We are now providing services via tele-virtual
(Doxy.me and VSEE) during COVID-19 restrictions

We realize that most people have never been to a psychologist, and may be unsure how a psychologist can help their child achieve academic or personal success. As Adults, we are often skeptical about if and when we should pursue services for our emotional issues and well being. Like with any new experience, we encourage and expect you to have questions. You will be offered an initial consultation to discuss any questions you might have concerning our practice and our services.

The services we offer are:

• Motivational Achievement
  • Identify and remove roadblocks that prevent children and adults from achieving academically, professionally, or interpersonally
• ADD/ADHD Assessments
• Full range of diagnostic services - psychological and educational
• Consultation for School Placement and IEPs
• Academic, Executive Functioning & Professional Coaching
• Pediatric Consultation and Early Childhood Intervention
• Counseling: individual, family, marital, group
• Preschool, Daycare and Parent Workshops
• CBT and interpersonal interventions
• Gifted Children and Adolescents
• Serving Loudoun County, Fairfax County, and Alexandria

Motivational Achievement

Understanding motivational difficulties can be complex; the primary causes underlying these difficulties are emotional in nature.

ACADEMIC MOTIVATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Motivational problems arise when expectations are not in keeping with what the student is capable of doing. This situation usually arises not because such students lack the ability or intellectual capacity but because of obstacles which interfere with or delay their emotional development.

These students are bright, personable and are well behaved in the classroom. Teachers are often frustrated by the student’s sporadic performance, lack of organization, lack of drive and minimal output. Parents are concerned, frustrated and fear the impact this problem will have on the child’s future academic and career options. Students will often complain of boredom, just not caring or questioning the purpose of school, and of difficulties concentrating or finding it difficult to maintain the stamina of consistent effort, follow through and timely completion of projects and assignments.

ADULT SERVICES

Each day we expend a great deal of our energy modulating our mood to optimize our professional and personal experiences. Intervention involves the identification of emotional defenses that block the path of emotional health. These barriers often result in symptoms of irritability, anger, anxiety, lethargy and depression. Additional contributing factors are biology and life events. The intervention process involves the awareness and ending of existing negative patterns of responding and reacting and the creating of new emotional habits.

This creates an emotional balance which restores emotional resiliency and improves everyday functioning.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES

Early childhood is a rich developmental period when children are rapidly building new skills for independence in exploring their environment, making friends, taking control of their behavior and emotions, and acquiring school-readiness skills. Young children are growing so fast in in so many different areas that they may look dramatically different from their same-age peers but still be developing appropriately. Parents, caregivers, and educators of young children are often seeking a better understanding of what typical development looks like at this age and how to know if they should be concerned when it appears their child's development is lagging. Workshops and consultation with a developmental psychologist specializing in early childhood can provide parents with opportunities to share their concerns, gain a scientifically-based understanding of development, and learn how to apply developmental information and skills to ensure their children get the most they can out of these early years.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL EVALUATIONS

A psychological or educational evaluation is a valuable information-gathering tool for teachers and professionals used to identify areas of individual strength and weakness in a variety of domains, such as intelligence, thinking ability, academic achievement, leadership ability, and social/emotional functioning. These evaluations have multiple benefits, which include providing the individual with knowledge of what they do well, what they might find challenging, assisting professionals in better serving the individual's specific needs and identifying various learning and emotional difficulties as well as management styles. This information is useful for accommodations, treatment goals and objectives, school placement decisions including private school admissions and talented and gifted programs as well as independent evaluations for organizations and the Loudoun County Public Schools.

Meet the Staff

Dr. Karen L. Larson

Dr. Larson received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Georgia State University. She developed an interest in motivation while interning at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Emory Medical School. Upon completion, Dr. Larson returned to her native state of Virginia for a two year postdoctoral position in private practice prior to establishing her own specialty practice.

Dr. Larson is an active member of the national and state psychological associations. She is a member of the National Register a prestigious professional society which selects psychologists for their past achievements. She is also published in the Journal for Behavioral Analysis, and is a Phi Beta Kappa scholar. Her expertise spans the whole scope of services offered by the practice.

Dr. Michael R. Dudis

Dr. Dudis received his doctorate from George Mason University and interned at the Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services of West Virginia University. His clinical rotations have included adults, adolescents and children. His externship rotations included Georgetown University Counseling and Psychiatric Services, Catholic University Counseling Center and the George Mason Psychological Clinic. He specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy as well as helping individuals work through interpersonal difficulties. He also conducts psychological and psychoeducational assessments.

Dr. Theresa Lichtman

Dr. Lichtman received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from George Mason University in May 1998. She interned at the Missouri Health Sciences Psychology Consortium where she received training in rehabilitation medicine, therapy with inpatient and outpatient psychiatric adult patients, and sports psychology with college athletes. She has a breadth of professional clinical experience including providing school-based mental health clinical, educational, and assessment services in her work as a school psychologist and mental health consultant. Dr. Lichtman provides psychological assessment and treatment services to children, adolescents, and adults. Her specialty/interest areas include anxiety, depression, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and helping individuals work through interpersonal difficulties.

Pamela Lindo

Pamela Lindo graduated from Brooklyn College with a Masters of Science (M.S.) in Education with a Certificate of Advanced Studies (C.A.S.) in School Psychology in 1993. Pamela interned part time in the Public School System of New York City and interned part time at Coney Island Psychiatric Hospital in Brooklyn, NY where she received training in conducting psychological assessments and working with inpatient and outpatient clients at the hospital. She has worked in the New Mexico and Prince George's County Maryland Public School System before joining the Loudoun County Public School System in 1997. She has over 20 years experience in conducting psychological assessments for learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and emotional disabilities. Pamela also conducts preschool developmental evaluations and autism assessments, and works with children, adolescents, and adults.

Pamela is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in the Field of Education, and she is a Licensed School Psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Her specialty/interest areas include ADHD, autism, anxiety and depression.

Dr. Robyn Resh Davinic

Dr. Resh Davinic received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She completed a two-year post-doctoral residency in Neuropsychology at the Neurology Department of the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute - JFK Johnson Medical Center. She led outpatient rehabilitation treatment teams and conducted neuropsychological assessments in the Cognitive Rehabilitation Program at JFK- Johnson. In addition to her work at JFK-Johnson, Dr. Resh Davinic evaluated and treated individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety, Depression, and neurological diseases that impact cognition. Dr. Resh Davinic's therapeutic orientation is cognitive-behavioral and she provides neuropsychological assessment and treatment services to adolescents and adults. She has a special interest in helping individuals maintain emotional resiliency in times of stress.

Dr. Nicole Sarampote

Dr. Sarampote received her doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology and her master's degree in School Psychology from George Mason University. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist with 14 years of experience in a local school district, primarily serving the early childhood population and their families. Her interests are in the social and emotional development of young children, preventing and reducing problem behaviors in and out of the preschool classroom, parent coaching, and building resilience in young children as they prepare for formal schooling. Dr. Sarampote provides parent and teacher coaching and consultation, workshops on early childhood topics, and psychological assessment of young children.