| Karen M. Falla, Ph.D. |
| Licensed Psychologist
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric |
Dr. Falla founded Neuropsychology Consultants with a vision of bringing together
outstanding clinicians offering state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment in the fields of
clinical psychology and neuropsychology. She is a licensed psychologist with a
specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology, focusing on the evaluation and treatment
of individuals across the developmental lifespan who are experiencing cognitive,
emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties. She provides services to individuals in the
office on an outpatient basis and also on an inpatient basis at Medical City McKinney,
including behavioral health and medical rehabilitation.
In working with children and adolescents, Dr. Falla helps to enhance understanding of
their functioning in several domains. With consideration of their strengths and
weaknesses, she works with parents to develop a plan of intervention to help the child
or adolescent fulfill their potential in multiple domains of life. Typical referral issues
include ADHD, learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, other
neurodevelopmental problems, and traumatic brain injury. She also helps with
emotional difficulties, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and
adjustment disorder.
In working with adults, she conducts evaluations for neurodevelopmental conditions
such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, emotional difficulties, and differential
diagnosis of dementia and other neurologically based problems. Typical referral issues
include Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, Vascular dementia due to major stroke or microvascular disease, Parkinson’s disease,
multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, seizure disorder, and traumatic brain injury. She works
with individuals and families to help them work toward positive emotional adaptation
to life changes associated with a family member’s decline in cognitive or physical
functioning. She treats her patients with compassion and respect as they seek to
understand the basis of problems they are experiencing, and discusses with them
practical and accessible ways of improving their quality of life.
Dr. Falla earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (APA-accredited) and her master’s
degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas. She earned her bachelor's
degree in Psychology from Arizona State University, graduating summa cum laude.
Prior to this, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Arizona State University. Afterward, she worked
for five years as a Software Engineer for Honeywell Commercial Flight Systems,
collaborating with systems engineers and hardware engineers to produce flight control (autopilot) systems for commercial aircraft.
As she transitioned her analytical skills into the field of clinical psychology, she
evaluated children receiving neuro-oncology services at Cook Children’s Medical
Center in preparing her dissertation, “The Relationship between Executive and
Psychosocial Functioning in Children Treated for a Brain Tumor.” She had a focus on neuropsychological evaluation and treatment of both children and adults during her
graduate practica with the Traumatic Brain Injury Program at the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, Baylor Our Children’s House in Dallas, and Cook Children’s
Medical Center in Fort Worth.
She furthered her specialized clinical training on internship at the APA-accredited
Oklahoma Health Consortium in Oklahoma City (including rotations at the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital, Neuropsychology Associates at the Mercy Hospital
Neuroscience Institute, and the Child Study Center at the University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center). Her postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology was
completed at the Center for Psychological Development in Sherman, Texas, where she conducted in- depth neuropsychological evaluations with both inpatient and outpatient populations. Inpatient settings included acute care, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and psychiatry.
Dr. Falla currently holds privileges at the Medical City McKinney where she sees
patients in behavioral health and medical rehabilitation. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the University of North Texas. She has given presentations on
many topics, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dementia, Depression, and
Coping with Stress at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, Raytheon, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Woman's University, Wilson Jones Medical Center, Community Specialty Hospital, and several preschools, retirement communities, and hospice care facilities.
She has written a book chapter on Neuropsychological Assessment in "Disability and Accommodations in Higher Education: A Handbook for Disability Advisors." She is a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, American Psychological Association (including Division 40: Clinical Neuropsychology), Texas Psychological Association, and Collin County Psychological Association, and a founding member of the Dallas Fort Worth Neuropsychological Association.
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| Valerie Sive-Ramirez, Psy.D. | Licensed Psychologist
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric |
Dr. Valerie Sive-Ramirez earned her doctoral degree from the APA-accredited
counseling psychology graduate program at the University of San Francisco, which
included a two-year graduate practicum at the Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, California. She received additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of children
and adolescents at the APA-approved Southern Arizona Psychology Internship
Consortium in Tucson, Arizona. She earned her master’s degree from the University of
San Diego and has been licensed as a marriage and family therapist in California. She is currently a licensed psychologist in Texas.
Dr. Sive-Ramirez completed her post-doctoral training in Clinical Neuropsychology
from Fielding Graduate University. As part of this specialized training, she completed
a post-doctoral fellowship at St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she worked on the
inpatient rehabilitation unit and conducted inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological evaluations for children and adolescents. She further refined her specialization by
completing a second post-doctoral fellowship on the brain injury unit at Kaiser
Foundation Rehabilitation Center.
She has worked for the Memory Center at Baylor Neuroscience Center in Dallas as well as for the Pain Management Center at Baylor University Medical Center. In both settings, she conducted comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations and pain evaluations, provided individual and group therapy, and assisted in coordination of treatment services to gather outcome data. She provides in-home neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy rehabilitation patients through Rehab Without Walls. She has worked with children with many different types of conditions, including ADHD, learning difficulties, developmental delay, and neurological problems.
In addition to her clinical experience, she has worked in different research settings, including a study on anger management and substance abuse for the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. She served as adjunct faculty for Wright Institute in Berkeley, California teaching graduate-level neuropsychological assessment. She is a member of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Sive-Ramirez is committed to providing high quality evaluations and treatment. An important objective in her clinical work is to provide each individual with an opportunity to obtain optimal functioning in daily life. We are very happy to have Dr. Sive-Ramirez working with us. |
Licensed Psychologist Mary Linda Chlipala, Ph.D, M.S., M.A., CCC/SLP Clinical Neuropsychologist Speech/Language Pathologist Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric
Dr.
Chlipala specializes in neuropsychological assessment of cognitive, emotional,
and behavioral difficulties in individuals across the lifespan. For adults,
this includes concerns of possible dementia or other cognitive difficulties
affecting quality of life. For children and adolescents, this includes
developmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, learning
disabilities, intellectual disability, and other difficulties affecting a
child's ability to learn and function as expected in important domains of their
lives. She also conducts presurgical assessments (bariatric, deep brain
stimulator, spinal cord stimulator).
Dr.
Chlipala has experience in a variety of settings including private practice,
hospital inpatient/outpatient, skilled nursing facility (SNF), medical
specialty unit (MSU), juvenile detention center, Intermediate Care Facility for
Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Level V, rehabilitation
hospital, and an outpatient rehabilitation center serving children and adults,
in addition to providing didactic clinical training seminars and supervision of
post-doctoral neuropsychology fellows, pre-doctoral neuropsychology interns,
and psychometrists, as well as experience as an ASHA certified Speech-Language
Pathologist. She was formerly the Director of Clinical Training for an
APPIC pre-doctoral internship site.
She
earned her doctorate and master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the
University of North Texas. Her dissertation is entitled "Organized
Semantic Fluency and Executive Functioning in an Adult Clinical Sample and a
Community Sample." Her master's thesis is entitled
"Longitudinal Study of Loneliness and Depression as Predictors of Health
in Mid-To-Later Life." Her predoctoral internship involved work at Terrell
State Hospital, where she saw children, adolescents and adults,; she also saw
children for therapy at the Children's Advocacy Center.
Prior to
this, she earned a master's degree in Communication Disorders from Texas
Woman's University and her bachelor's degree in Education from the University
of North Texas. She worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist and eventual
Department Head at The Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults in
Sherman, Texas. She also worked as a Speech-Language Therapist for the Grayson
County Special Education Coop.
Dr. Chlipala has numerous scientific
presentations and publications. She holds memberships in the National Academy
of Neuropsychology, the International Neuropsychological Society, and the
American Speech-Language Hearing Association. We are very happy to have Dr.
Chlipala working with us.
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| Maria C. Boix Braga, Ph.D. |
| Licensed Psychologist
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric |
Dr. Maria Boix Braga earned her doctorate in
Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology from the
APA-accredited graduate program at Nova Southeastern University in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida. Her dissertation was entitled Head-Impact-Related
Outcomes by Position in Retired NFL Football Players.
As part of her
graduate training, she completed an Inpatient Neuropsychology rotation at Memorial
Rehabilitation Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital South in Hollywood, Florida
where she worked as part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team of
physiatrists, nurses, physical, occupational, speech, and music therapists. She was group co-facilitator of the Stroke Wellness and Education to Enhance
Treatment (SWEET) Program and the Behavioral Pain Management Program. She also worked at the Sports Medicine
Clinic at Nova Southeastern University and Miami Jewish Mental Health. At Nova
Southeastern University, she served as a graduate teaching assistant for
Objective Personality Assessment.
She completed her
internship in Rehabilitation Psychology at the Jackson Health System in
association with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. There, she
provided psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessment services to a wide
variety of patient populations, including those with spinal cord injury, brain
injury, strokes, amputations, multiple orthopedic traumas, cancer, and a variety
of other medical conditions. She worked with them through multiple levels of
care, including intensive care, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and
outpatient services.
Prior to her
doctorate, she earned two master’s degrees from Nova Southeastern University,
in Clinical Psychology and General Psychology. Her major paper for the former
was entitled Exploration of the Perseverative Errors score of the Wisconsin
Card Sorting Test Performance on Measurements of Intelligence, Cognitive
functioning, Memory, Executive Functioning, and Personality. She earned her
bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida International University in Miami,
graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Dr. Boix Braga completed a 2-year postdoctoral
fellowship in Rehabilitation and Neuropsychology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where she provided
neuropsychological evaluations and psychotherapy services in the neurology and
rehabilitation outpatient clinics and on the inpatient unit. She also provided consultation services for
members of the interdisciplinary team regarding patient/family emotional
status, behavioral functioning, capacity assessments and treatment-related
issues.
Most recently, she worked as a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist/Assistant
Professor for the Department of Psychiatry at Parkland Hospital and Health Systems with the University of Texas
Southwestern Medical Center. While there, in addition to providing neuropsychological
evaluations, psychotherapy, and consultation services, she completed Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI) - Model Systems research responsibilities, including
providing interventions nationally to care partners of individuals with
neurological conditions.
In addition to
fluency in English, Dr. Boix Braga has native proficiency in Spanish and
Portuguese. She has authored and co-authored multiple research publications and
presentations. The breadth and quality of her training has
provided her with a strong foundation in the assessment of individuals with a
wide variety of neurological, complex medical, and psychiatric conditions. As a
result of her extensive training, she has come to appreciate the positive
impact of that neuropsychologists can have on their clients’ mental and
physical health. We are happy to have her collaborating with us and helping
others as they seek to enhance their quality of life. |
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Daisy A. Blagg, PsyD,
LSSP
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Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Specialist in School Psychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult
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Dr. Blagg earned her Doctoral degree
and Master’s degree in ClinicalPsychology from Argosy University in
Dallas. Prior to this, she earned her Master of Science in Psychology from
Texas A&M University-Commerce and her Bachelor of Science in Speech
Pathology and Audiology from The University of Texas at Dallas. Her
postdoctoral internship was conducted at the Frisco Independent School
District and her predoctoral internship at the Allen Independent School
District. While in graduate school, she
completed a clinical practicum at the Mental Health Clinic at Texas Health
Resources, Presbyterian Dallas. There, she administered neuropsychological
batteries to outpatient and inpatient adults to determine the presence and
type of dementia or cognitive delay. She also generated reports regarding a
patient’s functioning for use by the hospital staff, physicians, and family.
She also completed a clinical practicum at Cynthia Galt and Associates
Medical Psychological Services in Dallas. Dr. Blagg owned her own practice at
Caring Heart Evaluation Center in Allen, Texas where she conducted
neuropsychological and psychological evaluations. Prior to this, she worked
with us at Neuropsychology Consultants, and we are fortunate to have her join
us once again. She also has worked at Dallas NeuroRehab Center in Plano,
Texas. Dr. Blagg helped many children in
her work as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) for the Carroll
Independent School District in Southlake, Texas and the Plano Independent
School District in Plano, Texas. Her work for all four school districts in
which she has worked included developing Individual Education Plans and Full
Individual Evaluations, serving on the Autism Evaluation Team, conducting
evaluations for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Other Health Impairment specific to
attention problems, and Emotional Disturbance. She also assisted teachers and
school support staff with behavioral consultations, conducted Functional
Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans, and provided Special
Education counseling. Prior to her graduate training in
Psychology, she worked as a Special Education Teacher for the Plano
Independent School District for grades 6-8 in a Reduced Stimulus Environment.
This involved providing instruction and curriculum support for students with
emotional and behavioral difficulties requiring an alternative educational
environment. Dr. Blagg has very strong training and experience in Clinical
Psychology which she has been able to utilize in serving both
clinical and school populations. She is also very caring toward her patients
and has their very best interest at heart. We are very happy to have her
working with us! |
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Emily L. Armstrong, M.S. |
Psychometrist
Clinical Neuropsychology |
Child, Adolescent, Adult
Emily is working on her Ph.D. in School Psychology at Texas
Woman’s University. Her work as an intern has included administration of various developmental assessments on atypically and typically developing children and adolescents.
This work involved developing comprehensive reports summarizing the child’s developmental functioning,
interpretation of the data gathered, and recommended intervention plans.
She earned her master’s degree in Human Development
and Early Childhood Disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas - School
of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Department. Her coursework in this program
included Typical Development, Assessment Theory, Developing Child, Developing Child, Toddler and
Preschool, Cognitive Development, Intervention with Young Children, Language
Acquisition and Social Development. She was on the Academic Honors List
throughout her master’s program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business
Operations from Sonoma State University in California where she was often on
the Academic’s Dean’s List. Relevant courses here included Lifespan Development, Social Psychology and Applied Statistics.
Emily’s clinical experience also includes work as a
psychometrist for Dr. Daisy Blagg at Caring Heart Evaluation Center. She
performed developmental and neuropsychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults with learning and cognitive
disabilities as well as emotional, mood, and psychotic disorders.
Her work as a
registered behavior technician involved implementing programs based on Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA) which support communication, adaptives kills, and
social skills to children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. This involved performing research-based practices following the client’s Behavior Intervention Plan including Discrete Trial Training (DTT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Natural
Environment Training (NET), and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
She also served as a
teacher’s aide at the School for Children with Learning Disabilities at Preston
Hollow Presbyterian School. She worked with student son an individual and small-group basis to reinforce learning concepts, complete assignments, and improve academic
performance. She observed class room and play activities to identify positive behaviors and area sinneed of improvement, implementing behavior redirection
where appropriate.
Jacqueline Miller, M.A.
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Graduate Clinical Extern
Clinical Neuropsychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult
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Jackie is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of North Texas, with a special interest in how youth’s identities interact to shape their psychological experiences and how clinical psychology can improve methods of integrative assessment for these types of clients. She earned her Master of Arts in Applied Clinical Psychology from Penn State University and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (with a Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies) from Vanderbilt University.
Jackie’s clinical work includes an internship at Progress Family Care Services PA, where she administered neuropsychological assessments to children, adolescents, and young adults from ages 6-21; she also scored assessments and wrote reports. She worked as a Registered Behavioral Technician in the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she carried out Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy with young children with autism, using a specialized approach for each specific child. She is currently working at the University of North Texas as a teaching fellow, where she is teaching clinical and research applications skills to both graduates and undergraduates (through Assessment I and II, Experimental Methods, Biological Psychology, and General Psychology courses.) She works with a professor to create the course, teach laboratory portions of the classes, and hold office hours to assist students.
Her former research work includes time as a research assistant with the University of North Texas, Penn State University, and in the Stress and Coping Lab at Vanderbilt University. She presented collaborative research on “Theory of Mind: Performance Tests Predicted by Self-Report” at the Society for Personality Assessment in San Diego, California, “Multiethnic Intersectional Undergraduates’ Self Versus Other-Oriented COVID-19 Stress” and “Executive Functions as Predictors of Theory of Mind in Undergraduate Students” at the American Psychological Association in the District of Columbia, and “Interpersonal Decentering Versus LIWC Word Use as Correlates of Depression” at the Society for Personality Assessment in Austin, Texas.
Aside from research, she also has taken roles as a guest lecturer at the University of North Texas (giving a lecture on Biology of Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation to an undergraduate Biological Psychology class), and has worked as a teaching assistant for various psychology courses at the University of North Texas and Penn State University. She has received multiple awards in the field, including the Excellence in Neuropsychology Award and the Thomas G. Bowers Excellence in Applied Clinical Psychology Award. We are very happy to have Jackie working with us!
Caleb Freund, B.A., M.S.
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Psychometrist
Clinical Neuropsychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult
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Caleb is currently working towards his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to his work in our office, he is currently completing a clinical practicum at the Dallas VA Medical Center. He provides Cognitive Processing Therapy to treat both combat- and civilian-related trauma, helps co-lead a virtual mindfulness group, and provides Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to treat patients experiencing anxiety, depression, and PTSD. He works with veterans ranging in age from 27 - 70 years old, including those who have served in the Vietnam war era up to more recent Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts.
He completed a clinical practicum at the University of North Texas Psychology Clinic, where he provided direct therapeutic interventions and psychology assessments for clients ranging in age from 19-55. Key treatment approaches included acceptance and commitment therapy, person-centered therapy, interpersonal process therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and behavioral modification plans, with both individual and group supervision. He also worked in the administration and interpretation of numerous neuropsychological assessment batteries.
Caleb worked as a student clinician at the University of North Texas Counseling and Testing Services where he provided therapeutic interventions for diverse university clientele from ages 18-30. He co-led a weekly “Mindfulness for Mental Health” workshop providing psychoeducation on the benefits of mindfulness and provides guided practice for students who attended. He also co-led a weekly closed process therapy group “Of a Feather” for LGBTQ+ individuals to encourage social connections, identity development, and a sense of belonging to offer marginalized students support.
He has attended weekly didactic training in rotating topics such as suicide assessment, crisis intervention, and racial and generational trauma. He has received multiple clinical trainings, including Bilingual and Trauma Informed Integrated Care (BTIIC) Training, Spiritual and Religious Competencies in Psychotherapy, Motivational Interviewing Workshop, Therapeutically-applied Role-Playing for Clinicians, and the ACT and Resiliency for Providers Training.
Presently, Caleb is working as a lab member of the Positive Psychology Research Lab at UNT. He has previously worked as a research assistant at the Imperfect Culture Lab (under Dr. Kenneth Wang) and the Thrive Center for Human Development (under Dr. Pamela King.) His undergraduate thesis, “Cultural Reconstruction: Ozu’s use of sound in Good Morning as a musical manifestation of Japaneseness in post-World War II Japan,” was completed at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published collaborative research on “Religious/spiritual abuse and psychological and spiritual functioning” in Spirituality in Clinical Practice, and has presented individual research on “Exploring the impact of religious and spiritual identity on cultural humility” at the Christian Association for Psychological Studies Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also presented collaborative research on “Microaggressions and Spiritual Well-Being: effects and potential moderators” at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, “Positive and Negative Factors in International Students’ Cross-Cultural Adjustment” at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention in San Diego, California.
Outside of his research work, Caleb has worked as a teaching fellow and teaching assistant at the University of North Texas. He developed the course curriculum and schedule for undergraduate courses, including Psychology of Personality and Developmental Psychology. He also evaluated undergraduate performance for psychology courses including Psychology of Death and Dying, Social Psychology, and Introduction to Psychology. Caleb has very diverse experiences in the field of psychology, and we are very happy to have him working with us!
DeShawn Coleman, M.A.
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Graduate Clinical Extern
Clinical Neuropsychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult |
DeShawn is currently working towards his Psy.D in Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology at the Dallas branch of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He has a special interest helping individuals who to understand how environmental and psychological changes influence their daily functionality, as well as adolescents and those facing neurodevelopmental challenges. He earned his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology of The Chicago School, his Bachelor of Science (with a minor in Chemistry) from the Xavier University of Louisiana and graduated with Cum Laude honors. He has also earned his Medical Science Education Certification from Southern Illinois University.
He is currently completing a clinical practicum at the Legacy Assessment Group, where he administers and interprets developmental and cognitive assessments with children and adolescents within adoption agencies and foster care. He collaborates with caregivers and educators to establish diagnoses, recommendations, and treatment plans, as well as provides resources to serve clients experiencing abuse and neglect. He has also completed a practicum at Café Momentum, where he worked with a team of mental health professionals, care managers, and staff to provide resources to adolescents from age 15-19; he also administered and interpreted client results on the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC-3.) He completed a practicum at Agape Psych Services PLLC, where he used evidence-based individual and group therapeutic practices to treat various mental health disorders in a community setting, with an emphasis on short-term therapeutic treatment using integrated therapy modalities. While here, he also co-led multicultural group and family affirmation therapy sessions.
DeShawn’s other clinical work includes his time as a behavioral interventionist at Shadow For Life’s Journey LLC, where he assisted students (from grade Pre-K through 12th) with outlining their behavioral and educational goals. He prepared behavior plans to facilitate an impactful learning environment for each individual student. He also worked as a lead mental health technician at St. James Behavioral Health Hospital, where he provided therapeutic services to adult patients with severe psychological disorders. He administered patient intakes and cognitive assessments, as well as monitored and documented behavioral patterns throughout their treatment. He also spent time as a psychiatric counselor at River Oaks Hospital, where he provided patients with therapeutic support for mental health challenges, administered patient intakes, set up play group therapies, and organized mental health educational groups for adolescent and dual-diagnosis patients. DeShawn also worked as a clinical collection technician for Louisiana Pain Specialists, where he assisted physicians and other medical practitioners with clinical procedures and documentation.
His former research work includes time as a research associate and research assistant at the LSU Health Science Center’s Neuroscience Center of Excellence. He has presented individual research on “Down-Regulation of 15-Lipoxygenase in Hippocampal Neurons Increases Sensitivity to Amyloid-β Peptide (Aβ42)-Induced Toxicity” at the Southeast Idea Regional Meeting in 2009, and at the Xavier University of Louisiana Festival of Scholars in 2010. He has published collaborative research on “Docosahexaenoic acid complexed to human albumin in experimental stroke: neuroprotective efficacy with a wide therapeutic window” in Experimental & Transitional Stroke Medicine.
DeShawn’s other related work includes his time as a volunteer in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, where he planned group play activities for children. He has been a graduate student member of the American Psychological Association since 2021 in division 53 (Society of Child and Adolescent Psychology.) He has been a graduate student member of the Dallas Psychological Association since 2022, and a member of the GAPS Clinical Psychology Student Association since 2021. He was also awarded the Psi Chi from the International Honors Society in Psychology. We are very happy to have DeShawn working with us!
Corrina Guerra, M.A.
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Graduate Clinical Extern
Clinical Neuropsychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult |
Nina is currently working toward her Psy.D in Clinical Psychology at the Dallas branch of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with a special interest in memory loss, the cognitive effects of traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, and veteran mental health services. She earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Arizona State University and earned Cum Laude honors in the latter. Her dissertation research is focused on examining the impacts of mindfulness meditation on attention and working memory in post-9/11 veterans who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Specializing in trauma-informed care, mindfulness skills, and improving cognitive performance, she aims to elevate the lives of those with whom she works.
Nina served ten years in the United States Marine Corps, where she cultivated a profound passion for leadership and community service. Serving with various agencies and special operation forces enhanced her knowledge and understanding of working with diverse cultures and individuals. Connecting her experiences, she founded Rustic Ranch Equine-Assisted Wellness, a non-profit organization focused on sharing the benefits of the human-horse connection with veterans and community members. She has served as the Executive Director since 2021.
In addition to her assessment practicum with us, she is currently completing a therapy practicum at the Texas Women’s University Counseling and Psychological Services, where she works with diverse clients across the lifespan who have experienced past trauma. She specializes in direct crisis intervention, anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns. Her work is focused on providing services that encourage the development of the whole person by fostering resiliency, emotional well-being, interpersonal effectiveness, and academic success.
Nina previously worked as an intake specialist at Harkins & Associates: Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, where she was responsible for coordinating with new clients to clarify their developmental history and pressing concerns. She also prepared intake reports and distributed these reports to clients’ care teams. Her other clinical work includes a therapy internship at Lowcountry Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (LEAP), where she earned more than 200 hours of in-person training in the delivery of mental health resources and psychoeducational training. Here, she coordinated inclusive programs for horse-mounted and unmounted activities and organized local mental health resources for participants and volunteers.
Her former research work includes her time as a student volunteer for the American Psychological Association’s Division 13 (the Society for Consulting Psychology) during their February 2024 conference. She has also presented research on “Mindfulness Meditation as Cognitive Rehabilitation in Post-9/11 Veterans with TBI” at the Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA) during their March 2024 conference.
Nina’s other work includes her current position as a teaching assistant for the Intellectual Assessment course at The Chicago School’s Department of Clinical Psychology, where she facilitates active learning sessions, provides feedback on assessment protocols, grades assignments, and holds office hours. She also has worked as a military peer support network member for the Texas Veterans Commission, where she trained as a peer-to-peer support within the Military Veteran Peer Network (MVPN.) Here she provided support, training, suicide prevention, and culturally competent military care to local veterans.
She also has history in advocacy work, such as when she participated in the Social Justice and Public Policy Advocacy Seminar Series of Fall 2022. These seminars increased her awareness of social justice and public policy advocacy efforts in the field of clinical psychology and taught her how to collaborate with other healthcare professionals, develop amicus briefs, and provide expert testimony about the impact of bills affected for passage by citing evidence-based research. She also worked as a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim’s Advocate (SAPR VA), where she was trained to provide non-clinical crisis intervention, referral, and ongoing support to adult sexual assault victims. She provided information and resources to victims, as well as offered liaison assistance with other organizations and agencies on their behalf.
Nina has been a graduate student member of the APA since 2022, as part of their division 6 (Society for Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology), division 13 (Society of Consulting Psychology), and division 19 (Society for Military Psychology.) She has been a student member of the Southwestern Psychological Association (SWPA) since 2023, and is a student member of the Canipe Cognition Lab at The Chicago School. She has also been a Wellness Committee Chair of the Graduate Association of Psychology Students (GAPS) at the Chicago School since 2023. We are very happy to have Nina working with us!
Kimberly Baker, MA, MBA
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Graduate Clinical Extern
Clinical Neuropsychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult |
Kimberly is currently working towards her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with a special interest in psychological assessment and the relationship between mental and physical health. She earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School, her Masters in Business Administration and Human Resource Management at the University of Phoenix, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Alabama State University.
In addition to her assessment practicum with us, she is currently completing a therapy practicum at the Great Life Counseling Center, where she provides psychotherapy to multiple clients weekly and coordinates their treatment with staff and providers. She also writes progress notes, goals, treatment plans, and diagnoses, and attended the Intense Marriage Retreat as part of her training. In the past, she has completed a practicum as a basic placement trainee at the Jewish Family Service, where she provided psychotherapy to multiple clients weekly, performed intakes, and coordinated treatment with staff. She also wrote progress notes, goals, treatment plans, and diagnoses for her clients. She has also worked as a clinical house manager at the Busara Recovery Home for Mental Health and Sober Living, where she promoted a safe environment to women in the post-treatment recovery phase of mental health or substance use and conducted comprehensive intake assessments. She provided emotional support to residential clients and conducted their exit interviews.
Kimberly’s other related work includes her time as co-chairman of Social Justice and Public Policy Advocacy at The Chicago School, where she worked collaboratively with other healthcare professionals and increased awareness of social justice and public policy advocacy efforts in the field of clinical psychology. She facilitated events to educate members about the legislative process and advocacy related to mental health policy, and engaged in dialogue and action around issues of sexuality, gender, and other diversity-related concerns within the field of clinical psychology. She also represented TCSPP at the House District 70 candidate forum.
She has participated in multiple seminars in the field, including “Most Leaders Once Felt Like a Fraud, But You Don’t Have To, Imposter Phenomenon” by Dr. Kevin Cokley, and “The Use of Technology in Forensic Mental Health Practice” by Dr. Ana Belmonte. She has been a graduate student member of the American Psychological Association since 2021, and is a member of PsycheD, a student organization at The Chicago School campus that promotes student engagement in the field of professional psychology. We are very happy to have Kimberly working with us!
WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVE THEIR ULTIMATE POTENTIAL AND ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE |
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