Today we’d like to introduce you to Avital Cohen.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always known I wanted to help people and work with children. At a pretty young age, I learned that I could do both by becoming a psychologist. Fast forward to graduate school and I learned that psychologists aren’t just trained in therapy, but also complete psychological evaluations, which help better understand how people learn and process the world around them. I was immediately hooked and now my focus is entirely on testing and assessment. I look at my job as finding the missing piece of the puzzle to help children and their families know what type of supports they need to be their best self.
Like many things in life, my journey to where I am today wasn’t a straight line. During graduate school, I applied for the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) through the US Army. Receiving this scholarship was a great honor and also meant that I was committing to serving on active duty in the military. It also allowed me to get the best possible training and shaped me into the psychologist I am today. In addition to serving at several military hospitals, I deployed with special forces to Iraq and received a Bronze Star for the work I did.
One of my current speciality areas is the assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There is such a range in what individuals on the spectrum can look like and my focus in this area is incredibly important to me. Early and accurate identification can help prevent individuals and families from experiencing unnecessary emotional stress, and that is part of my work that is so rewarding.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think many people have a smooth road from beginning to end in their life journey – life would be pretty boring if that was the case. Learning how to balance running a busy private practice while also prioritizing my family (including three children under age six) is an ongoing learning opportunity every day.
Peachtree Pediatric Psychology – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I founded Peachtree Pediatric Psychology in order to be able to provide affordable, accessible psychological evaluations to a wide range of families. It is especially challenging for families to find providers willing to work with insurance, and I am incredibly proud to offer quality, comprehensive services while accepting many insurance plans. I also want families to truly understand their child’s needs, and it is important to me to focus on both the strengths and growth areas that kids have when talking about testing results. I love knowing that the work I do helps parents, teachers, and other providers engage in a more effective manner with children, whether it is emotionally, academically, or otherwise.
Another important goal of my practice is to help increase access to Autism Spectrum Disorder evaluations. There are many families who struggle to find centers that do not have incredibly long waiting lists to get in for an initial evaluation. My practice works hard to make these services available on a time frame that manageable for families, while also providing ongoing consultation after a diagnosis to aid in access to care. I also have several postdoctoral fellows I am very excited about that have recently joined my practice, as being involved in their training is very rewarding and I know there will soon be more clinicians available to help the families I care about.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The combined experience of families letting me know that the discussions we have about their child and the information we learned through the assessment process has made an impact on their ability to be happy and/or succeed, and even more importantly understand who their child is and what they need, that is what makes me feel proud to be a psychologist and run my practice.
Contact Info:
- Address: 750 Hammond Drive
Building 10, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30328 - Website: www.peachpsychology.com
- Phone: 4047967777
- Email: admin@peachpsychology.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/peachpsychology
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