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News and Research
Science-backed Information for Better Care
ScienceWorks is a modern telepsychology practice offering evidence-based care for: Autism & ADHD, Anxiety & Depression, OCD, Trauma, Insomnia, Kids & Families, and more.
These conditions frequently co-occur, can be difficult to diagnose, and also difficult to treat - often requiring specialist knowledge and direct clinical experience to achieve the best possible outcomes.
That's why research and training are the foundation of our work.
Our goal is sharing our knowledge with our friends, clients, and partners to build a stronger, more informed mental health community.
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Perimenopause and ADHD: Why Symptoms Escalate in Midlife
Perimenopause can unmask ADHD that was compensated for since childhood. Learn how the estrogen-dopamine connection drives midlife symptom escalation, how to tell perimenopause brain fog from ADHD, and what helps.

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1712 min read


Autistic Burnout Recovery: Signs, Timelines, and Rebuilding
Autistic burnout involves chronic exhaustion, skill regression, and sensory overload that rest alone cannot fix. Learn how it differs from depression, how long recovery takes, and what strategies actually help.

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1713 min read


OCD Subtypes Explained: A Guide to the Different Forms of OCD
OCD is not just about cleanliness. Learn about the most common OCD subtypes — contamination, moral scrupulosity, relationship OCD, harm OCD, checking, symmetry, and pure O — and why one treatment works for all of them.

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1712 min read


Executive Dysfunction in Adults: Causes and Practical Strategies
Executive dysfunction is not laziness — it is a gap between intention and action. Learn what causes it (ADHD, autism, burnout, stress), practical strategies that work, and when professional support makes sense.

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1713 min read


ADHD Assessment for Adults in Tennessee: Telehealth Testing Explained
What does adult ADHD assessment look like in Tennessee? Learn what telehealth testing includes, how it compares to in-person evaluation, what to expect step by step, and questions to ask before booking.

Ryan Burns
Apr 1711 min read


High PCL-5 Score: What to Do After a PTSD Screener Flags
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are wondering what to do after a high PCL-5 score, you are probably not looking for a technical explanation alone. You are trying to decide whether the result means something serious, whether you should get help soon, and what kind of follow-up would actually be useful. A high trauma screener score can feel alarming, but it is also information you can use. When you understand what the number can and cannot tell you

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1211 min read


Should You Retake the PCL-5? Tracking PTSD Symptom Change
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are wondering should you retake the PCL-5, the best answer is usually this: retake it when you want to understand a pattern, not when you want one quick number to settle your anxiety. The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure designed to screen for PTSD symptoms and monitor change over time, but it is not a stand-alone diagnosis.[1,2] In this article, you’ll learn: why someone might want to repeat the PCL-5 when r

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


Can the PCL-5 Be Wrong? Why PTSD Screeners Need Context
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are wondering can the PCL-5 be wrong, you are asking a smart clinical question. The PCL-5 is a useful PTSD screener, but it is still a screener: a structured self-report tool, not a final diagnosis. A high score can point toward meaningful trauma-related symptoms, and a lower score can still miss part of what you are carrying. What matters most is not whether the number “counts.” It is whether the pattern fits your

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


PCL-5 vs CAPS-5: PTSD Screener vs Diagnostic Interview
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly When people search PCL-5 vs CAPS-5, they are usually not asking a technical measurement question. They are asking something more personal: “Do I need a quick PTSD screener, or do I need a full diagnostic evaluation?” That is an important distinction. The PCL-5 and CAPS-5 are both respected PTSD tools, but they do different jobs. The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure used to screen symptoms, monitor change, and someti

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


What Is a High PCL-5 Score? Ranges and What They Mean
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are asking what is a high PCL-5 score, the most direct answer is this: a total score in the 31 to 33 range or above is commonly used as a sign that PTSD symptoms may deserve closer evaluation. But a “high” score is not the same thing as a diagnosis. The PCL-5 is a structured screener, not the final word on whether you have PTSD, what is driving your symptoms, or what kind of help would fit best.[1] In this article,

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


Trauma Therapy for Autistic Adults: How Treatment Should Adapt
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are looking for trauma therapy for autistic adults, the biggest question is often not whether trauma is real or whether treatment can help. It is whether the treatment model in front of you actually fits how you process information, recover from overload, communicate distress, and stay engaged long enough for the work to do its job. Research and clinical guidance increasingly support the need for meaningful adaptat

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1212 min read


Trauma and Insomnia Treatment: Why Sleep Sticks and What Helps
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly When people look for trauma and insomnia treatment, they are often trying to solve a sleep problem that does not feel like “just insomnia.” You may mostly notice trouble falling asleep, waking up on edge, vivid nightmares, or a strong urge to stay alert at night. What is easy to miss is that sleep can become one of the main places trauma keeps showing up, even long after the original event is over.[1] Not every sleep prob

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


Trauma and OCD Treatment: How Care Is Planned
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly When trauma and OCD overlap, the hardest part is often not the distress itself. It is the confusion. You may know that something feels off, urgent, or unsafe, but not know whether you are dealing with trauma, OCD, or both. Good trauma and OCD treatment does not rely on a shortcut or a single buzzword. It starts by looking closely at what is happening now, what keeps the cycle going, and where treatment can create the clea

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1212 min read


EMDR Therapy: What It Helps With and What to Expect
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are searching for EMDR therapy, you are probably not looking for a theory lesson. You are usually trying to answer a more practical question: could this help with the memories, body reactions, or PTSD symptoms that keep pulling you out of the present? That is the right question. EMDR is one evidence-based option within broader trauma treatment, and major PTSD guidelines include it among recommended trauma-focused p

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 129 min read


Online Trauma Therapy: What It Helps With and How to Start
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are searching for online trauma therapy, the real question is usually not whether video sessions are “real therapy.” It is whether this format can help with what is happening in your body, sleep, memory, relationships, and day-to-day functioning. For many people, it can. The biggest factor is not the screen. It is whether the care is trauma-focused, structured, and matched to your symptoms.[1][2] In this article, y

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


Complex PTSD Therapist: Signs You Need Specialized Care
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are searching for a complex PTSD therapist, you may be trying to make sense of patterns that do not feel explained by a single stressful event. Maybe you stay on guard all the time, go numb when life gets close, or feel stuck in shame, distrust, or relationship cycles that never seem to fully settle. This article is not a diagnosis. It is a guide to fit: what this search term often means, when specialized trauma ca

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 129 min read


PTSD Treatment: Therapy Options and How to Choose
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly When you search for PTSD treatment, you are usually not looking for a textbook definition. You are trying to figure out what might actually help you feel safer, less reactive, and more present in your own life. That is a practical decision, and it deserves a practical answer. Major guidelines support trauma-focused psychotherapies, but they also make clear that treatment should be matched to the person in front of you, no

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 1211 min read


How to Find a Trauma Therapist for PTSD or Complex Trauma
Last reviewed: 04/12/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are looking for a trauma therapist, you may already know the hardest part is not admitting that something feels off. It is figuring out what kind of help actually fits. Some people are dealing with classic PTSD symptoms. Others are bracing before medical appointments, shutting down in relationships, or feeling like their body still reacts as if danger is current. The best next step is usually not guessing harder. I

Ryan Burns
Apr 1210 min read


Telehealth Therapy in Tennessee: Matched to Your Needs
Last reviewed: 04/09/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you are looking for telehealth therapy options in Tennessee, you may already know you want help but still feel unsure about what kind of help actually fits. That is often the real decision point. Video sessions are only the format. What matters more is whether the care is matched to the problem that is actually keeping you stuck, whether that is OCD, trauma, insomnia, or a more layered picture with overlap.[1][8] The g

Kiesa Kelly
Apr 99 min read


Measurement-Based Care in Therapy: What It Looks Like
Last reviewed: 04/09/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you have ever left a therapy session wondering, "Is this actually helping?" measurement based care in therapy is meant to answer that question in a practical, human way. Instead of relying only on memory or a vague sense of how things are going, you and your therapist use a few simple markers to notice change, spot stuck points, and make better treatment decisions together.[1][3][4] When we use this approach in our spe

Ryan Burns
Apr 99 min read
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