Dr. Gina LaFrazza provides therapy and assessment services for children and their families. She has experience working in a variety of settings and working with families of diverse backgrounds. Her goal when working with children is to help them feel understood and experience success. Whereas adults are often able to verbalize feelings of depression, anxiety, etc., research suggests children may not display or be able to articulate classic symptoms of psychological problems such as these. In fact, for youth, for example, depression may be much more likely to present as irritability and anger in comparison to sadness and unhappiness. Unfortunately, because children often have difficulty verbalizing these feelings, they act out their irritability and anger and are often misunderstood by the adults in their lives.

Dr. LaFrazza uses a dual approach to child and family therapy. When working with children and preteens, she often employs child-directed play therapy coupled with developing positive coping strategies, emotional regulation techniques, and behavior modification strategies. Research suggests play therapy techniques increase self-esteem among youth and decrease verbal and physical aggression. Parents are often surprised to learn that using certain play therapy techniques with their child only approximately 10-15 minutes a day can have such positive results. Dr. LaFrazza simultaneously works with parents to increase effective behavior management strategies. Parents often enter family therapy feeling as though they’ve “tried everything.” Many times they have, however, there are often patterns and pitfalls Dr. LaFrazza can first identify and then tweak to allow for previously failed interventions to have more success. Dr. LaFrazza can artfully provide families with a balance of child empowering techniques coupled with behavior modification strategies parents can use to alleviate distress and conflict at home.

Dr. LaFrazza also conducts psychoeducational assessments. These include intelligence testing for gifted and talented children, diagnosis of learning disabilities, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD or ‘ADD’), and autism-spectrum disorders. The unique blend of having degrees in both clinical psychology and education make Dr. LaFrazza uniquely suited for assessing children, as she has an in-depth understanding of the educational arena. Dr. LaFrazza communicates testing results to parents in an understandable way and believes strongly in providing specific and individually-tailored recommendations. As a result, parents gain a better understanding of their child’s abilities and how they can most effectively help their child reach their fullest academic potential.

Children and families are an area of special interest for Dr. Sampson. She has worked with children facing a range of emotional and behavioral issues, including childhood depression and anxiety, attention deficit and hyperactivity difficulties, oppositional defiance, separation anxiety, and social difficulties. In her work with children, she focuses on the needs of each individual child and spends considerable time building rapport with them. During each session, Dr. Sampson may draw from a variety of techniques including art and play therapy, structured exercises aimed at developing coping skills, emotion and behavioral regulation, and increasing self-esteem to name a few.

Her experience working with families has covered a broad range of family issues, such as families facing separation and divorce, dealing with chronic physical and mental health issues of a family member, financial strain, domestic violence and familial substance abuse along with a variety of other concerns. When working with the family she pays particular attention to the psychological functioning of each family member as well as how families function as a whole in order to establish the most supportive and effective plan for treatment. No two families are alike; Dr. Sampson takes the time to get to know each family as the unique system it is, and then respecting that uniqueness structures her treatment interventions to revolve around the needs and interests of the family members. This might include both individual modes of therapy for children and adults as well as family sessions that may focus more on communication, techniques for child behavior management, and parenting support. Therapy sessions may be spent a variety of ways ranging from play therapy for children and unstructured talk therapy as developmentally appropriate, to more structured activities and skills introduced at the office and practiced at home.

The variety of settings in which Dr. Sampson has effectively worked with families have included outpatient practices, intensive in-home settings, and an intensive outpatient program for children diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. In addition to therapy, Dr. Sampson has experience providing both psychological and psychoeducational testing to children to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological, learning, and behavioral difficulties.


Dr. Freeman enjoys working with children because it is fun, creative, and inspiring. She helps children struggling with all common childhood issues such as mood disorders, (for example, childhood depression or pediatric bi-polar); or the many forms of anxiety children can experience such as general anxiety, school or social anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness (OCD), or separation anxiety; as well as social problems, social skills, behavior problems at home or school, family and school difficulties, shyness, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD;‘ADD’), and learning disabilities (LD). She has specialized training in dealing with separation and divorce, as well as with trauma and abuse recovery. Dr. Freeman connects with the child at their own pace, while also gently moving the child forward in feeling better or learning more appropriate behaviors. She enjoys play therapy because it often brings a smile to her face when she is able to see the world through a child’s eyes and help them through their difficulties. Children are intuitive and pick up on how much she enjoys being with them, thus it is no wonder most children love their time with her. Dr. Freeman is open and caring with children, which helps her form a trusting connection. In addition, her fun and energetic nature brings enthusiasm and creativity to the therapy.

Dr. Freeman’s interventions are appropriately chosen based on the age of the child, thus “play” therapy with a 4-year-old will look quite different from “play” therapy with a 10-year-old, with her interactions and conversations carefully chosen to improve the child’s presenting problem at a developmental level appropriate to each child. Play therapy is beneficial to children in many ways including helping identify and express thoughts and feelings when they might not possess the necessary vocabulary, language skills, or ability to do so yet. For all pre-teen children, according to Landreth (2002), “toys are like the child’s words and play is the child’s language.” Play can also help children enhance many important areas of functioning such as social skills, communication skills, cognitive skills, behavior modification, emotional expression, adaptive behaviors, problem-solving skills, and learning how to connect and relate to others. Additionally, play therapy has been found to encourage development of cognitive skills as well as help the child gain insight into their thoughts and feelings.

Dr. Freeman knows it is important to include parents, and at times other essential family members, in the treatment of the child, and often works with others in addition to the child to improve communication and positive interactions. Respecting the uniqueness of each child and family, she works with the parents and child to determine what is needed in the child’s treatment and who should be involved. She assists parents in developing behavioral modification plans and also in learning new ways to interact and play with their children at home to help sustain improvements the child makes during the therapy process. Dr. Freeman ensures she connects with the parents, answers their questions and meets their needs with regard to their child’s therapy, so the goals of treatment can be achieved.

Additionally, Dr. Freeman has extensive experience conducting comprehensive psychoeducational and psychological evaluations to help children and their families identify and explore the child’s difficulties and create a plan for moving forward.


Colette Segalla provides therapy and evaluation services to children. She is experienced in interventions with children, and psychological and educational evaluations. In addition to her general psychology training in child issues, Colette has additional training and experience in working with children who have learning disabilities (LD), and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD or ‘ADD’). Colette’s doctoral dissertation concerns the spiritual development of children and the importance of a relationship with nature in this development. She also participated in a two-year co-research project, The Inner Life of the Child in Nature, at The Center for Education and Imagination in the Natural World. Prior to a career change into psychology, Colette was a teacher and has extensive experience in education, certified to teach at both the elementary and secondary levels. She also holds a Montessori Elementary Teaching Certificate from the Association Montessori International, in addition to a secondary English teaching certificate. Her background in education makes her an excellent resource for parents with children whose issues affect their academics. Colette brings a wealth of child experience to her work in clinical psychology with a rich, diverse background of working with children in various contexts.


Children and families have been a focus for Dr. Molly Parks throughout her career. Before becoming a psychologist, Dr. Parks worked with children in speech and occupational therapy, as well as family services for Head Start, and program development for outdoor programs for children. This interdisciplinary experience, combined with extensive clinical training and experience, has equipped Dr. Parks with a broad and comprehensive approach to treating children and families struggling with any issue. Dr. Parks offers expertise with children and families in individual and group therapy, consultation for school-based issues, psychological and academic testing and assessment, and parent guidance. With younger children, she specializes in play therapy approaches that integrate behavioral modification techniques in a way that is both fun and empowering for the children she works with. She has extensive experience and training with children who have undergone both acute and long-term traumatic events, and employs both body and play-based techniques to working with trauma. She also has experience working in both individual and group setting with children coping with ADD/ADHD, aggression and oppositional behaviors, pervasive developmental disorders, social issues, adjusting to divorce, depression, and anxiety. Dr. Parks’ testing and assessment experience includes forensic trauma evaluation, and both psychoeducational and psychodiagnostic assessment, including intelligence testing for gifted and talented children, as well as diagnosis of learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and pervasive developmental disorders. She enjoys using assessment to help children and their families better understand their strengths and how to best serve their learning styles.

Dr. Parks believes strongly in engaging parents in the treatment of their children, and focuses on implementing at-home interventions and parent guidance as a primary adjunct tool in her work with children. She works creatively with children and their parents to find techniques that will work for the unique needs of their family and create lasting change within the family system.


Dr. Imbraguglio’s work with children and teens also spans assessment, therapy, and research. She has extensive experience in conducting psychoeducational evaluations across the academic spectrum, to include evaluating for learning disabilities and AD/HD as well as gifted children and adolescents. In addition to conducting the assessments, her work in the schools involved performing behavioral observations in classroom settings, and attending special education meetings to report evaluation results to teachers and administrators and to advocate for the child as needed. She has also conducted comprehensive psychological and behavioral assessments for children and adolescents to aid in differential diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and determinations of adoption readiness. Dr. Imbraguglio has experience working with children and adolescents with a variety of common teen and childhood issues such as depression, anxiety, dealing with divorce, behavior problems, problems with peers, social problems, AD/HD, family and school difficulties, shyness, aggression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), substance use, bi-polar, body image concerns, and Asperger's. Her experience extends to working with parents and families as well, to include parent coaching and family therapy. Having worked on a children’s crisis stabilization unit with clients between 5-17 years of age who were a threat to themselves or someone else, she is also well equipped to assist parents in de-escalation techniques, as well as teaching children how to self-regulate emotions. Dr. Imbraguglio’s research includes working as a Clinical Analyst on the Pediatric Psychopharmacology Research Unit at a large hospital, and she has authored, for professional journals and presentations, articles on common executive function deficits in girls and boys with AD/HD, screening for executive function deficits in AD/HD and non-AD/HD youth, and determining if individual tests of executive functions predict performance on an executive function battery for all children.

Her warmth, friendly demeanor, and natural connection with children and teenagers make Dr. Nicole (as she is called by the kids) a favorite among children and parents.


As a health psychologist, Dr. Savia assists parents whose children are facing the difficulties of illness and serious medical conditions. She is experienced in assisting parents with processing and coping with their child’s chronic illness, such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes. The illness of a child brings enormous stress onto parents on the individual level and onto marriages, yet it is so easy, almost natural, for parents to place all of their energy into focusing on helping and supporting their child without any attention to their own self-care. Dr. Savia can provide that modicum of self-care and support needed to keep the individual and marriage strong and healthy, and thus better able to sustain support for their child.


From the very beginning of her career, Dr. Lepage has been focusing on children and families; whereas most psychologists have an undergraduate that is, like their doctorate, in psychology, Dr. Lepage has an undergraduate in Child Development & Family Relationships. Her many years of specialization in child development and families make her highly sought out by parents seeking help for their child. Dr. Lepage is an expert in play therapy with children, and in interviewing and evaluating children. She is experienced in a variety of childhood issues such as behavior problems, family and school difficulties, AD/HD, LD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, depression, anxiety, dealing with divorce, and social problems to include awkwardness, shyness, isolation, and acting out. With regard to play therapy, she has a special interest in working with children dealing with divorce, and with regard to evaluations she has extensive experience in providing testing in clinically complex cases in which there is uncertainty as to the underlying problem (to include psychological and psychoeducational issues). Dr. Lepage also has extensive experience with couple’s/family issues, to include couple’s therapy for those staying together, and assisting couples who decide to divorce to do so with a minimal amount of conflict in that process. Dr. Lepage is certified to act as a Parent Coordinator in NC, and is an expert in Cooperative Co-Parenting. Dr. Lepage provides play therapy and psychological evaluations for pre-teen children, couple’s and family therapy, custody evaluations, and an extensive range of divorce services.

Dr. Jason Machalicky has seen children for a variety of concerns, including childhood depression, child anxiety, school anxiety, separation anxiety disorder, AD/HD (‘ADD’), behavioral acting out, coping with loss, adoption issues, sibling rivalry, autism, asperger’s, and psychosis. His child medication evaluations are very comprehensive, and include extensive parent education on the benefits as well as any potential side effects of medication. Likewise, his medication management with children is comprehensive as he helps guide the child toward improvement. Dr. Machalicky also provides play therapy for children and parent coaching. He utilizes cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and play therapeutic techniques, and tailors his approach to the individual child and family.


Dr. Colleen Hamilton is a clinical and child psychologist, with her training focused on work with children, adolescents, and families. She specializes in children, and has a wide variety of experience working with children and their families. Dr. Hamilton's fun and creative spirit as a child therapist makes her uniquely skilled at engaging children in the process! She is well versed in a variety of approaches that engage children to include play therapy, sand tray therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and body movement therapy. Depending on the presenting problem, her direct work with the child may focus on lessening sadness or anxiety, developing coping skills or problem solving skills, social skill improvement, self-esteem raising, anger management / emotion regulation, or behavior modification. Concurrently she includes parent training and coaching. One area of common concern often presented is noncompliance at home or at school. Dr. Hamilton works with the family and school to develop a behavior modification plan to improve behavior. She stresses full participation from all those involved, including the child, to achieve optimal success. Dr. Hamilton also has a special interest in and extensive experience in working with traumatized children, and she worked as both a Therapist and Research Coordinator for a Child & Adolescent Traumatic Stress Program. Her trauma work with children is often done with a combination of individual therapy, family therapy, and parent sessions. Dr. Hamilton focuses on teaching the parent to support the child through their recovery while strengthening the parent-child relationship. When dealing with all childhood issues, Dr. Hamilton recognizes the importance of the family and works extensively with parents to understand how their child's development and external stressors impact their child's functioning. She has also conducted sibling groups to improve sibling interactions and develop conflict resolution skills. In addition to therapy, Dr. Hamilton provides educational and psychological testing for children, for AD/HD, learning disorders, and to discern the impact psychological issues such as depression or anxiety may be having on the teen's school performance or behavior in general.

As a therapist, her creativity has made her a favorite among children and parents, who find sessions both effective and fun! (If you haven't read her main bio page, click here to go there and learn more about her wonderful creativity as a therapist!)