What We Can Help With - Strong Foundations Psychological Associates, Inc.

Life’s challenges can feel overwhelming, whether you’re a parent concerned about your child’s behavior, an adult navigating personal struggles, or someone seeking clarity through evaluation and diagnosis. At Strong Foundations, we provide compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to your unique needs. Our team offers therapy, neuropsychological assessments, and psychiatric support for various concerns, helping individuals and families build resilience, develop coping strategies, and move forward confidently. No matter what brings you here, you are not alone—we are ready to support you every step of the way.

Many parents reach out to us because they are worried about some aspect of their child’s behavior. Sometimes it is struggles at school or with friends, difficulty engaging in routines at home, aggressive behavior, or big emotional outbursts. Regardless of your concern, our child specialists will work with you to understand the problem, identify what emotion regulation or social skills your child may need to learn to improve the behavior, and collaboratively develop a treatment plan. We will work with your child to teach them the necessary skills, and with you to teach you how to support progress at home and between sessions. If further assessment is needed, we can refer you for an assessment with one of our psychologists, or a medication consultation with our psychiatrist.

Comprehensive Assessments for Children and Adults
We offer a wide range of assessments designed to meet the individual needs of children and adults. These include academic, psychological, neuropsychological, and developmental assessments for ages 18 months through adulthood. Our evaluations are non-invasive and incorporate a combination of interviews, questionnaires, and behavioral measures. The testing process provides valuable insights into an individual’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, helping determine the conditions under which they thrive. Assessments are often a vital component of treatment and educational planning, ensuring that families and individuals leave with answers about possible diagnoses and a deeper understanding of how to support their child or themselves.

Understanding the Value of an Assessment
If you are wondering what an assessment can offer you or your child, consider some of the most common reasons families seek evaluation services:

Preschool Years: Parents may have concerns about their child’s social or emotional development. They may notice differences between their child and peers or receive worrisome feedback regarding delayed verbal milestones or social connectedness. Parents often seek evaluations to determine if Autism may be a factor. Early identification of developmental differences allows for early intervention, which has been shown to significantly improve long-term outcomes.
School-Aged Children: At the time of school entry, we help parents determine school readiness based on their child’s social, emotional, and academic development. As coursework becomes more challenging, some children struggle to keep up, leading parents and teachers to question whether learning difficulties are present. A comprehensive evaluation can assess for learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) and provide the necessary information to tailor the child’s educational experience. Additionally, our assessments help determine whether ADHD or mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression, may be contributing to academic struggles. We also assist parents of homeschooled children in evaluating whether their child is meeting grade-level expectations.
Giftedness: Questions about potential giftedness are another common reason families seek assessments. Understanding a child’s intellectual abilities can help guide educational decisions and ensure they are challenged appropriately.
Adolescents & Young Adults: For those with a pre-existing diagnosis (e.g., Autism, ADHD, or a learning disability), an updated evaluation may be necessary when applying for accommodations on standardized exams such as the SAT, ACT, MCAT, or LSAT, or when seeking academic supports at the college level. We also work with young adults who have long suspected they may have ADHD or Autism and are now seeking an evaluation for greater self-understanding and support.

What to Expect from the Evaluation Process
Regardless of the reason for testing, all of our evaluations culminate in a detailed feedback session with our psychologist, where results are clearly explained, and any questions are addressed. Clients receive a comprehensive report that includes individually tailored recommendations, ensuring they have a clear path forward to help themselves or their child succeed.

How to Prepare Your Child for a Neuropsychological Assessment
Introducing your child to the idea of an assessment in a supportive and reassuring way can help set them up for a positive experience. An evaluation aims to better understand how they learn, think, and process information so teachers can teach more effectively, parents can provide meaningful support, and children can advocate for themselves.

To ease any concerns, explain that the process involves engaging activities like puzzles, word games, and problem-solving tasks. There are no grades, no “pass” or “fail,” and no medical procedures. Encouraging your child to ask questions and express any worries can help them feel more in control and invested in the process. Creating a relaxed setting, such as talking over ice cream or during a casual walk, can make these conversations more natural.

Click here to learn more about approaching the conversation and ensuring a smooth experience for your child.

Who Conducts the Evaluations?
At Strong Foundations, all evaluations are conducted by fully licensed and highly experienced psychologists.

We offer a comprehensive care model to help with symptoms of ADHD. Our assessment psychologists provide in-depth evaluations for accurate diagnosis, understanding of your or your child’s unique strengths and relative weaknesses, and helpful recommendations for accommodations at work or school. Our therapy team teaches the skills you or your child need to manage the symptoms and succeed in a variety of environments. When needed, our psychiatrist prescribes medications that will help you or your child apply the strategies learned in therapy. Our goal is to provide a seamless model of care that alleviates much of the stress that can accompany this diagnosis, and set you up for success.

We offer neuropsychological or developmental assessment for the accurate diagnosis of autism, across the lifespan. We understand the value of timely diagnosis for early intervention services, as well as later in life diagnosis for self-understanding and acceptance. We have several therapists who are experienced working with children or adults on the autism spectrum. They have extensive training in the neurobiological underpinnings, as well as firsthand knowledge of the experience of being autistic or caring for a family member with autism. Our Case Management Services support parents in constructing an interdisciplinary team of care providers for their child. Our hope is that our comprehensive model of care allows individuals and families to easily access the support they need.

We are here to teach you or your child science-backed strategies to manage emotions effectively. Our providers tailor their approaches to the specific needs of each client, but generally work from cognitive-behavioral and dialectical-behavioral frameworks. This means therapy will involve understanding how thoughts, behaviors, and emotions are interrelated. If one wants to change how they feel, they can pay attention to and change how they think and act to help themselves feel their best. Our therapists will assist in identifying unhelpful thought patterns (some of them are automatic) and coach you or your child through reframing them to be more accurate, self-compassionate, and healthy. If you and your therapist decide medication could be a useful tool in managing your symptoms, our psychiatrist can help with that.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that affects many children and adults. Its main features are unwanted, intrusive thoughts or worries (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that interfere significantly with everyday life. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the behavioral therapy most effective in treating OCD. This approach creates a safe environment in which patients are gradually exposed to situations that trigger their obsessions or fears. Patients are encouraged to resist the urge to perform compulsions that typically reduce their anxiety. The goal is to help patients break the connection between the obsession and compulsion, and to teach alternative coping skills, which allows the client to no longer rely on their compulsions. We have several clinicians with advanced training in ERP, and our psychiatrist can help with medications when needed.

We offer Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help clients address symptoms related to trauma. Both of these treatments have robust empirical support; they have been shown to significantly reduce trauma symptoms.

TF-CBT uses techniques such as exposure, relaxation, and cognitive restructuring to help individuals process and manage trauma. Clients are gradually exposed to trauma-related memories in a safe and controlled environment. The therapist encourages clients to share their experiences and develop a coherent and resilient narrative of their trauma. When this treatment is used for children, parents or caregivers are involved in the treatment process to provide support and enhance therapy outcomes.

EMDR targets traumatic, stressful, and/or disturbing memories and experiences by facilitating the natural neurobiological processes of the brain. The therapist guides the client to focus on a specific traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues. As the client processes the memory, they may experience changes in thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. The therapist helps the client reduce the intensity and distress associated with the traumatic memory. The client installs a positive belief or coping mechanism to replace the negative beliefs related to the trauma. The therapist helps the client bring the session to a close and integrate the new insights gained. This process does not alter or “erase” the memory, and instead allows the client to change their emotions and cognitions associated with this memory to be more adaptive and less disruptive to daily life.

This type of therapy has been studied and found effective with all ages for various needs including PTSD, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, phobias, interpersonal problems, grief/loss, self-esteem, and chronic pain/illness. One of the most unique features of EMDR is that clients don’t need to verbally process their distressing experiences. This makes EMDR very efficient and typically less time-consuming than more traditional talk therapy for trauma. Treatment length depends on the unique needs of each client, but many report dramatic improvements in symptoms after a few sessions.

We have providers with training specific to treating eating disorders, mainly using cognitive-behavioral and family systems models. Depending on client age and situation, parents are involved significantly in the process so the client is best supported along their journey of developing a healthy relationship with food. Our staff collaborate with other providers, such as nutritionists and physicians, to create an effective and supportive treatment plan.

We are here to support you or your child navigate a variety of relationship challenges. We help clients develop more effective interpersonal skills, including: effective communication, assertiveness, perspective taking, empathy, and conflict resolution. Our hope is our clients experience healthier and more satisfying relationships. Our team is able to teach social skills in individual therapy and/or help improve relationships through couples counseling or family therapy.

We offer psychotherapy for children, teens, college students, and adults. For our youngest clients, we offer individual therapy as well as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. For children, parents are involved significantly in the process. We recognize children make the most progress in therapy when all of their caring adults are on the same page. We also want parents to feel informed, comforted, and empowered with new strategies of their own.

For college students, we have therapists who have special experience working with individuals navigating this time in their lives. They understand the pressures students may be experiencing and will be a compassionate ear while teaching science-backed strategies to manage mood, deepen relationships, and improve mental health.

For adults, we can help with a variety of concerns. Some of these include: anxiety or stress, depression, managing ADHD, relationship struggles, anger management, trauma, grief, and adjustment to changing life circumstances. No matter what your goals are, your treatment experience will be tailored to your needs and built upon your existing strengths.

For all of our clients, we use evidenced-based practices, demonstrated by research to be effective in alleviating distress. We offer cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, emotion focused, internal family systems, trauma-focused, and mindfulness techniques. Our practice is unique because we have an integrated approach to improving mental health. You and your family can access evaluations, therapy, and psychiatric services all under one roof, which makes things simpler for you and allows us to effectively coordinate care on your behalf.

Understanding the Value of an Assessment
If you are wondering what an assessment can offer you or your child, consider some of the most common reasons families seek evaluation services:

Preschool Years: Parents may have concerns about their child’s social or emotional development. They may notice differences between their child and peers or receive worrisome feedback regarding delayed verbal milestones or social connectedness. Parents often seek evaluations to determine if Autism may be a factor. Early identification of developmental differences allows for early intervention, which has been shown to significantly improve long-term outcomes.
School-Aged Children: At the time of school entry, we help parents determine school readiness based on their child’s social, emotional, and academic development. As coursework becomes more challenging, some children struggle to keep up, leading parents and teachers to question whether learning difficulties are present. A comprehensive evaluation can assess for learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) and provide the necessary information to tailor the child’s educational experience. Additionally, our assessments help determine whether ADHD or mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression, may be contributing to academic struggles. We also assist parents of homeschooled children in evaluating whether their child is meeting grade-level expectations.
Giftedness: Questions about potential giftedness are another common reason families seek assessments. Understanding a child’s intellectual abilities can help guide educational decisions and ensure they are challenged appropriately.
Adolescents & Young Adults: For those with a pre-existing diagnosis (e.g., Autism, ADHD, or a learning disability), an updated evaluation may be necessary when applying for accommodations on standardized exams such as the SAT, ACT, MCAT, or LSAT, or when seeking academic supports at the college level. We also work with young adults who have long suspected they may have ADHD or Autism and are now seeking an evaluation for greater self-understanding and support.

Click here to learn more about approaching the conversation and ensuring a smooth experience for your child.

Who Conducts the Evaluations?
At Strong Foundations, all evaluations are conducted by fully licensed and highly experienced psychologist.

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