Child and Family Psychologists

Dr. Colleen Hamilton is a clinical and child psychologist, with her training focused on work with children, adolescents, and families. She specializes in children, and has a wide variety of experience working with children and their families. Dr. Hamilton’s fun and creative spirit as a child therapist makes her uniquely skilled at engaging children in the process! She is well versed in a variety of approaches that engage children to include play therapy, sand tray therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and body movement therapy.

Ms. Blakely Mulder’s goal is to help children develop the skills and understanding they need to express themselves in a healthy way and cope with life’s challenges. She uses play, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioral therapies to understand children’s perspectives and teach them new skills. Ms. Mulder develops children’s ability to identify and voice their emotions, cope with challenging situations, and communicate their needs in a productive way. Ms. Mulder also teaches children perspective-taking and social skills. As a Licensed School Psychologist, Ms. Mulder has experience providing therapy to children whose mental health and/or behavior impact them both at home and at school. She is adept at collaborating with parents and teachers to provide children with consistent support across settings. She has specialized training and experience in working with children with Autism, disabilities, and trauma histories. When working with children, Ms. Mulder loves to make therapy fun by incorporating games, drawings, and hands-on activities.

Ms. Deja Buckner has worked collaboratively with children and their families in private practice and residential/inpatient treatment settings to assist in recovery from a variety of concerns. She enjoys working with behavioral problems, anxiety and depression, self-injurious behaviors, eating disorders, learning disabilities, AD/HD, and more. Ms. Buckner utilizes a variety of therapeutic techniques including play therapy, behavioral interventions, and art therapy to support children in meeting their therapeutic goals. She believes that children have unique emotional experiences, therefore require a safe space for self-expression, creative outlets, and support to learn healthy coping skills as well as behavior modification techniques. She endorses the idea that treatment is a collaborative process for children that should always include support from the family members, especially parents, in order to achieve the greatest outcomes. Therefore, Ms. Buckner places a high value on connecting with parents throughout the therapeutic process and offers parenting coaching to compliment the work being done in session with the child.

Dr. Erica Pritzker has a passion for working with children and began her career focused on helping children and families, working as a school psychologist before also becoming a clinical psychologist. Her extensive experience working with children spans private practice, the school environment, and hospital programs. Her background includes working with children with a variety of presentations, including behavior difficulties, social skills problems, depression, anxiety, trauma, and the spectrum of childhood issues. In addition, she has worked with special needs (i.e., autism spectrum and emotional-behavioral disturbance), AD/HD and learning disabilities, and at-risk children. Dr. Pritzker understands children have a different way of expressing themselves and utilizes play therapy and other creative approaches to help children feel comfortable and to allow for their own style of communicating. Children need structure and she encourages having a routine at the beginning of her sessions so children know what to expect at each visit. Her broad smile and friendly demeanor make her a favorite among children, and help children connect with her and engage in the therapy process. She is able to make children feel comfortable with her from the start. Dr. Pritzker also communicates closely with parents throughout her work with the child so that gains made in therapy can be sustained in the home and school settings as well. In addition to therapy, Dr. Pritzker enjoys using psychological and educational assessment to help children and their families better understand the child’s strengths and how to best serve their learning style.

Rae Ann Hamilton enjoys working with tweens and teens (ages 10 and older). Issues she has training and experience in with young people include: anxiety, depression, Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, learning difficulties, social problems, anger management, self- esteem, giftedness, and life transitions such as from high school to college. Mrs. Hamilton incorporates several therapeutic approaches in her work including Client-Centered, Humanistic, Cognitive-Behavioral, Insight-Oriented (Psychodynamic), Behavior Management, and Psychoeducation, depending on the individual’s presenting issues. Mrs. Hamilton considers it a privilege to assist courageous young people in their journey to improve their lives.

Children and families have been an area of interest for Ms. Dee Philbert throughout her career. She has worked with clients across an array of ages in her clinical work, addressing the variety of problems children and families experience. In individual therapy, Ms. Philbert works to build self-reliance among youth through problem solving and skill-building. Working at a pace and developmental level that best fits each unique child, she strives to help children reach their fullest potential. In family therapy Ms. Philbert coaches all family members on improved listening and understanding, effective communication skills, and joint problem-solving.

Ms. Laura O’Malley has worked with children and families in diverse settings to include private practice and schools. Regarding children and families, Ms. O’Malley takes a systems approach to treatment, recognizing the unique contributions of each member to a larger dynamic. Although families may initiate therapy to address a specific problem – such a separation or divorce, or a child’s problematic behavior – effective treatment often means identifying and addressing underlying patterns. While focusing on the child and helping the child to improve in whatever areas they are struggling, Ms. O’Malley also helps family members gain insight into their role within a family system and practice relating more effectively with one another. She treats the wide array of problems children may experience, to include depression, anxiety, trauma, AD/HD, ASD, learning challenges, and relational issues.

Dr. Lindsey Ohler has worked with children and their families across multiple settings including private practice, inpatient treatment facility, an autism treatment center, and the juvenile court system. She enjoys working across the spectrum of childhood disorders including social skills deficits, behavioral problems, anxiety of all forms, depression, and self-injurious behaviors. She values understanding th

Ms. Sophia Walder-Hoge has worked with children and their families in a variety of settings, including private practice, schools, hospitals/medical facilities, and community mental health settings. She has provided individual therapy with children and families with a variety of challenges, including interpersonal and relational difficulties, parenting, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and trauma. Ms. Walder-Hoge has extensive experience working with children and families experiencing major life transitions, behavioral/conduct issues, parenting concerns, AD/HD and developmental disorders, including autism spectrum. She has conducted group therapy for children and adolescents for social skills training, emotion regulation, and coping skills. She has a special interest in working with children and families with managing recent or ongoing medical concerns. Ms. Walder-Hoge believes that it is crucial to engage with children in a fun, creative, and easy-going manner. She brings a sense of curiosity and acceptance that helps children and families feel comfortable and facilitates addressing difficult topics. Ms. Walder-Hoge believes in the importance of a collaborative approach that includes family and parents. She strives to support growth, self-understanding, and adaptive skill-building in an open and nonjudgmental space. She is particularly attentive to communication, interpersonal concerns, and family functioning.

Ms. Venetta seeks to assist children presenting with all diagnoses, and parents presenting with any parenting and life concerns, working on the full range of behavioral, emotional, family, and wellness-related issues they may seek to change in their lives. Ms. Venetta provides parent coaching to one or both parents (or any primary caregiver) in an effort to foster goal achievement related to parenting. In this non-judgmental setting, Ms. Venetta may use psychoeducation and evidence-based strategy to navigate familial issues related to children. 

Ms. Tufts has worked with children and families to improve learning and social-emotional outcomes for over 20 years. Through a systematic, problem-solving approach, she seeks to understand the source of unique difficulties and address the system as well as improve coping skills to improve understanding of behaviors, distress tolerance for the child and family, acceptance of diagnoses/challenges, and emotional regulation to facilitate more positive outcomes for children and families. Ms. Tufts helps clients learn adaptive coping skills which can be used throughout their lives in various circumstances and settings. Clients will find new ways of understanding their own behaviors and those of others.

From the very beginning of her career, Dr. Lepage has been focusing on children and families; whereas most psychologists have an undergraduate that is, like their doctorate, in psychology, Dr. Lepage has an undergraduate in Child Development & Family Relationships.

Children and families have been an interest of Dr. Brewton‘s throughout her career and she has worked with children with a broad variety of presenting problems. Dr. Brewton‘s goal is to help children navigate and understand confusing, difficult, and/or traumatic life events. She’s dedicated to creating a safe space that supports healthy coping, identifying and expressing their needs, setting appropriate boundaries, and teaching emotional understanding and intelligence. She utilizes play and cognitive behavioral therapy to facilitate measurable change that can also be taught to families and caregivers.

Dr. Alexandra Maestre works with children and families to improve behaviors, emotional functioning, learning and social-emotional outcomes. Through a systematic, problem-solving approach, she seeks to understand the source of unique difficulties and address the system as well as improve coping skills to improve understanding of behaviors, distress tolerance for the child and family, acceptance of diagnoses/challenges, and emotional regulation to facilitate more positive outcomes for children and families. Dr. Maestre helps children learn adaptive coping skills which can be used throughout their lives in various circumstances and settings. Children will find new ways of understanding their own behaviors and those of others, and parents will learn how to support growth so changes can be sustained.

Cheryl Cohen’s experience working with children, parents and families spans 25 years. She is well versed in attachment theory parenting as well as general parenting from a positive learning opportunity and natural consequences aspect.

Dr. Messer has extensive training and experience working with school-aged children in a multitude of settings, from Head Start classes to academic medical center inpatient units and specialty outpatient clinics.

Ms. Bridges has worked with children of all ages presenting with different areas of clinical focus. She primarily uses play therapy as a mode for treatment with young children, incorporating parent and family work as well for an effective systems-focused approach. She has a particular interest in coordinating her therapeutic interventions with families and schools, in order to best serve the child in the two settings where they spend the majority of their time. For several years, Ms. Bridges has also been involved in the evaluation and treatment of sexualized youth and their families. A strong advocate for children and families, she has created and implemented treatment plans and advocated for children and families who are dealing with obstacles at home, in the school system, the court system, and the community. With children and teens of all ages, Ms. Bridges provides therapy for the broad array of childhood issues, such as depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, school anxiety and refusal, sibling rivalry, parent-child relationship rifts, oppositional behavior, conduct issues, academic struggles, learning differences, attention deficit, autism spectrum, healthy lifestyle (weight management and movement), and supportive therapy for life changes such as moving or divorce.