Department of Psychological Services

A child and/or family is generally referred to our Psychology department when there are concerns regarding behavioral, developmental, social-emotional, psychological, and/or family communica-tion issues. We work with families and children of all ages with various diagnoses and problem areas, including autism spectrum disorders, learning disorders, mood disorders, behavioral disor-ders, and coping and relationship difficulties.

Who is on our Psychology Team?
Our psychology team consists of an on-site Licensed Psychologist (Ph.D. level), an external con-sulting Licensed Counselor (Master’s level), and supervised psychology assistants (Interns) and volunteers.

What do our Services Include?
The services we provide are tailored to meet the need of each individual client. A client’s first visit to our department usually consists of an Initial Consultation to best address and direct the client’s presenting concern. At the center, services include therapy sessions, parenting sessions, group therapy sessions, and assessments (psycho-educational, psychosocial, and diagnostic evalua-tions). Off-site services, such as workshops and external consultations can also be arranged in certain cases.

How do I Schedule an Appointment?
To schedule an appointment in our department, call or stop by during our office hours. Our recep-tionists will direct your call accordingly and you will be put in contact with a Schedule Coordinator or appropriate team member who will arrange an appointment time. You will receive a follow-up email with appointment confirmation details and important handout attachments. You may also receive a reminder phone call the day prior to your appointment.

What Happens at an Initial Consultation?
At an initial consultation, you will have the opportunity to present and discuss your child and/or family’s concerns with a licensed professional. Prior to starting a session, the licensed team mem-ber will carefully review with you the psychology department Consent Form so that you are well informed of our services and have the chance to ask questions. Typically, you will be asked vari-ous questions and background information relevant to your concern and then recommendations and a treatment plan will be discussed with you.

What Happens during the Assessment Process?
When your child has been scheduled for an assessment, you can expect to attend at least one day (up to 6 hours) of assessment at the center. Depending on the age and concern of your child, an assessment will include various measures that will involve the child and parents’ participation, parent and teachers’ reports, as well as examiner observations. Upon completion of the assessment and collection of all assessment ques-tionnaires, it generally takes between two to four weeks to arrange a Feedback Session appointment to re-view the final report with the parents and child (if appropriate). Comprehensive assessments involve exten-sive and individualized procedures that need to be scored and interpreted by qualified professionals, and therefore, we invest numerous hours on each client to provide high-quality reports.