Services

Assessment

I strongly believe that the assessment process works best when the psychologist works collaboratively with parents/ caretakers and allows the process to be dynamic.  It is my goal to answer the questions you have about you child in a way that helps you understand your child better while also providing the information you need to help your child.  While a diagnosis is an important component of the evaluation, it is often helpful for parents to think about specific questions they have about their child or, alternatively, the kinds of answers they feel would be helpful in working with their child (e.g., “Why can my child focus on video games for hours but can’t finish a 5-minute math worksheet without constant reminders and supervision?”, “Why does my child over-react to simple requests and instructions?”, “Why does my child struggle to keep up in class?”).

Sometimes during the course of an evaluation, new information or concerns are revealed, which may change the scope of the assessment.  I will check in with you regularly regarding the assessment process so that we can have a shared understanding of what information we have, what direction the assessment is headed (especially if there are changes to consider), what information we still need to obtain (if any), and how it relates to your referral question(s).

I offer several different types of assessment services dependent upon your current needs. I am experienced in providing educational, developmental, and psychological assessments.  Some of the concerns I can help you with include:

  • Emotional problems such as anxiety and depression
  • Disruptive behavior problems such as anger control, oppositionality, and defiance
  • Adjustment problems following a stressor (e.g., move, divorce, etc.) or traumatic event
  • Attention problems
  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Learning Disabilities with extensive expertise in dyslexia (includes updated educational testing and testing for College Board accommodations
  • Giftedness
  • Developmental delays/ Early childhood (ages 2.5 yrs.+)

*Please contact me if you have concerns regarding a child younger than 2.5 years of age so that we can discuss your concerns and determine whether I might be able to assist you.

If you are currently working with another agency or are seeking an eligibility assessment, please let me know so that we can discuss any particular requirements the agency may have.

You will receive oral feedback as well as a comprehensive written report at the end of each assessment.

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**It is very important that you support your child through the assessment process.  It will help if you tell your child something about your concerns and why you requested the assessment.  If you have questions about how to speak to your child about this, please ask me in the initial session.  When you bring your child in the first time, please introduce your child to me and be prepared to stay as long as your child needs to feel comfortable.  Also, please make sure that your child gets enough sleep the night before and has a snack if he/ she needs one.  Some children prefer not to talk with their parents about what occurs during a testing session; others needs lots of attentive listening; it is best if you follow your child’s cue about this.  If you notice any changes in your child’s behavior, please let me know as soon as possible.**

 

Therapy

I offer individual psychotherapy for children and adolescents from 8 to 18 years of age.  Typically individual therapy sessions last 45-50 minutes.  My training and experience includes solution-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interpersonal therapy.  The therapeutic style I use is an integration of these therapeutic approaches.

My therapeutic approach utilizes cognitive-behavioral techniques that focus on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors within the context of the therapeutic relationship, which often mirrors how a client typically relates to others in his or her life.  Consequently, the therapeutic process often involves examining and modifying thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, developing adaptive coping strategies, and working through relationship patterns within the therapeutic relationship.  In addition, some solution-focused therapy goals and techniques are often utilized in order to achieve initial symptom relief.   This form of therapy is future-focused, goal-directed, and focused on solutions rather than on the problems that prompted the client to seek therapy.  The goal is to help the client make the needed changes, whether incremental or large, to experience his or her desired future.

Although I integrate several different therapeutic methods, research consistently finds that the most important factor related to the success of any type of therapy is the relationship between the therapist and client.  A client of any age is much more likely to find therapy helpful when he/she trusts the therapist, feels comfortable working with the therapist, and believes that the approach to therapy is a good fit for himself/herself.

Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that many different systems (e.g., home, school, community organizations, etc.) impact a child’s life; therefore, collaboration with members of these systems (e.g., family members, teachers, etc.) may be needed in order to best help your child.  Consent will always be obtained prior to any collaborative efforts.