ABOUT DR. SCHWARTZ
Dr. Schwartz founded Thrive College Counseling with the goal of supporting teens with learning differences make the difficult but important transition into adulthood. Thrive College Counseling works with students to discover their best college fit in order to ensure a successful transition to the college or program of their choice after high school. Dr. Schwartz received her Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA Extension in 2016. She currently co-teaches an on-line class at UC Irvine to individuals who are working on their college counseling certificate. The class is entitled "Working With Students With Learning Differences". Dr. Schwartz is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dr. Schwartz began her career as a therapist and has provided counseling services to parents of children with developmental and learning challenges since 1989. In this capacity, she has worked with children and teens to better understand their strengths and challenges and develop the independent living skills and self-advocacy skills necessary for independence. She received her Ph.D. from New York University.
Bringing these years of experience to Thrive College Counseling, Dr. Schwartz provides college counseling services to families of high school students. Dr. Schwartz draws upon her experiences throughout her career to educate students and parents regarding the skills needed to be prepared for the transition from high school to college, and to create a thoughtful list of colleges to consider.
Dr. Schwartz began her career as a therapist and has provided counseling services to parents of children with developmental and learning challenges since 1989. In this capacity, she has worked with children and teens to better understand their strengths and challenges and develop the independent living skills and self-advocacy skills necessary for independence. She received her Ph.D. from New York University.
Bringing these years of experience to Thrive College Counseling, Dr. Schwartz provides college counseling services to families of high school students. Dr. Schwartz draws upon her experiences throughout her career to educate students and parents regarding the skills needed to be prepared for the transition from high school to college, and to create a thoughtful list of colleges to consider.
MORE ABOUT DR. SCHWARTZ
To complete her doctoral work at New York University, Dr. Schwartz conducted a qualitative research study focused on understanding the experiences of parents of children with autism. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents who had a child 6 years of age or younger with an autistic spectrum disorder diagnosis. The interviews explored the parents’ experiences prior to receiving a diagnosis for their child as well as the years following the diagnosis including experiences in obtaining services, parental use of supports, emotional issues and overall coping.
The research clearly indicated that the stress of raising a child with an autistic spectrum disorder had an impact on how each parent coped with their situation. Four classifications of stress experienced by parents in this study were evident.
Throughout her years as a clinician, Dr. Schwartz has emphasized a family centered approach to her work that stems from this research. This included building the skills of each family member, in order for the individual and the family as a whole to thrive.
Dr. Schwartz is also the founder of Camp Altitude in 2010. This two-week summer sleep away camp was created to provide youth with social cognitive challenges such as autism an opportunity to build independent living skills and social skills in a fun and safe environment. Camp Altitude was purchased by Via Services in 2015, which is now a part of Abilitypath.
To complete her doctoral work at New York University, Dr. Schwartz conducted a qualitative research study focused on understanding the experiences of parents of children with autism. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents who had a child 6 years of age or younger with an autistic spectrum disorder diagnosis. The interviews explored the parents’ experiences prior to receiving a diagnosis for their child as well as the years following the diagnosis including experiences in obtaining services, parental use of supports, emotional issues and overall coping.
The research clearly indicated that the stress of raising a child with an autistic spectrum disorder had an impact on how each parent coped with their situation. Four classifications of stress experienced by parents in this study were evident.
- Social stressors involving experiences with friends, the community, the workplace, and how the family was able to interact and manage these situations.
- Parental stress from the child’s behaviors related to the autism, and how the family was able to understand and manage these behaviors.
- The stress of obtaining services for the child, and the ability of the family to advocate for services appropriately.
- Stress stemming from coping with immediate and extended family responses to the diagnosis, and the degree of acceptance of the disability of each adult family member.
Throughout her years as a clinician, Dr. Schwartz has emphasized a family centered approach to her work that stems from this research. This included building the skills of each family member, in order for the individual and the family as a whole to thrive.
Dr. Schwartz is also the founder of Camp Altitude in 2010. This two-week summer sleep away camp was created to provide youth with social cognitive challenges such as autism an opportunity to build independent living skills and social skills in a fun and safe environment. Camp Altitude was purchased by Via Services in 2015, which is now a part of Abilitypath.
CONTACT DR. SCHWARTZ
To set up an initial brief consultation, please email Dr. Schwartz at [email protected] or [email protected]
To set up an initial brief consultation, please email Dr. Schwartz at [email protected] or [email protected]
