The following is a review of my educational background, training, and experience so that you can consider whether I am the right person to work with you and your family.
Educational Background
My master’s degree is in School Psychology and Special Education from CSUS and my continuing education coursework has focused on special education law, ethical use and interpretation of assessment instruments, mental health of children, child development, behavior analysis, and learning theory. I completed an intense 15-month certification program in pediatric/school neuropsychology in 1/08 that has significantly informed my philosophy regarding assessment and brain-behavior relationships. This does not mean that I am a Clinical Neuropsychologist, but I do utilize neuropsychological principles and theory in the development and interpretation of my assessments. Finally, my Ph.D. is in Learning and Mind Sciences through UC Davis, which was a program combining studies of education, psychology and neuroscience. This experience has allowed me to implement a researcher-practitioner model in the development of recommendations to schools and families. My doctoral dissertation was focused on working memory contributions to achievement in students with Autism.Experience
I have been working in this private practice as a Licensed Educational Psychologist since 2001. My prior employment history includes work as a teacher, parent trainer, social worker, behavior analyst, school psychologist, counselor, adjunct faculty at CSUS, and intake coordinator for work and independent living opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. I have been lucky enough to be a teacher to both children and adults in a variety of settings, and this helps me understand the view of an educator. As a parent, I appreciate the necessity for practical, tangible, and useful strategies and have over 20 years of experience in coaching parents on managing behavior in a realistic way. While my license allows for a range of work, I am not a clinical psychologist, and will let you know if I think your needs are outside of my scope of practice.Who are my clients?
Clients typically include parents or guardians of preschool, school aged, and college-bound students (public, private, charter, home schooled); adults seeking knowledge about themselves; school districts and other therapeutic providers (pediatricians, behavior analysts, occupational therapists) who have questions about a child that can be answered via consultation or quality assessment. I also provide Independent Educational Evaluations when there are disagreements between families and school districts. Please note that I do not complete custody/parenting evaluations as these are outside of my training and experience.
How do I get started?
I offer a free 20 minute phone consultation to determine if your needs can be met through my services. Please email me so that we can set up a phone call!