About Me
I am a board certified neuropsychologist and have been working in the field of neuropsychology since 1998. I was formerly a school psychologist and special education teacher. I was also a director of a school for children with learning disabilities.
Following my teaching experience I worked in the public schools as a school psychologist doing English, Russian, and Spanish evaluations and consulting with school personnel and parents. As a school psychologist I evaluated children and adolescents from preschool through grade twelve with a variety of disorders as well as for the gifted program and worked with teachers to provide interventions for them.
I am originally from St. Louis, where I completed high school. I received my Bachelors Degree from Mary Washington College (University of Mary Washington) in Fredericksburg, Virginia with a major in Biology and a minor in Russian. I then earned a Masters Degree in Education from Washington University in St. Louis.
After living in Central America, where I learned Spanish, my family settled in Miami. After teaching children with learning disabilities in Miami I became certified as a school psychologist through Florida International University and obtained certification and a license in that field. I received an Educational Specialist Degree from Nova Southeastern University in Counseling Psychology. I obtained my PSY.D. from the Miami Institute of Psychology (Carlos Albizu University) in 1997 with a subspecialty in neuropsychology.
My mentor for my neuropsychology studies was Alfredo Ardila, PH.D., a student of Alexander Luria. Dr Ardila was also my chairperson for my dissertation titled An Intervention for Improving Executive Functioning and Social /Emotional Adjustment of AD/HD Children.” While a student in my doctoral program I taught classes in cognitive and personality assessment of children as well as cross cultural issues.
I completed my internship at the North Broward Neurology Institute, where I conducted neuropsychological evaluations with individuals from two to one hundred in hospital and office settings. My experience included patients with brain injuries, forensic cases, epilepsy, tumors, and strokes as well as ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, and dementia. During my residency I evaluated children with brain injuries and other neurological disorders for the Miami Dade County Schools . My experience often included consultation with hospital personnel and Brain and Spinal Cord of Florida.
After receiving my license in Psychology I continued to evaluate brain injured children for the school system and joined a neuropsychology group at Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, where I examined acute patients in the rehabilitation unit in consultation with other neuropsychologists, including Alfredo Ardilla, PH.D and other members of the medical staff.
During the last five years I have continued to be on staff with the hospital and have concentrated on building my private practice in which I provide evaluations for children and adults with a variety of neurological problems. I have also been asked to provide evaluations and testimony for forensic cases as well as for the office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Child-Net of Broward County.
Each client is special to me and my evaluations are tailored to the individual in order to answer the referral questions. I enjoy working with people from the different cultures in Miami and am able to provide evaluations in Spanish and Russian as well as in English. For the children I evaluate I try to provide guidance to the school and parents in order to solve the problems identified as well as to utilize the strengths of the patients so that they can be successful and enjoy maximum quality of life.
In addition to my work as a neuropsychologist I am a National Trainer for a research based school program developed by Myrna B. Shure, PH.D. called "I Can Problem Solve". I have often conducted trainings for grants for schools, universities, and agencies for this program. I have also published book chapters and articles with the program developer and appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show with her. While a school psychologist I headed a research team in implementing the "I Can Problem Solve" program in twelve kindergarten classrooms with twelve matched control schools. Additionally, I have trained many parents and parent trainers in the "Raising a Thinking Child" program also developed by Dr. Shure. I have found in my longitudinal case studies that these programs have resulted in long term lasting improvement in children with neurological disorders including AD/HD and Asperger’s Syndrome. I often offer family and parenting sessions using this approach to my therapy patients and their families as well as a follow up to evaluations.
My goal and greatest satisfaction in my work is to see positive lasting results, which enrich the lives of my patients and their families
