Evaluators & Clinicians

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Dr. Alves, PsyD. is a trilingual (Portuguese, English, Spanish) licensed psychologist with training in pediatric psychology, neuropsychology, and psychotherapy. She has a specific interest in treating young children with unconventional neurodevelopment like ADHD, autism, learning differences, and specific neurological conditions like seizures. She has a particular passion for treating girls and women with ADHD or other executive functioning issues.

Dr. Alves is devoted to establishing a strong relationship with her patients based on honesty and a non-judgmental stance. She appreciates that individuals exist within a complex context of relationships, race, ethnicity, aptitudes, social status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and spirituality, to name a few. With this in mind, she integrates evidence- and strengths-based techniques from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), positive psychology, and interpersonal therapy to devise a holistic treatment plan that fits their unique lives.

Dr. Alves uses her neuropsychology knowledge to help people understand how brain-behavior relationships influence their thoughts and actions. She sees this as a powerful tool to reframe their view of themselves and others. Dr. Alves is committed to collaborating with patients’ families, physicians, and educators to reinforce critical aspects of healthy living: diet, sleep, exercise, mindfulness, social connections, and, when appropriate, medication management. Her goal is not only to teach her patients new skills to mitigate their challenges, but also to foster a growth mindset, enhance their self-trust, and dramatically change their lives for the better.

Dr. Alves received pre- and post-doctoral training in neuropsychology at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital and at the Chesapeake Center, under Dr. Kathleen Nadeau’s psychotherapy supervision. She earned her master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in neuropsychology, at Carlos Albizu University.

Robert Chase, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist with over 30 years of experience in working with adults, as well as with children, adolescents, and their families. He incorporates his neuropsychological background into his therapy to help his clients understand how their brain works and what methods to use to address depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, motivation difficulties, OCD behaviors, specific phobias and panic attacks, and symptoms of ADHD. Dr. Chase’s goal is to develop a strong and trusting relationship in which his clients feel safe, heard, and genuinely valued and understood.

Dr. Chase helps clients understand their issues as part of normal human experience (whatever your problems, you are far from alone and in good company). To reduce unnecessary feelings of anxiety and shame, and to increase self-compassion, it’s important that clients see their concerns for what they are: life problems, complicated by unhealthy coping skills.Dr. Chase focuses on changing the automatic/unconscious emotional and motivational issues that keep us “stuck”. A crucial part of his therapeutic approach is doing direct emotional and motivational work (through relaxation training and conversational hypnosis). He works to make rapid and lasting change with his clients.

Dr. Chase earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vassar College and went on to earn his doctorate in psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He later did a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at the JFK-Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.

> ADHD
> Learning Disorders
> Anxiety Disorders
> Mood Disorders
> Autism Spectrum Disorders
> OCD

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Dr. Chase is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Maryland. He has given numerous professional lectures, seminars and educational workshops on all of the above-mentioned areas. Please contact The Chesapeake Center if you are interested in having him speak to your group or organization.

Veronica Chang, PsyD has a long-standing interest and experience in the assessment of ADHD, executive functioning, learning disorders, and memory. She first worked at The Chesapeake Center in December 2008 as a psychology associate, conducting psychoeducational evaluations under the supervision of doctoral-level psychologists.

 Dr. Chang then returned to full-time graduate studies where she earned her doctorate in psychology in September 2016. During her doctoral studies, she completed over 2000 clinical training hours in a variety of settings including a private practice, an integrated medical practice, and the neuropsychology department of a pediatric hospital.

Dr. Chang offers psychoeducational assessments, ADHD screening assessments, and psychotherapy for ADHD, learning disorders, and related conditions. Therapeutically, Dr. Chang approaches treatment from an integrated standpoint. Her style is collaborative and incorporates the needs of individuals with ADHD for a more structured and directive approach. She has a particular interest in incorporating mindfulness, and acceptance into traditional cognitive behavioral therapy.

Dr. Chang earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland (Baltimore County), and her master’s degree in psychology from American University in Washington, DC. She earned her psychology doctorate from the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Washington, DC. Dr. Chang completed a postdoctoral residency at The Chesapeake Center under the supervision of Clinical Director Kathleen Nadeau, PhD and neuropsychologist Nancy Mahaney, PhD.

• Acceptance and commitment therapy for depression and anxiety (this approach often works well with people who have tried other therapies with limited success)
• Mindfulness
• Chronic Pain
• Testing and AssessmentAttention, Memory and Learning

Dr. Chang is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Maryland.

Peter Fitts, LCSW-C is a seasoned clinician with over 20 years of experience providing therapy for individuals, families, and couples. He operates from a strengths-based, culturally intelligent, and holistic perspective.

He has an extensive history of working with emotionally challenged youth through the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. In addition to his role as a clinician he has managed therapeutic foster care services for youth within the state of Maryland for over 25 years, implementing best practice methods and evidence based curriculum.

Mr. Fitts has an innate ability to connect with adolescents, young adults, and adults. He “meets his clients where they are”, and works with them to find solutions to change negative thought patterns and behaviors.

A key piece of his process is his ability to partner with parents and caregivers to provide coaching, self-care, and the establishment of healthy age-appropriate expectations. He will never “leave a parent alone” during the turbulent moments of the parenting journey. He has a particular interest in helping treatment-resistant youth or those who are engaging in therapy for the first time.

Mr. Fitts also has past experience treating youth with a history of trauma, neglect, abuse, anxiety, and depression.

In his work with couples, Mr. Fitts provides a middle ground to help enhance communication and build a healthy foundation for a strong relationship. He has developed and led couples “retreat” vacations for healing and growth. Mr. Fitts understands that relationships often require periods of “quiet listening” which allow individuals to communicate in safe spaces in order to create emotional connections and deeper understanding.

Being happily married for over 30 years, Mr. Fitts understands personally the importance of self-work, conjoint work, and self-care as the roots of successful relationships and marriage.

Mr. Fitts sees clients in both Silver Spring and Bethesda.

Mr. Fitts received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Xavier University in New Orleans, LA, and his master’s degree in clinical social work from Howard University. His training at the Johns Hopkins Phipps Psychiatric Department was his foundation for a greater understanding and desire to treat various mental health challenges.

• Working with treatment resistant youth helping them shift their energy from resistance to the pursuit of positive goals
• Working with “failure to launch” young adults, helping them to gain confidence and a sense of direction that can help them move towards a self-sufficient future
• Working with couples in marital therapy
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Mr. Fitts is a Board Certified LCSW-C as well as a Board Certified Social Work Supervisor in the State of Maryland.

Wendy Sharp, LCSW-C is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked at the National Institutes of Health in ADHD research for 23 years and has been in clinical practice for 20 years. She has worked in ADHD brain imaging, genetic, and treatment research and is up-to-date on the most effective research findings and interventions. In addition to ADHD, Ms. Sharp worked at NIH doing research on obsessive-compulsive disorder and childhood-onset schizophrenia.

Prior to her work at NIH, she conducted research on child welfare, mental health, and women’s issues. Additionally, worked with the LGBTQ population for the past 20 years and has facilitated Maybe Baby groups for Rainbow Families.

Ms. Sharp has published in peer-reviewed journals on ADHD across the lifespan, ADHD in girls, monozygotic twins discordant for ADHD, and brain development in children and adolescents with ADHD. She is a frequent guest speaker at national psychiatry and psychology conferences and has spoken to national and local organizations as well as schools and parent groups on ADHD.

Ms. Sharp earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and her master’s degree in social work from Howard University.  She is a member of the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work and the National Association of Social Workers.

• Working with children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD
• Working with families to help them cope with the impact of ADHD in the family
• Working with children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety and depression
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Ms. Sharp is a Board Certified LCSW-C in the State of Maryland.

Kerrie LaRosa, LMSW has been working with children and families for over 16 years providing individual and family therapy, parent coaching and parent trainings.

Kerrie’s approach is both gentle and pragmatic, helping parents tune into their child and parent with confidence. Kerrie’s tailored approach helps parents of children with ADHD understand their child’s needs, develop proactive parenting strategies, and improve their parent-child relationship.

Kerrie has provided trainings for both professionals and parents in the areas of child development, discipline, and proactive parenting.

Kerrie earned her Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and a Master of Science in Social Work, from Columbia University School of Social Work, with a focus on Clinical Social Work with Children and Families.

Kerrie holds an LCSW #27121 in California and an LMSW #24411 in Maryland. Kerrie is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and The Incredible Years Parent Program.

Kerrie has more than 9 years’ experience providing court-ordered parent education for families involved in the child welfare system of Montgomery County, Maryland and provides expert testimony for the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Areas of Interest:

• Helping parents with ADHD develop calmer, more consistent parenting approaches.
• Working with parents of children with ADHD understand their children’s needs and develop proactive parenting strategies.
• Empowering parents with tools to raise emotionally intelligent and independent children.
• Helping families overcome barriers to implementing effective parenting strategies.
• Developing co-parenting plans.

Craig Sidol, PhD specializes in the assessment and treatment of ADHD for individuals age 3 through adulthood. Dr. Sidol conducts thorough psychological testing and functional behavioral analysis to understand the challenges an individual faces and provides tailored recommendations.

For his treatment of children, Dr. Sidol actively involves the parents to maximize behavioral improvements at home. Specifically, Dr. Sidol has 15 years of experience delivering evidence-based strategies to improve parent behavioral management skills, child emotion regulation, child organizational skills, and parent and child understanding of strengths and challenges associated with ADHD.

For his treatment of young adults and adults, Dr. Sidol utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Behavioral Strategies to improve daily functioning.

Dr. Sidol is an outgoing, friendly clinician that enjoys helping individuals and families attain their goals while also decreasing stress.

In his free time, Dr. Sidol enjoys reading, training for triathlons, and cooking.

Dr. Sidol earned his bachelor’s degree at John Carroll University. He went on to earn his PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Sidol completed his internship training at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Sidol completed a two-year research fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

• ADHD
• Disruptive Behavior
• Executive Functioning
• Learning Disabilities
• Sleep

Rhonda Lehman, LCSW-C  has been a clinical social worker since 1990. Rhonda has a broad range of clinical experience in working with adults and couples from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Her love of teaching, training, and supervising students has also been an integral part of her experience. She was an Adjunct Professor at the New York University-graduate social work program and The College of New Rochelle.

Rhonda has clinical experience in working with clients who are struggling with ADHD, executive functioning issues, and other co-existing conditions including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, alcoholism, and disordered eating. Her clinical interests and experience also include work with trauma, infertility/ loss, abusive/challenging relationships, and personality disorders.

She is certified in advanced trauma treatment through the Ferentz Institute. She is interested in the legacy of trauma and how dysfunctional communication patterns can occur between generations. 

Rhonda is also certified in Imago therapy and uses this approach with couples and families. This modality has proven to be highly successful as it teaches improved communication through its clear and structured approach. She also will complete her training in psychomotor psychotherapy through the Sensorimotor Institute, in June 2021. 

Her creative approach in working with ADHD is integrating the mind and body in reducing stress through mindfulness, breathing, and guided imagery, providing clients with self-regulation and inner resourcing.

Her scientifically based, non-pathologizing and strength-based approaches support her clients and help them navigate the challenges of ADHD. She practices from an integrative approach incorporating imago therapy, internal family systems (IFS), CBT, psychodynamic, and psychomotor interventions.

Rhonda brings many years of clinical experience, a passion to genuinely understand and connect with clients on a deep emotional level. 

Her priority is to help clients learn to self-regulate, gain deeper awareness, and access the tools and resources for improved functioning at home, school, and work.

She has training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and psychomotor psychotherapy through the Sensorimotor Institute. She practices from an integrative health Perspective- focusing on the relationship between mind and body.

• Anxiet
• Depressio
• ADH
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT
• Couples Counseling 
• Imago Relationshi
• Therap
• College students challenged by ADHD and learning disorder
• Traum
• Family Systems

Rhonda Lehman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the States of Maryland and Virginia.

Nicole Salman, PhD  (they/them, she/her) is a clinical neuropsychologist with experience working with diverse populations across the lifespan, as well as with couples and families. Dr. Salman emphasizes a person-centered approach to care by promoting accessibility and tailoring treatment approaches, interventions, and assessments.

As a member of MEPA (Middle East Psychology Association) and as a first-generation Middle Eastern/Arab-American, Dr. Salman has a personal understanding of and professional experience working with diverse racial and ethnic populations and exploring topics of minority stress. Dr. Salman also has a passion for and experience working with individuals with disability identities including those with non-apparent as well as apparent disabilities, particularly the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) communities.

Dr. Salman is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and provides services in both English and ASL. Gender identity and LGBTQ-related challenges, rights, and equality is also an area of interest for Dr. Salman, and they/she is committed to creating a comfortable and safe space for anyone who walks in the door.

Dr. Salman earned a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) degree from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. They/she went on to earn a PhD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology from Palo Alto University in Palo Alto, CA. For internship, Dr. Salman trained at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Salman completed a two-year neuropsychology post-doctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Additionally, Dr. Salman has a degree in Sign Language interpretation and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University.

• Neuropsychological assessment across the lifespan
• Complex ADHD and Women with ADHD
• Accessibility and adapted assessments and interventions for DHH, individuals with disabilities, and cultural adjustments.

Dr. Salman is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Maryland. They/she is fluent in ASL and is able to provide clinical services in ASL and English.

Alexandra Scheller-Parzynski, PsyD is a licensed psychologist and neuropsychologist who specializes in the assessment of individuals across the lifespan from age 2 and up.

Her assessment skills are versatile and include comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, as well as psychoeducational, autism, and psychological evaluations. She is particularly interested in the assessment of ADHD and learning disorders and their impact on emotional and behavioral functioning.

At the Chesapeake Center she works collaboratively with other clinical staff to assess complex cases that may involve a range of neurodevelopmental and psychological issues such as childhood anxiety, separation anxiety, school refusal, social anxiety and general anxiety disorders, mood disorders, dysthymia, bipolar disorder and major depression.

Her assessment reports are written to serve the needs of parents, teachers, pediatricians and other care providers. Her recommendations are practical and prioritized with the goal of guiding clients to understand their strengths and weaknesses as well as next steps to achieve optimal functioning in their daily lives.

Dr. Scheller-Parzynski received her doctoral degree from Loyola University Maryland and completed her 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital.

Prior to graduating with her doctoral degree, she completed an APA-accredited internship at Mendota Mental Health Institute where she conducted forensic evaluations including competency to stand trial and violence risk assessments. Her graduate neuropsychological training experiences were gathered at Children’s National Medical Center and Kennedy Krieger Institute.

• Neuropsychological assessments of preschool children
• Neuropsychological assessments of school-aged children, adolescents, and adults
• Collaborating with primary care physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, speech-language pathologists, and various school systems
• Consulting with parents and working with school-aged children, adolescents, and adults of all ages
• Using a supportive, collaborative, practical problem-solving approach with clients to help them function as their best self.

Dr. Scheller-Parzynski is a Licensed  Psychologist and Neuropsychologist and a sub-specialist in Pediatric Clinical Neuropsychology.

Rachel Schneider, PsyD is a clinical neuropsychologist with training in neuropsychology, school psychology, educational consultation, and psychotherapy. She has a specific interest in providing neuropsychological evaluations to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disabilities such as ADHD, autism, and learning differences. In the context of evaluations, Dr. Schneider emphasizes a collaborative, goal-oriented approach, working closely with families and schools to develop recommendations that optimize each individual’s ability to function most effectively in their environments.

Education and Training

Dr. Schneider earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT). She earned her master’s and doctorate in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis in Neuropsychology and School Psychology, from the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widener University (Chester, PA). Her doctoral dissertation examined the cognitive correlates of comorbid diagnoses in children with ADHD.

During her graduate training, Dr. Schneider completed 3,900 clinical training hours conducting neuropsychological evaluations, psychoeducational assessments, and psychotherapy. Dr. Schneider completed her pre-internship clinical rotations administering evaluations and psychotherapy at an outpatient neuropsychology clinic within a neuroscience and surgery institute, a public middle school in the Philadelphia School District, and in private practice settings.

Dr. Schneider completed her APA-accredited internship consortium at neuropsychology private practices in the Philadelphia area, where she specialized in evaluating children, adolescents, and adults with attention, behavioral, and learning problems as well as cognitive rehabilitation therapy and organizational skills training. Dr. Schneider completed her two-year fellowship in lifespan neuropsychology at the Chesapeake Postdoctoral Neuropsychological Training Consortium. 

Susan Van Ost, PhD has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and families for over 35 years.

Her wide-ranging experience includes the provision of clinical training to professionals at both the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), the armed forces medical school, and at The Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA). She was also a contract senior child psychologist at USUHS.

Ms. Van Ost has served as clinical supervisor, neuropsychologist, consultant and psychotherapist over the course of her career.

Dr. Van Ost served as the director of a diagnostic unit for the Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA) where she supervised other psychologists in the delivery of comprehensive evaluations.

She is highly experienced in the evaluation of a wide range of issues that include, but are not limited to, ADHD, executive dysfunction, learning disability, head trauma,  anxiety, and depression.

Dr. Van Ost has a long standing interest and experience in assessing and treating ADHD and related disorders. She has conducted neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations for many years in a private practice setting, providing expert assessment and guidance to children, teens and adults struggling with a variety of issues related to ADHD and learning disorders.

Dr. Van Ost earned a bachelor’s in psychology from New York University. She earned a PhD in psychology from American University in Washington, DC, completing both the experimental and clinical programs. Postdoctoral training includes family therapy training at the Family Therapy Center of Washington and neuropsychological training at the Fielding Institute under the supervision of Dr. Allan Mirsky, Chief of the Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology Section of the Brain and Cognition Laboratory of the NIMH. She has also received Level 3 Gottman Method Couples Training.

• Parenting concerns
• Treatment of anxiety and depression in children, adolescents, and adults
• Development of self-management strategies
• Marital enrichment and counseling focusing on issues of couples where one or both have ADHD
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Dr. Van Ost is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Maryland.

Dr. Van Ost has lectured on ADHD, learning disabilities, and neuropsychology topics. Please contact The Chesapeake Center if you are interested in having her speak at your school or local organization.