William T. Blessing, Ph.D.

 

Clinical & Forensic Neuropsychology

Working for patients and clients since 1998.

William Blessing, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who specializes in Clinical Neuropsychology. He obtained his doctorate in psychology from the University of Kansas. A neuropsychological evaluation consists of the following:

  • Interview: Dr. Blessing meets with the patient to obtain background information that is beneficial in assessing neurocognitive status.

  • Testing: The patient completes a variety of tasks with a technician to assess their cognitive abilities.

  • Follow up: Dr. Blessing sends a report with recommendations to the referring physician. Patients also have the opportunity to meet with Dr. Blessing for a follow-up to discuss the results in greater detail.

 
 

Contact Us

1010 Carondelet Drive, Suite 201 Kansas City, MO 64114

P: 816-590-3900
F: 816-942-8447

What is a neuropsychological evaluation?

A neuropsychological evaluation can help to find possible problems with brain functioning, lead to a diagnosis, define your brain-related strengths and weaknesses, guide treatment and make relevant recommendations to your other healthcare providers, and document possible changes in your functioning over time.

Standardized testing assesses function in attention and memory, problem-solving and other complex abilities, visuospatial functions, language functions, sensory-perceptual functions, and motor functions.

National Academy of Neuropsychology. (2001). What is a Neuropsychological Evaluation? Denver, CO.

Areas of Practice


Clinical Neuropsychology

 
 

Blessing Neuropsychological Services is a referral-based practice.

Dr. Blessing frequently assesses patients for:

  • Memory loss

  • Word finding difficulties

  • Mild cognitive impairment

  • Neurological conditions

  • Reversible conditions

  • And many more


Forensic Neuropsychology

 
 

Forensic neuropsychology involves providing neuropsychological and psychological assessment for individuals involved in litigation. Choosing the right neuropsychologist is an important decision. Dr. Blessing has provided expert witness services for both plaintiff and defense attorneys. He works with the elite law firms in the Kansas City area and has testified in cases at the county, state, and federal levels. He utilizes a thorough battery of tests comprehensively assessing brain function. Common areas of forensic neuropsychology include:

  • Personal Injury

  • Disability

  • Probate

  • Competence

Dr. Blessing can help identify which areas of the brain are affected and the psychological and neuropsychological impact of the injury.


Meet Dr. Blessing

Dr. Blessing has performed over 100 Wada tests.

 

William T. Blessing, Ph.D.

 

Dr. Blessing became a psychologist out of a desire to help people. He has worked with many vulnerable individuals including the seriously mentally ill, intellectually disabled, and children in foster care. He brought his desire to help people to his private practice in neuropsychology. He has worked with numerous patient populations and receives referrals from neurologists, neurosurgeons, general practice physicians, and psychiatrists. He is one of the founding members of the St. Luke’s Comprehensive Epilepsy program and was a member of the epilepsy surgery team for 14 years. As part of planning for brain surgery to treat intractable epilepsy, he did over 100 intracarotid sodium amobarbital (Wada) tests. This is a procedure conducted in an interventional radiology suite and involves language and memory testing while the patient has one cerebral hemisphere at a time put to sleep. This allowed Dr. Blessing to advise the neurosurgeons and epileptologists about the cognitive risks each patient would face if temporolobectomy surgery were performed. The outpatient neuropsychological testing he now performs is entirely different. Outpatient testing involves an interview with Dr. Blessing so he can get to know the patient and explain how neuropsychological testing can help. Then the testing is conducted and takes a few hours. The results of neuropsychological testing helps clarify what is causing the patient to have problems with memory and other aspects of brain function. Providing facts to people about what cognitive difficulties they face helps them better understand the problems and what they can do to compensate for their difficulties. 



Hospital Affiliations

St. Joseph Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri

St. Luke’s Health System, Kansas City, Missouri

Meet the Team

  • Natalie Samuelson

    Practice Manager

    Natalie graduated from the University of Kansas in May 2021 with a degree in Human Biology. She has been with Blessing Neuropsychological Services since July 2021. When not administering neuropsychological exams, she enjoys playing kickball and spending time with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Benny.

  • Lindsey Hohn

    Senior Clinical Technician

    Lindsey graduated from the University of Kansas in May 2022 with a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Psychology. She began working at Blessing Neuropsychological Services part-time in March 2022 and has since transitioned to full-time. She enjoys spending time with her new puppy, Sky.

  • Sheldon Perez

    Clinical Technician

    Sheldon graduated from the University of Kansas in 2023 with a degree in Human Biology. He began working at Blessing Neuropsychological Services in July 2023. He enjoys playing with his dog, Penelope, and playing board games in his free time.

  • Marcus Stevenson

    Clinical Technician

    Marcus graduated from the University of Kansas in May 2024 with a degree in Chemistry. He began working full-time at Blessing Neuropsychological Services in June 2024. In his free time, he enjoys drumming for Chiefs Rumble, watching TV shows, and playing pool.

Alumni

  • Shane Hursh, MD - University of Kansas Medical School Graduate

    He is currently pursuing his residency in neurology at the University of Iowa.

    If I were to pick two big highlights of the experience to expound upon:

    1. The job gave me a much more realistic handle on the ever-expanding logistical considerations of the healthcare industry. The involvement I had in matters both clinical and of business maintenance helped me to better comprehend and speak professionally on the dynamic policies and protocols of the health insurance industry. It provided a firsthand experience of the procedural interplay between insurance and provider that is seldom taught in the classroom.

    2. The opportunity for patient interaction was arguably unparalleled. The administration of neuropsychological exams necessitates an intensity and duration that not only sharpened my technical skill at the exams but further gave me a chance to hone my patient rapport beyond what could be accomplished through a shadowing experience or routine clinic visit.

  • Jack Swann - The University of Chicago

    My first day here, I was thrown into the deep end, out of necessity. Faced with the rather novel experience of having to learn everything about my job and its workings empirically, I’d say that I gained much more from my time here than I would have otherwise. While my primary interest has generally been the administration of tests, I cannot deny that having learned billing and scheduling will be an invaluable tool in my arsenal when I seek to start a practice of my own. Additionally, as new employees have joined on, I have gained valuable experience in instructing others on the workings of the practice as well as overseeing their transformation from new hires to veterans of the practice. In short, I have found my time at this clinic to be invaluable in supporting my goals for the future and in developing my professional skillset.

  • Sarah Frederick - University of Kansas Medical School

    I graduated from KU in 2021 with degrees in Human Biology and Spanish and obtained a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science at Kansas City University. Working at Blessing Neuropsychological Services was a fantastic experience in which I learned a lot and spent meaningful time with patients. I learned about the complexities of insurance and running a successful practice, as well as the complexities of different conditions that neuropsychological testing has the capability to diagnose. I had the privilege of spending several hours with each patient I tested, giving me the opportunity to learn about them as individuals. I am excited to utilize the skills I have gained at BNS in my future career and am thankful for the time I spent working here.

  • Sam Kalmus - Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences

    I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in 2021 and I am currently a graduate student at Kansas City University pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. When applying to graduate programs, schools were emphasizing the need for clinical experience. Blessing Neuropsychological Services not only provided me with the clinical experience I needed for my applications, but also gave me valuable insights into the logistics of conducting a clinical practice. During my time working for Dr. Blessing, I gained experience scoring and assessing neuropsychological tests, learned the intricacies of billing through insurance, and got the opportunity to observe the clinical experience of clients from start to finish. My time spent scoring neuropsychological tests and transcribing Dr. Blessing’s client reports provided me with insight that placed me ahead of the curve compared to the rest of my graduate school cohort. Additionally, Dr. Blessing was generous in giving advice from a professional perspective and he provided me with a glowing letter of recommendation for my school applications. In sum, my time spent at Blessing Neuropsychological Services was invaluable to setting up my future as an academic as well as a future clinician.

  • Jacob Welsh - Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

    I graduated from KU in 2021 with a degree in Finance and currently attend Kansas City University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. My biggest takeaway from working at this position was the freedom and support of Dr. Blessing to pursue one’s interests and learn a diverse amount of information in a medical setting. Each team member has a hand in all aspects of the medical practice which allows for knowledge of the intricacies of billing insurances to being attentive to patients that are undergoing testing. This is a position that gives employees the opportunity to get out what they put into it and can accommodate those from various backgrounds due to the number of opportunities and responsibilities it provides. I will be able to take my knowledge of billing insurances, handling cases with litigation surrounding them, exposure with patients, and handling financials into my career in medicine which I believe will make me a more rounded and informed physician. It is, overall, a great opportunity and culture to begin to understand one’s interest in medicine.

Employment

We frequently hire recent college graduates that intend to go on to medical or graduate school. Employees are trained to score and administer neuropsychological tests to medical patients. This is an opportunity to have direct patient contact with neurological, general medical, neurosurgical, and mental health populations. Patient populations include stroke, dementia, TBI, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, deep brain stimulation, epilepsy, and organ transplant candidates. This position gives employees the opportunity to be involved with, and learn about the diagnostic processes involved in treating patients with a multitude of dysfunctions. Additional work responsibilities involved in running a successful private practice include reviewing medical records, scheduling appointments, checking insurance benefits, and billing insurance companies. This is a unique experience for individuals interested in gaining clinical experience and having their own practice in the future or working in a hospital system. Please feel free to contact us about employment opportunities.

Get in touch.

P: 816-590-3900
F: 816-942-8447

1010 Carondelet Drive
Suite 201 Kansas City, MO 64114