Growing Minds, LLC

 Neuropsychological Assessment, Consultation and Guidance Service for Children, Adolescents, and Families

Now offering teletherapy! Contact me to learn more.

Dr. Dashevsky

Anya Dashevsky, Psy.D.

anya@growingmindspsych.com

(339) 970-0659

4 Militia Drive, Suite 17
Lexington, MA 02421

Welcome to Growing Minds!

I am a clinical psychologist with extensive training in therapy and neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents, and young adults. I have a thorough understanding of child development based on the latest research in the field, and over 15 years of hands-on experience working with children and families.

Growing Minds provides the following services:

The goal of my work is to improve the lives of children and families by helping them build on their strengths and address areas of challenge. Through my work, I help parents understand their children's behavior, teach family members to communicate more effectively, and guide children as they navigate developmental challenges.

How Growing Minds is unique:

  developmental approach

At each stage of development, a child is working to master a particular set of skills. For example, a preschool-aged child is learning to play constructively, to make friends, and to develop a sense of self separate from the parent. When a child has trouble mastering one or more developmental tasks, they will likely experience behavioral, social, or emotional difficulties. Together with the parents, I work to understand what developmental tasks the child has trouble mastering and what keeps them from mastering these tasks. I help families address their children's emotional or behavioral difficulties by supporting children in their development.

  therapy based on the Collaborative Problem Solving approach

The underlying philosophy of the Collaborative Problem Solving approach is that kids do well if they can. Children are not purposefully trying to be difficult or make their parents' life miserable. If a child is exhibiting challenging behaviors, it is because the child has lagging skills in areas such as emotional regulation, perspective-taking, or cognitive flexibility. In my sessions, I teach parents how to work collaboratively with their child in order to solve problems. Through this process, the child gets to practice the skills that they need to successfully navigate challenging situations.

  services for very young children

Research shows that addressing emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems early leads to better outcomes. As someone who has several years of experience working for an Early Intervention Program, I feel very comfortable interacting with toddlers and preschoolers. I have thorough knowledge of standardized tests for children in this age group and can perform a neurodevelopmental assessment to identify a child's areas of strength and challenge, as well as provide a diagnosis, if appropriate. I provide guidance to parents of children of all ages, conduct neurodevelopmental evaluations with children starting at 18 months of age; and use play therapy with children starting at 2.5 years of age.

  observation of children in their natural environment (school, daycare, playgroup)

At Growing Minds, I understand that a child might behave differently in my office than she does at home or at school. As part of the evaluation, I often observe the child in her school or daycare in order to see how she interacts with peers and teachers in her everyday environment.

  assessment over multiple sessions

Just like all of us, children have their good days and bad days. Diagnosing a child based on one session (after he missed his nap or got into a fight with his sibling, or just plain got up on the wrong side of the bed) could lead to an inaccurate diagnosis. For some children, it may take a while to warm up to an unfamiliar adult in a new setting. Testing takes effort and patience, and children get tired after a certain amount of time. For these reasons, I conduct my evaluations in 1-3 hour-long chunks (depending on the child's age and stamina) over 2-5 testing sessions.

  collaboration with teachers, daycare providers and other professionals

In order to get a better picture of the child's overall functioning, I communicate with the child's teachers, daycare providers and other professionals (with the parents' permission). I am also available to present the results of the evaluation during IEP or other meetings with service providers.

  the evaluation results in a comprehensive report written in plain English, with specific recommendations

My evaluations result in comprehensive, jargon-free reports that include specific recommendations for parents, teachers, and others working with the child and the family. In writing the recommendations, I collaborate with professionals from other disciplines (such as speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and child psychiatrists) to ensure that the recommendations embrace all aspects of the child’s development.

I offer a free initial phone consultation to determine how my services can best meet your needs, or refer you to a colleague who would be a better match.