VAWA Psychological Evaluation in Washington, DC
A VAWA psychological evaluation is a clinical assessment that documents how abuse by a US citizen or lawful permanent resident family member has affected your mental health and daily life. The written report becomes evidence for your VAWA self-petition. Charika White, LICSW, a licensed mental health professional, conducts these immigration psychological evaluations by secure telehealth for survivors in Washington, DC and Maryland.
Confidential. $1,000 flat fee. Open to survivors of every gender, whatever the name of the law says.
What is a VAWA psychological evaluation?
A VAWA psychological evaluation is a clinical assessment that documents how abuse has affected your mental health, emotional well-being, and daily functioning. It gives your immigration attorney objective clinical evidence that you qualify for protection under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
The evaluation establishes the severity and pattern of the abuse you experienced. It documents the psychological impact, from trauma symptoms to changes in how you function at work, in relationships, and in your community. And it supports your legal right to self-petition for immigration status without your abuser’s involvement or knowledge.
Despite its name, VAWA protects survivors of every gender. Whether you’re a woman, a man, or a nonbinary individual who endured domestic violence, battery, or extreme cruelty from a US citizen or lawful permanent resident family member, this evaluation documents your experience in a way immigration officials recognize.
What you survived counts as evidence. It deserves to be documented.
If this is your story, VAWA was written for you.
- ✓You experienced domestic violence, battery, or extreme cruelty from a US citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or adult child
- ✓The abuse was physical, emotional, psychological, or all three. Coercion and control count, not only bruises
- ✓You are a woman, a man, or a nonbinary survivor. Every gender is protected
- ✓You want to self-petition for legal status without your abuser knowing
You don’t need a stack of police reports to begin, and you don’t need to have left the relationship on any particular timeline. Survivors of human trafficking and extreme hardship situations may also qualify for related protections, which is a conversation for your attorney and part of what the free consultation can help sort out.
What your evaluation documents.
The final report is a comprehensive clinical document, written so immigration authorities can see clearly what happened and what it cost you.
The pattern of abuse
The severity, duration, and pattern of the violence, coercion, and control you experienced, established through a careful clinical interview.
The psychological impact
Trauma symptoms, anxiety, depression, and emotional distress, assessed and named clinically rather than left as a story alone.
The effect on your life
How the abuse changed your daily functioning: your work, your relationships, your health, and your sense of safety in your own home.
Clinical findings for your case
Diagnoses where clinically supported and findings tied to your self-petition requirements, in language your legal team can use directly.
Confidential, from first word to final report
Everything you share is protected by mental health ethics and legal requirements. The report goes only where you direct it with your written consent, and the VAWA self-petition process is designed so your abuser is never notified. The goal is a safe path toward legal status in the United States, and your safety shapes how every step happens.
$1,000 flat. One session. Report in 2 to 3 weeks.
Most VAWA evaluations are completed in a single comprehensive session of about 2 to 3 hours. Your written report follows within 2 to 3 weeks, or 7 days expedited for an additional $500. The fee covers the session, the report, and coordination with your attorney.
VAWA is one of three case types Charika evaluates. Asylum sits on the immigration evaluation page, hardship waiver evaluations have a page of their own, and every practice fee lives in the self-pay fee guide. Her essay on the mental health effects of deportation speaks to what families carry through cases like these.
Reaching out is often the hardest part.
If you’re here, something in you is ready, even if the rest of you isn’t sure yet. This form goes directly to Charika. She reads what you share and responds with care, typically within 1 to 2 business days, to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation.
That call is a conversation, not a commitment. You can ask anything about the process, confidentiality, or timing, and you decide from there.
Prefer to skip the form? Book your free call directly or call or text 301-244-8219.
Life Migration Therapy clientCharika helped me to face my fears, decrease my drinking, and taught me how to sit with the discomforts and navigate in life with the use of healthy coping tools.
A process built around your safety.
A free 15-minute consultation
You ask questions, Charika explains the process, and together you decide whether the fit feels right. Nothing about your case is filed or shared at this stage.
One comprehensive session
A clinical interview of about 2 to 3 hours over secure video, at your pace, with breaks whenever you need them. Interpreters are welcome if another language feels more natural.
Your report, in 2 to 3 weeks
Charika reviews any records you provide, scores the clinical assessments, and writes the detailed report. Expedited processing meets urgent immigration deadlines.
Into your attorney’s hands
With your written consent, the report goes to your legal representation, and Charika stays available to your legal team for support as your self-petition moves forward.
VAWA evaluation questions, answered.
What survivors and their attorneys ask most about confidentiality, cost, timing, and who the Violence Against Women Act actually protects.
How long does the VAWA evaluation process take?
Most cases require one comprehensive session lasting approximately 2 to 3 hours, conducted by secure telehealth. After the session, your detailed report is ready within 2 to 3 weeks for standard processing, or 7 days expedited when your immigration case is on a deadline.
How much does a VAWA psychological evaluation cost?
The evaluation is $1,000 flat, which includes the clinical session, the full written report, and coordination with your immigration attorney when requested. An expedited 7-day turnaround adds $500. There are no hidden fees, and the full cost is clear before you begin.
Can the evaluation be done virtually?
Yes. Every VAWA psychological evaluation at Life Migration Therapy happens over secure, confidential telehealth for people located in Washington, DC and Maryland. You can complete it from any private space where you feel safe to speak freely.
Do men and nonbinary survivors qualify under VAWA?
Yes. Despite the name, the Violence Against Women Act protects survivors of every gender. Women, men, and nonbinary individuals who have endured domestic violence, battery, or extreme cruelty from a US citizen or lawful permanent resident family member can all self-petition and can all be evaluated.
What should I bring to my evaluation?
Bring any documentation that supports your case: medical records, police reports, protection orders, or other evidence of the abuse. You’re also welcome to bring written consent for Charika to speak with your immigration attorney. And if you have none of that, come anyway. The clinical interview itself provides the foundation for your report.
Will my evaluation be confidential?
Yes. Everything discussed during your evaluation is protected by mental health ethics and legal requirements. The written report is shared only as you direct with your written consent, typically with your immigration attorney and immigration authorities. The VAWA self-petition process itself is designed so your abuser is never notified.
Can evaluations be conducted in Spanish or other languages?
Charika conducts evaluations in English and works with qualified interpreters for clients who feel more at home in Spanish or another language. An interpreter means you can express your experiences and emotions in the language that feels most natural, which matters for an accurate, culturally responsive report.
What makes this VAWA evaluation different?
Charika White is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with survivors from Black, Brown, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities. As an immigrant woman herself, she understands the intersection of abuse, power, and survival, and she brings that lens to every one of the immigration psychological evaluations she conducts, with the clinical depth and cultural sensitivity that strengthens immigration cases.
Does the evaluation guarantee my VAWA application will be approved?
No evaluation can guarantee an outcome. Those decisions rest with USCIS and immigration authorities. What a well-prepared report does is give immigration officials clear clinical evidence of what you survived and why you qualify for protection, and give your attorney the documentation to advocate effectively.
Do I need a lawyer before scheduling?
No. Many survivors are referred by immigration lawyers, but you can schedule your evaluation first. If you do have legal representation, Charika coordinates with your attorney so the report aligns with your self-petition strategy and timeline.
Your story is evidence. Document it with care.
Book a free 15-minute consultation, or call or text when you’re ready. Confidential from the first word, and you set the pace.
