Services
Dr. Lasher believes in providing professional services which are tailored to the needs of each individual client and which can answer questions about their specific concerns. Services include neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy with children and adolescents, as well as parent training and education classes.
Testing and Assessment
Neuropsychological Evaluation
Dr. Lasher specializes in the neuropsychological evaluation of developmental disorders and functioning in children and adolescents. A neuropsychological evaluation is a comprehensive assessment that can provide answers and guidance about a person’s development, learning, behavior, emotions, and social functioning. The evaluation involves integrating and analyzing information from early history and development, performances on a variety of neuropsychological tests, and observational measures.
How can a neuropsychological evaluation help me and my child?
◾ It can provide a diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or learning disability. It can help identify and differentiate symptoms of a psychological disorder such as anxiety or depression.
◾ It can identify your child’s unique cognitive profile including areas of strength or weakness, learning patterns, emotional perceptions, and behavioral responses that contribute to their overall functioning.
◾ It can guide a treatment plan by recommending appropriate interventions based on your child’s neuropsychological profile that can be used to improve functioning at home or at school.
Other Types of Assessment
Dr. Lasher also provides other types of psychological testing that are focused on specific areas of functioning. These include developmental testing of very young children, intelligence testing and/or achievement testing to determine eligibility in gifted/advanced educational programs, or partial testing to provide more information when a child has already had a less comprehensive evaluation.
Therapy
Dr. Lasher provides individual psychotherapy to children and adolescents using developmentally appropriate cognitive-behavioral strategies and social-play activities to reduce anxious and depressed feelings, increase coping skills, and decrease anger or reactive behaviors. Therapy often includes working with parents to provide supportive strategies that can used at home.
Support Circles
Support Circles are structured programs led by Dr. Lasher and Ms. Andjelkovic where you can learn strategies and practice skills to reduce behavioral and emotional concerns in a supportive group setting. Support Circles are composed of small groups which run for a set of six to ten sessions. When possible, groups will be organized with similar ages or needs in mind. Groups can be held in-person or virtually depending on what is needed to maintain a safe environment for all participants.
We are currently offering the following types of Support Circles:
Parent Support Circles
Parents learn effective strategies for managing their children’s behavior in a positive, nurturing way. We practice skills that can help your child become better at following directions, completing tasks and routines, and reduce their acting-out behaviors. Families learn to communicate and interact more positively with each other, which can lead to better relationships at home. We also highlight the importance of self-care for parents, and encourage opportunities for building a social network with other parents as you share your experiences in a safe, supportive environment.
Teen Support Circles
Adolescents experience unique developmental challenges and are under a LOT of stress! Especially after all the Covid-related upheaval in school and social activities, many teens have been struggling with emotional discomfort and social uncertainty. Our Teen Support Circles are groups for adolescents that provide a safe space for sharing their feelings and experiences with other teens, while learning coping strategies to deal with the many stresses in their lives. Cognitive-behavioral techniques will be practiced such as relaxation, mindfulness, and increased self-awareness to reduce anxious thoughts and feelings. The group format with supportive peers can help normalize experiences, boosting your teen’s self-confidence and social functioning.
Kids’ Support Circles
Kids of all ages have also been affected by the Covid environment, and may be exhibiting more emotional distress and behavioral difficulties. Our Kids’ Support Circles are groups designed for elementary-aged children to share their experiences, identify what they are feeling, learn coping strategies, and gain better control of their behavior. The group format with supportive peers can help normalize experiences and support social skills using fun, developmentally appropriate activities.
Click the button to be taken to our program registration site.
Other Services
Dr. Lasher and Ms. Andjelkovic also provide consultation services to schools and community groups by special arrangement. These may include presentations, workshops, seminars, and support groups.
Contact us now if you want to sign up or learn more about any of our offerings!