MEET THE DIRECTORS
ADRIENNE DESANTIS KING,
PH.D., BCBA-D, NCSP
FOUNDER, CO-OWNER, & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral Level, & Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Dr. Adrienne DeSantis is a Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She graduated from Florida State University in 2001 with dual bachelors’ degrees in Psychology and Child and Family Sciences. She received her masters and doctoral degrees in School Psychology at the University of South Carolina and completed her internship and post-doctoral residency in the Behavioral Psychology department at the renowned Kennedy Krieger Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. DeSantis is the only psychologist with a BCBA-D and NCSP in the Jacksonville area.
Dr. DeSantis has expertise in working with children and teens between approximately 18 months to 18 years, as well as their parents and teachers. Although Dr. DeSantis serves a variety of needs, she specializes in providing services to children and adolescents with behavior difficulties, including disruptive behavioral disorder diagnoses, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s, PDD-NOS), anxiety, depressive symptoms, adjustment problems, developmental delays, and/or learning difficulties. Additionally, Dr. DeSantis has extensive experience conducting assessments for diagnostic purposes and/or to provide information on learning profiles and recommendations.
Services provided by Dr. DeSantis include individual, family, and group therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment, cognitive behavioral and behavioral therapy, parent and teacher education in behavior modification, psychological and educational assessments, school consultation, and advocacy for special education student services. Dr. DeSantis also specializes in the administration of the ADOS-2 for Autism evaluations. Services can be provided in the clinic, home, school, or community, depending on need, schedule availability, and stipulations made by insurance providers.
Together, Dr. DeSantis and Dr. Nabizadeh are active in the behavioral health community of Northeast Florida, often collaborating with other disciplines, speaking at trainings and events, advocating for educational and behavioral health reform, and consulting with agencies. Previously, Dr. DeSantis served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Florida teaching graduate level classes in the special education department; she has also served on the committee for District 4 SEDNET (Multiagency Network for Emotional/Behavioral Disabled Students).
Dr. DeSantis is a Jacksonville native and lives in the Mandarin area with her husband and two children.
PARASTOO “PARAS” NABIZADEH, PSY.D., BCBA-D
CO-OWNER & ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Licensed Psychologist & Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral Level
Dr. Parastoo Nabizadeh (“Dr. Paras”) is a Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Psychology from the University of Florida in 2003 where she interned at the Department of Juvenile Justice, working with troubled children and teens. She received her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University where she received training in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings. During her pre-doctoral internship, Dr. Nabizadeh worked within a multidisciplinary clinic where she provided services to children and adolescents in outpatient and crisis inpatient settings, and conducted behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy to children and adolescents in a group home setting. Following graduation, Dr. Nabizadeh completed her post-doctoral residency at a local psychology practice, where she continued to provide therapy to children and teens, as well as psychological evaluations, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, parent training, and school consultation.
Dr. Nabizadeh has experience working with children, teens, and young adults between the ages of 3 years and 21 years, as well as parents, caregivers, and teachers. Dr. Nabizadeh specializes in providing services to children, adolescents, and young adults with behavior difficulties, including disruptive behavioral disorder diagnoses, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s, PDD-NOS), anxiety, depressive symptoms, adjustment problems, developmental delays, and/or learning difficulties. Additionally, Dr. Nabizadeh has extensive experience providing psychological and educational assessments for a wide variety of needs.
Services provided by Dr. Nabizadeh include individual, family, and group therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment, cognitive behavioral and behavioral therapy, social skills training, parent and teacher education in behavior modification and alternative educational and/or learning approaches, psychological and educational assessments, consultation with schools and other health professionals, and advocacy for special education student services. Services are provided in a wide variety of settings, depending on need and parameters set by insurance providers,
Together, Dr. Nabizadeh and Dr. DeSantis are active in the behavioral health community of Northeast Florida, often collaborating with other disciplines, speaking at trainings and events, advocating for educational and behavioral health reform, and consulting with agencies. Previously, Dr. Nabizadeh served on the committee for District 4 SEDNET (Multiagency Network for Emotional/Behavioral Disabled Students).
Dr. Nabizadeh is Jacksonville native and resides in the beaches area with her husband and two young daughters.