My approach in working with children and adolescents involves formulating an integrated view of the young person’s inborn traits, early life experiences, and environmental context, as a way to inform about their current developmental profile, including attitudes, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, behavior, and overall adjustment to everyday demands. I believe that in many cases, when working with children, beneficial change can be brought about when certain aspects of the child’s environment can be modified. As such, depending on the child’s developmental stage, in addition to individual child therapy, my work frequently includes direct consultation with key family members, most often parents. There are certain situations where collaborating with the school could be essential, as well.

Prior to joining Oakwood Counseling, I was in private practice in Houston, where my work focused on the evaluation and treatment of concerns related to anxiety, depression, Autism, ADHD, and disruptive behavior disorders in children and adolescents, including forensic assessments. As a school psychologist, I practiced for over five years within a large school district, where I provided a wide array of services to elementary, middle and high school aged students. My school-based services included the assessment and treatment of emotional and behavioral disorders as well as challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I provided individual counseling to students identified as having significant emotional and behavioral challenges, consulted with teachers and parents regarding a wide range of concerns, and provided campus-wide trainings to teachers and administrators on strategies for working with children with special emotional and behavioral needs. In addition to my clinical practice, I was an Adjunct Professor at The University of Houston, where I taught graduate level courses in Counseling Children.

Specialties:
Anxiety, Depression, Autism, ADHD, behavior concerns, stress management, adjustment concerns, acculturation issues.
Fully bilingual (Spanish/English)

Client Focus:
Assessment/ evaluations for children, adolescents, diverse backgrounds

Degrees:
Ph.D in School Psychology from Texas A&M University
B.A. in Psychology from Texas A&M University

Credentials:
Licensed Psychologist, Texas, #36167