The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. They work to deliver the highest standard of care, advance the science of the developing brain, and empower parents, professionals, and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most.
Christine Fonseca is a licensed educational psychologist, critically acclaimed author, and a nationally recognized speaker on topics related to educational psychology, mental health, giftedness, and using storytelling to heal past wounds. As a trauma-impacted survivor, Christine believes in the power of storytelling as a key to healing past wounds. Christine’s critically acclaimed titles include Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, The Caring Child, Letting Go: A Girl’s Guide to Breaking Free of Stress and Anxiety, and the action-packed Young Adult series, the Solomon Experiments.
The Clifton Corner is a safe space of learning to support overwhelmed students who struggle with issues of perfection, motivation, organization, learning differences, and self-esteem.
Through the tools of mindfulness, creativity, leadership and positive psychology, Dr. Sandra E. Clifton, Ed. D. promotes self-discovery and personal accountability to help young people transform their identity to reach new goals of intellectual and personal growth, from middle school through college.
Dr. Clifton has a special affinity with both athletes and artists/musicians who shine with strengths outside of school—but may encounter challenges with time management, confidence, and/or academic insecurities in the classroom. She knows that young people are incredibly capable of succeeding both on and off the court and loves helping to create the right tools to support all of her students.
Dr. Clifton also guides parents through curriculum decisions and school transitions to create more joy in the journey of learning and serves as an independent consultant at schools and organizations to help promote a positive learning environment through seminars and professional workshops.
Educational therapist and GATE specialist Cindy Hansen specializes in the needs of the gifted and high potential community by assisting adults and children to embrace and fortify their complex learning profiles. She offers assessments for focused intervention in addition to educational therapy, case management and records review. Cindy serves families in the Western Ventura and Southern Santa Barbara counties of California.
Dr. Stuart has spent over 25 years in environments with gifted individuals and has received special training in the treatment of gifted children and adults. She is committed to offering quality support and attention for their often misunderstood, unique emotional needs.
Dr. Alisa Klinger, Ph.D, founder of MarinWrite, is an independent educational consultant who specializes in achievement, working with gifted and talented students who are applying to independent elementary schools, private high schools, and highly selective colleges and universities, as well as for competitive scholarships and internships. She helps families identify appropriate opportunities and create succinct, storied, and successful applications. Her private practice is located in the San Francisco Bay Area; she also works remotely with clients from across the US and with international students.
Dr. Dahlgren specializes in gifted and talented evaluations, testing for the AAP (Advanced Academic Program), private school admissions evaluations, and kindergarten readiness assessments. She also conducts pschological and educational tests to assess attention, learning, emotional, or psychological problems that may keep children from working to their full potential in school.
Eileen Escarce, Ph.D., M.A., M.S.N. offers psychoeducational diagnostic assessment, gifted (IQ) testing, parent coaching, and psychotherapy for individuals, parents and children, and families. Her specialties include child psychology and school psychology.
Dr. Ellen Littman is a clinical psychologist licensed in New York State, with a focus on high IQ adults and adolescents and specializing in identifying and treating complex presentations of ADHD. Dr. Littman has been recognized by the American Psychological Association as a pioneer in the identification of gender differences in ADHD, with special expertise understanding issues affecting women and girls with ADHD. She also has advanced training in trauma, eating disorders, self-harm, and crisis intervention.
As a clinical psychologist in practice for over 30 years, Gail Post Ph.D. specializes in gifted adults and adolescents. Through private practice, she offers individual, couples, family and group therapy for adults and adolescents; consultation and supervision for treatment professionals; and educational consultation services for gifted children and adolescents. Dr. Post also writes and curates the online blog, Gifted Challenges, which explores the social and emotional aspects of giftedness.
Dr. Hilary Beech specializes in serving gifted, professional, and creative/artistic adults and couples. She has a Stanford MBA and a Berkeley MSEE and has worked in startups, nonprofits, academia, and Fortune 500 companies before becoming a psychologist. She seeks to help her clients develop new ways of relating to themselves and others and experience greater resiliency in facing challenges. She is based out of the San Francisco area.
Dr. Saul, based out of Syosset, New York, offers IQ Testing, Gifted Evaluation, and Psychoeducational Evaluation. Psychoeducational Evaluation includes 3-5 of direct assessment, questionnaires administers to family and/or school personnel, background interview, and behavioral observations. After evaluation is complete, families receive a detailed written report and meet in person to go over the findings.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Joanna Haase Ph.D., MFT, offers tools and information for helping parents raise their gifted child, with a focus on asynchronous development, overexcitabilities, and twice-exceptional.
Lesli Preuss, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Child and Family Psychologist with more than fifteen years of experience practicing in leading medical centers and schools across six states. She specializes in the treatment of Twice Exceptional (2e) and intellectually-gifted children and adolescents, as well as children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Asperger’s Syndrome, and anxiety-related issues. Dr. Lesli Preuss operates a private practice located in Studio City, CA and she works with families from the greater Los Angeles area on her ranch in Agoura Hills, CA.
Dr. Berman is a licensed, clinical psychologist in Portland, Oregon with over fifteen years of experience working with children and adults with learning, emotional, and behavior challenges. She specializes in psychological testing and evaluation services. She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings, at hospitals, community mental health clinics, and in private practice, and has experience conducting a range of assessments with children, adolescents, and adults. These have included gifted and twice-exceptional (2e), learning disabilities, neuropsychological, developmental, and comprehensive psychodiagnostic assessments.
Dr. Melanie Hayes provides counseling to children, teens, adults, and families at Summit Center’s Walnut Creek office. Dr. Hayes has made it her life’s work to help gifted and twice exceptional persons find their niche and work to their strengths. She is an expert in the needs of gifted/2e persons and works with a wide range of clients to help them thrive. Dr. Hayes holds a doctorate in educational leadership with a focus on giftedness and twice exceptionality. Dr. Hayes created Big Minds, a school for 2e children that lets them learn without limits through mentoring and supporting their intellectual, social, and emotional well-being. She also has 2e twins, so she is intimately familiar with the joys and hardships of raising and educating exceptional children.
