need for educational or workplace accommodations.
The practice also serves the community in a variety of ways, including fitness-for-duty evaluations for police and correctional officers as well as disability assessments through the Social Security Administration. Dr. Overlock takes referrals from school districts, primary care physicians, pediatricians, and other mental health professionals who do not
offer assessments, and she welcomes self-referrals seeking a documented diagnosis.
Nursing homes are especially close to her heart. She completed her postdoctoral internship by visiting all the nursing homes in Texarkana, assessing elderly residents for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and providing therapy for them.
How an evaluation works
The process begins with an intake interview, where Dr. Overlock gets to know the patient and discusses what’s going on. Based on a patient’s symptoms, she assigns a range of standardized testing materials used nationwide-including IQ, achievement, and personality tests. Patients return for a couple of sessions to complete the testing before Dr. Overlock compiles a written report that includes the assessment, a diagnosis, and recommendations.
Those recommendations may include medication, starting therapy, or for students-referrals for special classes or treatments, working alongside schools and teachers.
When to seek help
Dr. Overlock says life brings issues that are often short-term, but help matters when symptoms begin affecting daily functioning.
“Sometimes I have a bad day, I’m not going to run to the doctor,” she said. “But if I constantly have issues maintaining my show-up in school, show-up in work, affecting my sleeping, my appetite—that’s my daily functioning. If anything affects my daily functioning, that’s the time to reach out for help.”
She pointed to the growing acceptance of mental health as one of the most welcome changes in recent years.
“When someone is physically ill, they go to the doctor, they do some tests, and then they get treatment,” she said. “We have to take the same approach when we have issues with our emotions, our behavior, and our thinking patterns. We still need to diagnose that and get treatment.’
The practice accepts most major insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and self-pay.
Mental Health Services of Texarkana is located at 4100 Summerhill Road in Texarkana. Appointments are available by calling (903) 794-0011, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information is available at mentalhealthtxk.com.
