Practice

Frequently Asked Questions

* How much time have you actually spent with teenagers and college students? *

My experience working with teenagers and college students spans a twenty eight year period from the time when I first began seeing clients at the Vanderbilt University Counseling Center. After I completed my Ph.D. at Vanderbilt (1982), I worked as a staff psychologist in Youth and Family services at Northwest Center and then became the director of the Adolescent Day Treatment Program. I have also treated teenagers in several types of hospitals and other outpatient settings.

I have gotten to know hundreds of teenagers and college students since I opened my private practice more than two decades ago in 1985. I have seen clients enrolled in Fairfax County high schools, private schools, boarding schools, two-year and four-year colleges, vocational/career colleges, military colleges, Northern Virginia Community College, and Thomas Jefferson (TJ). I have also worked with clients who are enrolled in distance learning programs, home school education, and GAP year experiences. Clients who attend colleges that are not local see me during vacation or summer breaks, and also schedule consultations by telephone.

Young adults who have graduated from college and who are looking for guidance in making job and career decisions also benefit from my guidance. The core strengths assessment used in the college application process is helpful to them in interview practice and in identifying work environments that best enable them to build on core strengths.

I work with students with differing strengths and abilities. While many of my clients are good or excellent students, I also enjoy helping students who have veered off track, and who are uncertain of the best path to pursue. Having lived in Fairfax County for 25 years, and having raised three children, I know what it is like for you and your family to deal with the stress of living in this highly competitive area.


* What are the advantages of working with a Ph.D. clinical psychologist in the admissions process? *

As a clinical psychologist with a doctoral degree (Ph.D.), I completed a dissertation and extensive clinical training. I spent four years in graduate education training at Vanderbilt University after graduation from Duke University, completed a year long internship at Vanderbilt University and the Veterans Administration Medical Centers, and one year of residency. I am trained in assessment, diagnosis, treatment, behavior change, statistics and research methods. This scientific orientation is critical in analyzing admissions trends, and honing in on the schools you will research and the campuses you will tour. A clinical psychologist is trained to be an astute observer, an important skill when evaluating qualitative factors such as student life on campus, and the general environment. Conditions in a college setting may enable or disable your core strengths, and it is important to identify these conditions. While some settings preclude development, others offer opportunities for rich and ample development.

Clinical psychologists are trained to work in a collaborative way and to provide a supportive environment where you can talk freely. I know how to help clients to develop healthy patterns of behaviors and I recognize the importance of a setting or environment. College is an important stepping stone, an opportunity for growth and many gratifying experiences. The "positive psychology" model, when applied to the admissions process, is focused on identifying the college setting that will result in your emotional, cognitive and physical well being. Rewards from friendships, relationships, social networks, work satisfaction, academic competence, physical and emotional well being, leisure activities and recreation are all important elements in the college experience.

You are unique and have special talents, abilities and character strengths. I am eager to help you to find fulfillment in life. Your college choice is an important step in turning your core strengths into a calling.