Who I am
I am a neuropsychologist with many years experience working with people of all ages to help them overcome problems with learning, attention, memory, mood, motivation, relationships and behavior. I have a very whole-person, positive approach, geared toward identifying strengths and preferences and addressing individual differences. My ThinkPrint model is a framework to help understand how our brains work, and how each of our brains works a bit differently.
I am an expert in the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, and the cognitive consequences of neurologic illness and brain injury and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. My goal though, is to go beyond the diagnosis to a deeper understanding of the individual, to help them be as happy and productive as possible. The diagnosis is just the beginning. The brain has enormous capacity for healing and learning. In order to move beyond our challenges – processes that are working less efficiently, we need to identify our gifts – processes that work most efficiently.
What I Do
The neuropsychological assessment includes an interview and history, review of educational and/or medical records, and the administration of neuropsychological tests. These are pictures, puzzles, and questions, presented on the computer or with paper and pencil, that are carefully designed to measure the different kinds of information processing (higher-level brain processes), and can so us which processes work more or less efficiently and consistently for that person. Services include:
Services
- Neuropsychological Assessment for Children and Adults
- Educational Consultation and Mediation (IEEs) for parents, school districts and private schools
- Executive Skills Development and Cognitive Remediation
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Parenting and Family Guidance and Support
- Memory Loss Assessment for Older Adults
Training and Experience
I am a New York State licensed psychologist specializing in clinical neuropsychology. I earned my Doctoral degree at New York University in Cognitive Neuroscience (Experimental Psychology), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at Cornell University College of Medicine Department of Neurology. I have also studied philosophy and theology at NYU and Yale and continue to study and apply the principles of Buddhist psychology and mindfulness in my life and work.
I have been a member of the clinical research faculty at Cornell and at Columbia University, and the medical staffs of Phelps Memorial, Four Winds, Stony Lodge, and Northern Westchester Hospitals. I am a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Neuropsychological Society, the International Dyslexia Association, and the International Society for Autism Research.
I have worked with scores of public school districts and private schools to help in developing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Accommodation (504) Plans, and providing Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs). I have presented lectures and workshops for parents, educators, and medical professionals. I have testified as an expert witness at impartial hearings and in court, and provided independent medical examination and reviews.
In addition, I have presented and published my scientific research, and served as a mentor and clinical and research supervisor to students studying cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology (e.g. Working Memory in Children with Lyme Disease versus ADHD, International Neuropsychological Society, 2013, Pitocin and Autism Spectrum Disorder, International Society for Autism Research, 2010.) My early research focused on memory in normal aging and in Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., Rissenberg & Glanzer 1986; Rissenberg & Glanzer 1987).