Our goal is to help you get along better with yourself and
with others than you ever thought possible. We specialize in the following arenas: ADHD, Autism, Aspergers, Learning Differences Relationship Enhancement Multi-Household Families and Post-Divorce School Consultation Emotional Intelligence Trauma Resolution Life Decisions Clinical Supervision Latino and Hispano-American Family Issues Psychological Evaluations |
ADHD, Autism, Aspergers, Learning DifferencesNot all students learn at the same pace and not all students process cognitive information in the same way. We help youngsters, their siblings, and their parents develop effective coping strategies when facing neurological challenges, emotional dys-regulation, "slippage" in social interactions, or differences in learning skills. Many have been told their child has a "sensory disorder" or is "on the spectrum" but don't know what that is nor how to handle it. People frequently come to us by way of primary care physician, pediatrician, or their local school, but most come from a friend who has faced similar challenges.
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Relationship EnhancementRelationship issues may take the form of marital challenges, family conflicts, adult sibling family decisions, or so-called "sandwich" issues-simultaneously caring for both young children and aging parents. We help develop interpersonal family goals that are easy to implement, mutually satisfying, and sustainable. We want your relationships to be able to handle the multiple stressors that life will throw at them-to survive and thrive! That means understanding styles of communication, learning interactional strategies, developing the habit of truly listening, and practicing genuine caring.
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Multi-Household Families and Post-DivorceEffective co-parenting can be a challenge when children are living in different households. This may involve helping children transition between households, helping caretakers collaboratively co-parent, addressing step-child and step-family issues, or in extreme cases may involve formal requests for "reunification" therapy or complaints of "parental alienation." Most of the people with whom we work have already tried other resources, with varying degrees of success.
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School ConsultationSchool can be challenging-whether attending public or private school, whether involved in pre-K, elementary or secondary school. Our vision is to maximize school involvement, increase academic performance, and enhance emotional-social satisfaction. We offer services to teachers, administrators, and parents, as well as direct services to students. After years of directing psychological services in local schools, running workshops, and providing training to school staff around the state, we have learned what constraints schools are dealing with, what pressures parents are facing, and what tools students need.
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Emotional IntelligenceIntelligence is multi-faceted; it is not restricted to SAT scores and is certainly not limited to standardized intelligence tests. Indeed, there are many ways to be intelligent. One of the most significant is emotional intelligence: the ability to understand and manage feelings; to set goals; to work constructively with others; to resolve conflict; to display empathy; and to utilize "psychological flow." Social/emotional intelligence has a lot to do with success in life, satisfaction in relationships, peak performance in school and work, and happiness personal life. EQ coaching has become my love. I have found it to be the best "wrapper" for addressing all kinds of psychological problems. For our work implementing EQ Coaching programs throughout Deer Park ISD under Mary Lue Summerlin, Ed.D, we were selected as Top School Psychological Services Program by the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP) and I was awarded Psychologist of the Year for "outstanding service to the profession of school psychology" by TASP.
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Trauma ResolutionTrauma (PTSD) usually involves some form of triggering "flashback," extreme avoidance, hyperarousal and negatvie self-cognitions. Post trauma survivors invariably place undue pressure on themselves. Our treatment involves discovering resources for dealing with past trauma and current stressors and developing new replacement responses for old emotional triggers.
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Clinical SupervisionClinical supervision is an integral part of the professional licensure process. I provide ongoing supervision for family therapist, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals. I also provide training, workshops, and presentations for family mental health professionals, school personnel, and parents.
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Life DecisionsLife is full of choices. Sometimes those choices seamlessly unfold, other times they seem like an unresolveable dilemma. The choices we make contribute to the meaning we give life. I provide consultation regarding major life decisions including: jobs, relationships, personal commitments, personal passion, meaning in life, and spiritual envigoration.
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Psychological EvaluationsIf you are looking for a psychological evaluation, neuropsychological examination, or psychoeducational testing, we are happy to help you locate the best fit for your needs. Although we no longer do comprehensive testing in-house, we do conduct brief screenings. For your formal testing needs, we can readily refer you to exceptional colleagues, many of whom have trained with us over the years.
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Latino and Hispano-American Family IssuesI reserve a special portion of my clinical practice for Spanish-dominant Latinos and Hispanic families who are unable to find services by Spanish-speaking, doctoral-level professionals. Serving this underserved population is my true love. Most have meager resources but a boundless desire for change. For this select population I accept Medicaid, CHIPs, and Medicare, and for selective cases provide pro-bono services, when partnering with local nonprofit organizations.
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