Dr. Stephanie
Stephanie Adams Svendez, PhD, NCSP, NRCHSP
Hi there!
I’m Dr. Stephanie Adams Svendez (she/her), a clinical psychologist licensed in the states of California (PSY31678), Washington, DC (DC, PSY200001513), Maine (PS2539), New Jersey (35SI00728800), New York (025991), Oregon (3777), Texas (40953), and Vermont (048.0134528TELE), a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and National Register Credentialed Health Service Psychologist. I have provided therapy, behavior, and assessment services to children and adults across school, community mental health, and hospital settings for 15+ years. I utilize my combined Ph.D. Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology training from University of California, Santa Barbara to empower and bridge the gap between individuals, families, schools, and health providers.
I provide therapy and assessment services that help clients better understand themselves and how to advocate for their needs in an ableist, difficult world.
I utilize a neurodiversity affirming approach to helping clients ages 5 through adulthood. The vast majority of my clients have overlapping neurodivergent identities and diagnoses (Autism, ADHD, OCD). I proudly represent lived experience as a queer, Latina ADHDer.
Education & Credentials
B.A. in Japanese and Psychology from University of California, Berkeley
M.Ed. in School Psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara
M.A. in Education Research Methodology from University of California, Santa Barbara
Combined Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara
Ph.D. Emphasis in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS)
Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT) from University of California, Santa Barbara
Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)
National Register Credentialed Health Service Psychologist (NRCHSP)
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND)
APA-Accredited Two-Year Postdoctoral Fellowship at USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Utilizing my education, training, and ongoing learning for client empowerment.
About My Work with Families
It takes a village. I help you form one.
Children spend the majority of their lives at home and school, not with their psychologist (or pediatrician or behaviorist or social worker)! And yet, a lot of professionals overestimate their role in your child’s life. They forget to collaborate with other providers to see the whole picture. As a parent, it can be exhausting trying to make sense of all the services and people your child needs. My years of work as a school psychologist equip me with the knowledge you need to understand and access different resources for your child.
More about my experience.
Throughout my work as a school psychologist in Santa Barbara and LA County, I coordinated mental health services, led IEP teams, conducted functional behavior assessments, trained school staff, and conducted psychoeducational assessments. During my APA-accredited internship at the community mental health clinic Momentous Institute, I utilized systemic, multicultural, CBT, and psychodynamic frameworks to help children and families reach their goals and heal from trauma. In my APA-accredited two-year postdoctoral training with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, I led interprofessional medication management teams, evidence-based child and parent groups, and provided clinical supervision.
LGBTQIA+ youth light up my life.
I thrive in clinical work that enables me to build up queer and gender questioning youth while supporting their families through the sometimes complicated process of acceptance. I know I am successful when I have brought kids and their families closer. I have also focused my advocacy work on promoting support for LGBTQIA+ youth, including providing trainings for hospitals, schools, and universities across the nation.
