Dr. Monroe Psychological Services
About Me
Clinical School Psychologist
Abigail Monroe, PsyD
Hello! My name is Dr. Abigail Monroe and I am a clinically licensed psychologist and NYS certified school psychologist. I am passionate about working with children and adolescents, especially focusing on early intervention and addressing concerns and needs sooner rather than later. I have worked with children in many capacities for the last 14 years through childcare programs, schools, organizations, and volunteer opportunities. This coming school year will be my third year as a full-time school psychologist for a local district. I love to figure out how to best support children and their families through their concerns, be it through counseling, testing, or parent work. I believe that play is fundamental to child development, and I love to incorporate as much play as possible into my work with clients (yes, adolescents and parents can play too!).
Education and Experience
Education
2021: PsyD, Clinical School Psychology, Roberts Wesleyan University
2017: B.S., Psychology, Roberts Wesleyan University
Professional Experience
2022-Present: District School Psychologist
2021-2022: Post-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Rochester Medical Center: Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness
2020-2021: APA Accredited Pre-Doctoral Internship, Hawai’i Psychology Internship Consortium: Windward School District, Oahu, HI
2019-2020: School Psychology Internship, Junior High School
Certifications
2022: Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainer
My Therapeutic Approach
I approach therapy from a few different, but related schools of thought, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Play Therapy, and Strength Based Therapy. This means that I work with my clients on learning about and managing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to align with their goals. I also focus on accepting feelings and thoughts without judgement and developing psychological flexibility, I incorporate play as much as I can, and I focus on the strengths and motivations of my clients in order to make the desired progress. Additionally, I believe that as a psychologist, while I have expertise in child development, diagnoses, and therapeutic strategies, parents are the experts on their children, and children/youth are the experts about themselves. I approach every session with the desire to collaborate and work together to reach the desired outcome of therapy.
My Assessment Approach
I approach all assessments with a collaborative and strengths based approach. While I am the expert regarding tests, scores, and interpretation, the parent/guardian is the expert on their child. I work with the parent and the child to gain a full picture of who the child is, their experiences, their needs, etc., in order to develop a fully comprehensive and appropriate assessment plan. I also take a strengths based approach to my assessments and I look to identify all of the child’s strengths, in order to provide recommendations that use those strengths to address any areas of need.