Brooklyn Letters consists of a Clinical Psychologist, Annette Hernandez, a Licensed Child Psychologist, Carolyn Kessler, a Licensed Child and School Clinical Psychologist, Veronica Brodsky, and a Counseling Psychologist Dr. Damaliah Gibson. Dr. Lindsay Whitman, a neuropsychologist, is also a team member. Please read below to learn more about their professional services.
Dr. Hernandez is a licensed clinical psychologist with a primary interest in the treatment of children with various disorders and delays. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She is in private practice in Park Slope. Her past experiences include working as an independent contractor for the Early Intervention Program and the Committee for Preschool Education. Dr. Hernandez has over a decade of clinical experience assessing children with developmental delays and treating children/adolescents suffering from traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and related disorders. In addition, she has functioned as a supervisor and consultant on the implementation of evidence-based clinical practice in community-based settings. She has lectured extensively and authored manuscripts on the implementation of cognitive-behavioral interventions with diverse clinical populations. Dr. Hernandez offers individual psychotherapy that focuses on building a child’s existing strengths and developing new ways of coping with difficult situations. She draws from effective methods that are developmentally appropriate, practical, and easy to apply. Her work with children closely involves working with parents to help them support their child’s growth and promote success.
EXPERTISE: Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Child/Adolescent Therapy, Anxiety, Behavioral issues, Coping skills, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Sexual Abuse.
TYPES OF SERVICES: Individual therapy, parent consultations, family sessions
AGES: Birth-50
CONTACT: annette@brooklynletters.com & 917-519-3082
OFFICE: 257 15th St. (5th/6th Ave) Suite 203 in Brooklyn and she travels to your home in the South Slope.
HOURS: Office and Home Visits: Thursdays 10-8
PAYMENT: Private Pay (she does not accept insurance).
BLOGS: Emotional Learning , Developing Your Preschooler’s Emotional Vocabulary & Coping Skills for Preschoolers
Carolyn Kessler, Ph.D., is a child psychologist with more than 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and their families on issues related to behavior management and parenting, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, and ADHD. Family training is a key component of her therapy. Dr. Kessler specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. She is a Codirector of Psychology Services at the New York University Child Study Center’s Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and is in private practice in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where she provides assessment, treatment, and consultation to families and schools. In addition to standardized testing of IQ, achievement, memory, and behavior, her assessment skills include the use of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), an instrument on which Dr. Kessler trains other professionals, as well as the Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised (ADI-R). Dr. Kessler uses a cognitive-behavioral approach to therapy, which has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic method through research. Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) involves teaching the child new skills to manage their behavior and emotions. This approach relies heavily on collaboration with the child’s parents so that they, too, can learn how to support their child’s progress in therapy, as well as how to respond to the issues of concern. In addition to these services, Dr. Kessler provides consultation to families on toilet training. She is a graduate of the University at Albany doctoral program in clinical psychology and completed her internship and postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
EXPERTISE: Cognitive Behavioral therapy, parent training, autism spectrum disorders/developmental and learning disabilities, anxiety and mood disorders, behavioral disorders, potty training, assessment (diagnostic and neuropsychological)
TYPE OF SERVICES: Individual therapy, Consultation to parents and schools, Assessment
AGES: All ages of children and adolescents
LOCATION: Office: 406 7th Ave in Park Slope, Brooklyn and your Brooklyn home.
CONTACT: carolyn@brooklynletters.com, 919 280 2151
HOURS: Home and Office Visits: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Payment: Private Pay.
BLOG: What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Dr. Veronica Brodsky is a founder and clinical director of Interactive Discovery Consulting and Psychological Services, P.C. She is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents and adults by providing individual as well as group work. Having a strong belief that collaborative work provides the most effective intervention; Interactive Discovery has been built using this philosophy. She utilizes a traditional as well as holistic approach to mental health – by analyzing the connection between the mind and the body and emphasis on self-care. Her approach is integrative, combining psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback and existential therapy. Her clinical interests include working with children and adults who are dealing with different life transitions by helping them to cope with stressors associated with these events. She also conducts neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations.
Dr. Brodsky received her doctorate from New York University in 1999 and is a member of the American Psychological Association. Her experiences include: Working with patients in the acute inpatient unit as well as providing outpatient mental health services; Providing individual, family and couple therapy; Designing and supervising a therapeutic after school program for children and adolescents by implementing and managing over 100 therapeutic groups; Creating and supervising a six year training program for graduate and undergraduate students receiving training in education/child psychology. She is a former Adjunct Faculty Professor in the area of child & adolescent development and psychiatric conditions and disorders. Her research interests are in the areas of examining child and parent relationships and their effects on child development.
EXPERTISE: Working with families in transition, Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Issues, Relationship, Psychological, Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological Evaluations. Issues or Fears, Asperger’s Syndrome, Attention Deficit, Behavioral Issues, Child or Adolescent, Coping Skills, Depression, Divorce, Emotional Disturbance, Family Conflict, Learning Disabilities, Loss or Grief, Oppositional Defiance, Parenting, Peer Relationships, Relationship Issues, Self Esteem, Play therapy and behavior management with preschool and elementary aged children, animal-assisted psychotherapy.
TYPE OF SERVICES: Individual therapy, family therapy, parent consultations, school consultations, workshops, group work
AGES: Preschool and elementary, adolescents, adults
LOCATION: Park Slope, 163 Prospect Park West, (corner of 11th street), Brooklyn, NY 11215
CONTACT: veronica@brooklynletters.com & 718-306-7755
WEBSITE: www.interactive-discovery.com
HOURS: Office visits: Mondays through Fridays.
Payment: Some Major Insurances, Private Pay, Out-of-Network, Sliding Scale.
BLOG: Separation And Divorce And Its Impact On Children
Dr. Gibson is a NY licensed counseling psychologist with expertise in helping people to create and live their best lives possible. She is currently a staff psychologist in the Department of Behavioral Health Services at Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY. She is also a Clinical Instructor at Downstate Medical Center. She supervises and teaches Psychology interns & externs and Medical Residents on techniques and principles of psychotherapy. In this setting, Dr. Gibson treats clients struggling with mood, anxiety, and thought disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
Her area of expertise includes working with individuals – children, adolescents, adults, families, and groups within various therapeutic techniques, often used in an integrative way. Building and fostering a strong therapeutic alliance is an exceptional strength. She is skilled at working with people coping with trauma, struggling with depression, anxiety, identity and self-esteem related issues [including but not limited to sexual orientation, race/ethnicity (including bi-racial and multi-ethnic issues)].
EXPERTISE: Individual and family therapies; Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Dialectical Behavior Informed, and Interpersonal Therapeutic Techniques; Depression, Anxiety, Trauma; Identity-related issues including but not limited to demographic variables of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation; Holistic Wellness and Mindfulness.
TYPE OF SERVICES: Individual therapy, family therapy, parent consultations
AGES: Children, adolescents, adults
LOCATION: 406 7th Ave in Park Slope (corner of 13th street), Brooklyn, NY
CONTACT: damaliah@brooklynletters.com & 347-677-4124
HOURS: Thursdays 6-9
Payment: Private Pay
BLOG: Live fully, Laugh often, Love deeply
