PCOM Psychological Services

Families in the area are currently experiencing lengthy waitlists for autism diagnostic services of local developmental pediatrician and psychologist offices. Doctoral students in the school psychology program at PCOM, under the clinical supervision of licensed faculty, can provide autism diagnostic services such as the ADOS and ADI for the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

This service, available through the Hassman Family Medicine Center and Lancaster Avenue PCOM Healthcare sites, provides mental health evaluations, brief individual therapy, and group therapy. The focus is on short-term, solution-focused support for a range of concerns, including managing medical conditions, adjusting to treatment, improving overall well-being, and addressing anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma.

Care is provided by advanced psychology trainees, including practicum students and interns, under the supervision of licensed psychologists.

If you're interested in this service, please talk with your primary care provider or contact PPS at 215-871-6487 to request an appointment.

We provide school systems consultation, support and consultation for parents, caregivers, and teachers, school-based mental health services, as well as psychoeducational assessments, functional behavior assessments, and consultation and support for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

MS in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Doctor of Psychology in School Psychology (PsyD) students can provide FBAs to assess problem behavior and recommend treatment strategies. These assessments conducted by graduate students and supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) may be done in community-based settings such as schools or homes. The assessment would determine a cause for problem behavior displayed by children served and provide recommendations for function-based treatment and (if desired) training of parents/staff on interventions.

PCOM School Psychology and/or Applied Behavior Analysis students can conduct skill and functioning level assessments in verbal behavior (VB-MAPP), functional skills (AFLS), adaptive skills (Vineland), etc. These assessments can be used for intervention planning and school placement.

The Memory Center at PCOM combines the clinical services of geriatric medicine and psychology to enable the early identification of individuals with cognitive decline so that accurate diagnosis and appropriate next steps in treatment and advance care planning are initiated. Memory Center clients will work with board-certified geriatricians and doctoral-level psychologists to provide comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support as well as referral to appropriate resources.

Through community engagement and affiliation, education and research, the PCOM Memory Center endeavors to advance the understanding and management of cognitive health and improve the quality of care for patients and their families.

PCOM Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) students, under the supervision of licensed and experienced faculty, offer consultation and professional development services to healthcare providers and physicians. These services may address topics such as managing grief, caregiver stress, treatment planning, the impact of depression on treatment adherence, and support for case management.

PPS currently offers the following assessment services:

Neuropsychological Assessment

This service helps individuals better understand how they are functioning in areas such as memory, attention, reasoning, language, problem-solving, emotional functioning, and self-control. It may also examine how illness or injury has affected these abilities.

A licensed neuropsychologist, along with supervised psychology trainees, conducts the assessment in collaboration with the patient and their family. The evaluation typically takes place over the course of a day. Afterward, a detailed report is prepared within 2–3 weeks, followed by a feedback session to review the results and recommendations.

General Psychological Testing

This service provides psychological testing to evaluate areas such as intellectual ability, emotional functioning, attention, learning, and executive skills. Testing is available for children, adolescents, and adults.

The assessment usually takes place over two to four sessions. After testing is complete, a full report is prepared and discussed in a feedback session. Services are provided by psychology practicum students and interns under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.

We provide outpatient therapy for individuals, couples, and families. Common concerns addressed in therapy include anxiety, depression, family stress or transitions, academic challenges, health-related issues, and relationship difficulties.

Our approach focuses mainly on cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is goal-oriented and typically short-term. We also incorporate other methods, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and motivational interviewing, depending on your needs.

Therapy is provided by advanced graduate students in clinical psychology, who are closely supervised by licensed psychologists.

A psychoeducational assessment is a psychological evaluation that helps identify a student's academic and cognitive strengths and weaknesses. It is often used to help students with learning difficulties, and can also help identify social, emotional, and behavioral issues. Clinical and school psychology doctoral-level practicum students conduct the assessments in clinic space on campus and/or in school settings, under the supervision of a licensed psychologist.