We recently connected with Avital Cohen and have shared our conversation below.

Avital, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

When I first decided to become a psychologist, my intended focus was to provide therapy services. However, my first year in my doctorate program I was exposed to cognitive testing and found I really loved it. I took all classes related to assessment that I could and also became a teaching assistant for some of the testing classes. Then on my internship at Brooke Army Medical Center, I was exposed to a specific test called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule or ADOS while on one of my rotations. This was my first experience testing for autism, which is something I have become very passionate about. If you had asked me when I first decided to become a psychologist or when I first started graduate school if I would be running a practice focused on testing/assessment and specializing in autism, I would never have been able to picture it. But by staying open to new experiences and fully exploring the opportunities that were offered to me, I am fortunate enough to be doing work every day that is meaningful and that I love doing.

Avital, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a licensed psychologist in Sandy Springs, Georgia with a focus on the assessment of neurodevelopmental, educational, and emotional/behavioral differences in children and adolescents. My goal is to help children and their families better understand their strengths and challenges, and to develop comprehensive treatment and support plans. I am proud that my small practice, Peachtree Pediatric Psychology, has continued to grow and has added two additional licensed providers since I founded it in order to provide services to our community. Additionally, my practice currently participates with some insurances, which sets us apart from many other practices in the area.

Any advice for managing a team?

Building a supportive culture has been essential to maintaining high morale. I am fortunate to have hired some amazing staff, who also view our team as a work family. Since we spend so much time together, it is important that we are there for each other to celebrate the good times (we’ve gotten to celebrate several babies this past year!), as well as coming together during challenging times. I try to make sure my team knows that we are there to be collaborative, not competitive, with one another and this makes sure that our focus always stays on track – providing exceptional clinical care when working with children and families.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I feel very fortunate that I love the work I do and cannot imagine doing anything else – but I’m also glad that I tried several other things along the way and didn’t know this is exactly where I would end up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.peachpsychology.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peachpsychology/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peachpsychology/

Image Credits
Shayna Image (headshot)