Business Profile: Westchester Psychological Services, Mount Kisco
A supportive environment is what families can expect at Westchester Psychological Services, a collaborative practice where licensed psychologists Stephanie O’Leary, Laura Wert-Snyder, Marisa Mahler and Mary DeWitt, a psychology fellow, help children and adults come to terms with anxiety, stress, ADHD and other problems.
The Mount Kisco practice established by O’Leary uses evidence-based assessment therapy and treatment techniques allowing O’Leary and her team to use the techniques and strategies that researchers have proven to be effective and then tailor them to suit each patient’s needs.
“I think it’s important to rely on that research,” said O’Leary, who received her doctorate in clinical psychology at the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. “The last thing I would want to do is waste a family’s time or resources.”
A neuropsychological perspective is also at the heart of the practice, she explained. This includes options for comprehensive neuropsychological and psycho-educational evaluations. It also means that every client is screened using clinical interviews and a series of standardized parent, teacher and self-reporting measures.
“This allows for a clear understanding of individual strengths and areas in need of support and generally improves the course of therapy,” O’Leary noted.
In the case of children, a neuropsychological evaluation includes a detailed investigation of intellectual capacity, academic skills, attention, executive functions and language processing.
A comprehensive evaluation usually includes one to two days of formal testing to assess various functions and an assessment of a child’s social history. The results of this evaluation usually provide O’Leary and her team enough information to identify specific learning disabilities or to pick up any underlying neuropsychological weaknesses that might be affecting a child.
While plenty of adults are patients at Westchester Psychological Services, children are its primary focus.
“We work with children across the developmental span, from preschoolers to college-age individuals,” O’Leary said. “It’s important to remember, however, that the tools are the same whether you are treating someone who is seven or 70. It’s just delivering them in a way that works for each individual.”
Children and teens often seek support due to anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning issues or low self-esteem. A number of them are also on the autism spectrum, she added.
O’Leary said poor sleep habits and lack of exercise often contribute to some of the problems that children experience.
What sets the practice apart is the practical and relatable strategies for each patient. A child who suffers from anxiety may benefit from O’Leary’s explanation of what happens biologically to the body in simple, easy-to-understand terms. Teaching patients how to breathe properly, to imagine they’re in a favorite place or to even hold their breath for a few seconds are all practical strategies they can learn, she explained.
“A lot of kids, even children on the high-functioning autism spectrum, think they need to be fixed,” O’Leary said. “We’re here to say you’re not broken, and if there are things you want to change, then we can make a plan for that.”
O’Leary, who watched her brother struggle with dyslexia while growing up, said working with children gives her the opportunity to identify problems that need remediation and then work to alleviate them.
“I realize that we have to get it right,” she said. “We don’t have the luxury of time.”
She frequently coordinates with teachers, private tutors, neurologists, psychiatrists, dieticians and other clinicians to obtain the best possible outcomes for her patients.
Training parents on setting the appropriate expectations for their children, creating proper behavior plans for the home and community and other tools are all part of the plan to help create a climate of open communication in the home.
“If families are ready to address the issues, we are here to help them,” O’Leary said.
Westchester Psychological Services is located at 91 Smith Ave. For more information, call 1-845-313-9049.
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