—FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions families often bring.
A few practical details before reaching out.
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I provide play therapy, neurodevelopmental and autism assessment, caregiver therapy and support groups, and sibling support groups.
I also provide consultation services to professionals and agencies interested in applying a neurodiversity-affirming lens to the work they do and services they provide.
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In-person services are available in Media, Pennsylvania. Virtual services are also available. Appointments can be scheduled at mutually convenient times..
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Yes. My work is neurodiversity-affirming and grounded in understanding the child’s inner experience, not just what shows on the outside. I have particular expertise supporting families navigating trauma, autism, PDA, anxiety, and other neurodevelopmental differences.
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It means that I value all brains as valid neurotypes. It also means meeting the person in front of me with curiosity, flexibility, and respect. Care is collaborative, relationship-based and focused on building understanding, providing support for who the person is, accommodation, advocacy, and felt safety.
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Step 1: Assessment starts with an intake session that can be done in an individual session or several sessions based on caregiver's need to attend to the child and own personal needs.
Step 2: Assessment includes completion of several measures sent digitally to caregiver and young person.
Step 3: When indicated, in person testing occurs over 1-3 sessions lasting several hours each. Pacing for assessment is determined by child's nervous system regulation needs.
Step 4: Review of any collateral documentation and speaking with collateral professionals when clinically indicated.
Step 5: Completion of a written report and feedback session with caregiver and child.
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No. Many parents find caregiver therapy, consultation, and support groups to be helpful with parenting without involving their child.
Your child would need to be involved in assessment, but the process could be adjusted to your child’s needs.
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The groups are designed for caregivers to have a safe place for parents to be understood. The groups are open to step-parents, kinship parents, foster parents, and other caregivers who play a significant role in caring for the child. Blood relationship to the child is not required.
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I do not accept insurance. My services are private pay. I can provide a superbill to submit for possible out-of-network reimbursement. I also have a limited number of sliding scale spots to help with accessibility.
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My hourly rate is $175 per hour.
Neurodevelopmental and autism assessments are a flat $2500 fee.
Price for assessments for other reasons are determined prior to proceeding based on complexity of referral question.
Groups range from $15 to $40 per session.
I have a limited number of sliding scale spots to help with accessibility for child or caregiver therapy
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I have worked with a focus on children from infancy through early adulthood since 1993 and working in the field of psychology since 1997. This has included developmental research with Drexel University and Robert Wood Johnson looking at the impact of mother substance usage in utero and the impact of maltreatment and poverty on children’s development in longitudinal research. I
I was the Quality Assurance Coordinator for a survey study of Hispanic individuals across the USA with Temple University. I have also worked on NIH funded research at the Drexel Autism Center examining to examine the efficiency of certain medications for autistic children.
Educationally, I obtained my BA from Gettysburg in Psychology and Spanish. I received my Masters of Arts and Doctorate in Psychology from Widener University. I also completed several courses in a health-focused MBA program.
Clinically, I have worked in outpatient community mental health, private practice, residential, inpatient, dual-diagnosis drug and alcohol, and school settings. I have completed a range of assessments for individuals in the community mental health setting including level of care, Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Evaluation and Re-Evaluations, Psychological Evaluations, and evaluations to qualify and individual for placement in an inpatient facility. I have completed bilingual school psychological evaluations, consultations, and participation in Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings.
I was trained to complete autism evaluations at the Drexel Autism Center with Drs. Richard Malone, Susan Hyman-West, Ayesha Waheed, and Manely Ghaffari. While at Drexel, I helped to establish a clinic to assess Spanish-speaking clients across Philadelphia through an ASERT Grant. I was the inaugural psychologist at one of CBH’s Philadelphia Autism Center for Excellence where I have completed comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, supported families with advocacy, and facilitated a parenting psycho-education group and a social skills group for children.
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The first step is to reach out. We can talk about what your family is looking for, whether my approach would be a good fit, and what the next step could look like.
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Reach out via the contact link on the website with your questions. We can schedule a free 20 minute consultation to explore your questions and figure out next steps