Anatomy of a Great Psychological Evaluation: A Conversation About Asylum
Anatomy of a Great Psychological Evaluation: A Conversation About Asylum
Every asylum case turns on something invisible: fear. Declarations make it readable — but the document that makes it measurable is the psychological evaluation. And almost nobody outside the clinical world has seen how one actually gets built.
A live, one-hour conversation between Erika Malo, Team Leader of our Declarations Team and host of The Anatomy of Humanitarian Declarations series, and Andrea Lujan, Team Leader of our Evaluations Team — the person behind the clinical side of our work.
What we'll get into:
What a psychological evaluation actually is — and what it's not (not therapy notes, not a letter of support)
Why asylum cases lean on evaluations more than almost any other: fear, trauma, memory, and credibility
The anatomy of a strong evaluation, from referral to signed report — section by section
Strong vs. weak: how to spot a weak evaluation sitting on your own desk
The cases you don't forget — stories from practice (composites only)
And to close, THE DOCKET: a breakdown of what's been changing in U.S. immigration these past months — including USCIS's new authority to deny cases without issuing an RFE, and the rule allowing asylum referrals to immigration court without an interview — and what it all means for the files on your desk.
Designed for immigration organizations, dioceses and nonprofits, legal support teams, and humanitarian caseworkers.
About the speakers
Erika Malo is the Team Leader of the Declarations Team at Pro Psychological Analysis. She holds a degree in Communications with a specialization in Journalism. Since joining PPA in 2024, she has moved through every stage of the team's craft — writing, editing, and leading the editorial process — with well over 1,000 declarations written, edited, or reviewed.
Andrea Lujan is the Team Leader of the Evaluations Team at Pro Psychological Analysis. She is a Clinical Psychologist with a Master’s Degree in Psychological Intervention for Children and Adolescents, with additional training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Systemic Psychotherapy, Psychological First Aid, and adolescent substance use prevention. Her professional background also includes teaching and extensive participation in institutional debate, contributing to a strong foundation in analytical reasoning, structured argumentation, research, and professional writing. Since joining PPA in early 2025, she has personally contributed to the writing, editing, and clinical oversight of approximately 500 psychological evaluations.
This is an educational session on the clinical and narrative side of humanitarian cases. It is not legal training or legal advice.
Free · 60 minutes · In English
Live via Google Meet — register to receive your link. Also streamed live on our Facebook page and available afterward on our YouTube channel, @ppanalysisofficial.