Dr. Valerie Hoffman

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Valerie Hoffman is an Arizona licensed psychologist who specializes in evaluating and treating children and teens with educational, behavioral, developmental, and social-emotional needs. Dr. Hoffman's early training centered around assessment and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. She received training in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapies through the University of California, San Diego and went on to deliver early intervention services for children with autism and developmental disorders. While Dr. Hoffman continues to work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, her current practice includes diagnostic assessment and treatment of a variety of presenting concerns, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Attachment Disorders and other needs such as peer troubles/bullying, self esteem, divorce, separation anxiety, and grief/loss issues, among others. Dr. Hoffman also enjoys working with families and has been particularly successful working with parents and teens to improve communication, reduce conflicts, and improve parent-child relationships. She counsels adolescents individually, and as former therapist for children in the juvenile detention center, she has experience working with challenging teens. Her treatment practices are solution focused and skills based utilizing research based therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy and psycho-education. Having former experience working as a preschool teacher, Dr. Hoffman also enjoys working with toddlers and young children. In particular, she enjoys working closely with parents in developing parenting practices that encourage optimal child development while preventing problem behaviors. Finally, Dr. Hoffman's has a special interest in working with families with foster and adopted children, as she completed her doctoral dissertation researching successful characteristics of families with children adopted post-infancy. Dr. Hoffman enjoys active involvement in the professional community and she has served as the president of the Scottsdale Psychological Society and as the secretary of the Children's Services Network, in addition to volunteering and collaborating with agencies that serve children and families, including Arizonan's for Children, RISE Family Services, and Aid to the Adoption of Special Kids.

Dr. Sarah Karabatsos

Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

Dr. Sarah Karabatsos received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, with specialization in Neuropsychology from Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Schaumburg, Illinois. She completed her APPIC-approved internship at Dean Medical Center. She has extensive training in assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics with neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. She also has experience in therapeutic services, crisis intervention and family outreach with children and adolescents with learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties and mood disorders. Her areas of specialty and interests are autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injury, stroke and children who present with multiple symptoms including attention, learning and mood difficulties. Dr. Karabatsos received her licensure from the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners in June of 2014.

Dr. Christina Lebovitz

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Christina Lebovitz is a licensed psychologist in the state of Arizona. As a clinical psychologist, she serves infants to adults and provides evaluations, therapy and consultation, in addition to training in mental health issues. Identification of learning, developmental and clinical conditions is done in conjunction with school and primary care liaisons. Health care consultation is geared to building resilience and a positive outlook, with improvement of medical compliance and self-monitoring for chronic conditions, including weight loss and management. She emphasizes how people can thrive by building on strengths and uses cognitive behavioral approaches as well as play therapy and trauma processing (EMDR). Dr. Lebovitz has over 26 years of practice in Arizona, including hospital-based and community programs, plus independent practice. On the personal side, Dr. Lebovitz has gained invaluable insight by raising three children and enjoying a long marriage. Serving as co-founder and President of the Children's Services Network (www.csn-az.org) and as President of the Arizona Psychological Foundation broadens her awareness of public issues and facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Sally Logerquist

Psychologist

Dr.Sally Logerquist is a licensed psychologist with extensive background in clinical and school settings as an evaluator, therapist and consultant. She provides a wide range of intellectual, academic, social and behavioral evaluations including: Intellectual giftedness; Developmental Disabilities (Mental Retardation); Learning Disorders; Social, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Her area of specialty is working with individuals suspected of having an autism spectrum disorders. Diagnostic information is translated into special education categories (when appropriate) based on current state and federal legal constraints. The individual’s strengths and limitations are described in order to aid in the understanding of the reader and to ensure that the client obtains the appropriate services and accommodations that they need. Recommendations include research-based interventions that have proven to be effective for use in home, school and/or work environments. Dr. Logerquist provides individual and group therapy on a variety of issues, with a primary emphasis on social skill therapy. Social skill therapy activities are designed to reduce skill deficits by teaching and practicing the social skills that are highly related to social success. In addition therapy activities are directed reduce social anxiety by teaching and practicing calming strategies. The goal is to provide individuals with the necessary skills to experience positive reactions in their social interactions. Evaluations for individuals suspected of having an Autism Spectrum Disorder include assessment of early childhood behavior as well as current behavior. The evaluation process culminates with a profile of the individual’s strengths and limitations related to social behavior. Factors that appear to impede social progress will be identified. A description of strategies will be provided to address these factors. Evaluations for individuals suspected of having a processing deficit will include assessment of seven broad domains of ability using multiple cognitive measures. The evaluation process culminates with a profile of cognitive processing strengths and limitations and a description of the individual’s learning style. Factors that appear to impede academic progress will be identified and strategies will be provided to address these factors.

Dr. Christopher Nicholls

Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

Dr. Nicholls is a Clinical Psychologist with 35 years of experience working in a variety of medical centers and teacher hospitals and now in private practice. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology (Clinical) as well as the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology, and he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology and the American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology. His practice is informed by his study of the emerging field of neuroscience, which allows him to understand his patients from a biopsychosocial perspective. He sees each person as unique, and as striving to live to their potential given their personal strengths, history, and relationships. Dr. Nicholls specializes in the evaluation and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders including learning disabilities, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum conditions. Dr. Nicholls also specializes in personal injury and the impact of chronic health conditions and acute trauma/injury.

Dr. Felicia Wilson

Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist

Dr. Felicia Wilson is an Arizona licensed psychologist who specializes in evaluating and treating children, adolescents, and adults with neurodevelopment disorders including attention-deficit disorder, reading disorders, and other learning difficulties. She sees individuals for a variety of concerns and performs neuropsychological evaluations, psycho-educational evaluations, and gifted assessments among others. Additional areas of practice include assessing and treating individuals with sleep related issues (insomnia, sleep apnea, etc.), cognitive complaints (changes in memory, cognition, dementia, stroke, etc.), and traumatic brain injuries as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Wilson completed her training at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in Montrose, New York where she had extensive training in assessing adults with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, traumatic brain injuries, as well as other neurological disorders. She also has experience in cognitive rehabilitation and crisis intervention. In addition to her areas of specialty Dr. Wilson continues to diagnose and treat children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and other mood disorders. Finally, she enjoys working closely with parents and children to address issues related to self-esteem, divorce, peer issues, and school concerns. Dr. Wilson received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona and received her licensure from the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners in February 2016.

Dr. Cindy Miller

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Cindy Faith Miller is an Arizona licensed psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who specializes in treating children, adolescents, and adults with social-emotional, behavioral, and educational needs. Dr. Miller received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from New York Univedocrsity in 2008 and completed her APA-approved clinical psychology internship at the Devereux Foundation in Pennsylvania. Dr. Miller has received training in both private and public school settings, outpatient settings, hospitals, and in specialized educational programs for children and adolescents with emotional, behavioral, developmental needs. She participated in a Family and Multicultural Therapy program for two years at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City where she received supervised family therapy and multicultural competence-based training. Dr. Miller currently specializes in helping children and families with issues involving parenting, behavioral problems, social skills, anxiety, depression, academics, and family and peer relationships. She also enjoys working individually with adults who are experiencing anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulties. Dr. Miller utilizes a strength-based integrative approach to therapy, which combines interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, systemic, and psychodynamic approaches. She works collaboratively with individuals and families to determine which approaches would work best to meet their unique needs. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Miller is an Assistant Research Professor at Arizona State University. Her research seeks to understand the development of and consequences associated with children’s social (e.g., gender stereotypes) and academic (e.g., growth mindset) cognitions. Her research also involves developing and evaluating interventions to promote positive social and academic outcomes.

Maraen Foley

Psychometrist

Maraen Foley graduated from Arizona State University with two bachelor of science degrees in psychology and family and human development. During her academic career Maraen held a focus in the area of child and adolescent development and was involved in research related to childhood self-regulation and executive functioning. She also spent a summer studying cross-cultural psychology in Alicante, Spain. She is trained to administer psychological assessments and started by working at Phoenix Children's Hospital and studying under Psychologists Dr. John Barton and Dr. Michael Lavoie. Maraen is joining The Nicholls Group to assist in psychometry services.

Leena Bui

Graduate Student

Leena Bui joins The Nicholls Group as a third year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Arizona State University. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Mass Communications at the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating from UC Berkeley, Leena worked as a research project coordinator with veterans in residential treatment for drug and alcohol use problems at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Leena has completed a year practicum at the ASU Clinical Psychology Center, supervised by Dr. John Barton, as a student therapist and continues to seek experiences in which to hone her skills in conducting quality assessments and therapy. Leena is interested in seeing patients in any age group for evaluations and/or therapy under the supervision of Dr. Nicholls.

Elise Schnackenberg

Office Manager

My name is Elise, I am the Office Manager here at The Nicholls Group. My responsibility is to ensure that you or your child's experience at our office is one of ease. I would be happy to listen to your specific needs and answer any questions you may have about our services and providers. I can help determine if your unique concerns are something we feel competent to address, and will help find the appropriate provider to assist you. Also, please ask for me if you are needing medical records or referral information. You may contact me by phone 480-998-2303 or via e-mail [email protected].

I look forward to speaking with you!

Michelle Delaferrelle

Administrative Assistant

Hello, I'm Michelle the new office administrative assistant here at The Nicholls Group. I will likely be the first person you see when you visit the office. Answering the phones and guiding patients to the appropriate provider is my responsibility. I want to ensure patients at The Nicholls Group have peace of mind knowing that their needs are handled in a timely and organized manner. Please ask me about confirming your appointments, speaking with your provider or any other important information you may need prior to or after your session. You may contact me by phone 480-998-2303 or via e-mail [email protected].

I look forward to seeing you!