All children have gifts and can be successful
with the right knowledge, strategies and tools.  

Welcome

I work primarily with children, adolescents, young adults and families and my specialty areas include neuropsychological evaluations, child and family counseling, and educational consulting. 

My goal, through testing, counseling, or consulting, is to help identify a child’s unique strengths and weaknesses, and then to increase the child’s levels of functioning within the many systems of the child’s environment.  I believe that all children struggle at various points in their development, often because they need the skills or strategies that life demands of them.  Once these skills or strategies are identified, targeted and taught in a way that fits with the child’s learning style, then overall functioning improves. 

Please click kids to learn more.

kids Services

Testing:

  • Neuropsychological Evaluations
  • Psychological Evaluations
  • Educational Evaluations
  • ADHD/ADD Evaluations
  • Preschool Evaluations
  • Kindergarten Screenings
  • Evaluations for College Board Accommodations
  • Evaluations for Giftedness

Counseling:

  • Individual Counseling
  • Family Counseling
  • Play Therapy
  • Behavior Management

Consulting:

  • Review and Explanation of School Testing Reports, IEP Process, 504 Plans
  • Second Opinions
  • Assistance in Determining Retention vs. Promotion into Next Grade Level
  • School/Classroom Observations
  • Child Advocacy at School Meetings
  • Collaboration with Other Therapists, Professionals and Agencies :

kids Specialties

  • Specific Learning Disabilities (Reading Disabilities/Dyslexia, Writing Disabilities, Math Disabilities)
  • Developmental Delays and Developmental Disabilities, including Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Asperger’s Disorder, Mental Retardation, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Sensory Integration Difficulties
  • ADHD/ADD
  • Executive Dysfunctions
  • Nonverbal Learning Disorder
  • Mood Disorders including Depression and Bipolar Disorder
  • Anxiety Disorders including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Selective Mutism, Attachment Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  • Conduct Disorders
  • Personality Disorders
  • Eating Disorders including Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating
  • Adjustment Disorders due to Family Changes, School Changes, etc.

 

kids Practice Details

Policies:

I adhere to the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.  Included in these principles is a commitment to client confidentiality. 

Fees:

All of my services are fee-for-service. 

Evaluations: The fees for evaluations range from $300 to $3000, depending on the specific issues, referral questions, and time involved. 

Counseling and Consulting: My counseling/consulting rate is typically $120 per hour, but may vary. 

Health Insurance: Health insurance does not typically cover school-related or family concerns, and getting evaluations and therapy sessions authorized is often cumbersome and time consuming, time I would prefer to spend helping clients.  Involving health insurance companies in the process typically results in a loss of confidentiality that has a negative impact on children in particular. Insurance files could be used against them in the future should they decide to apply for certain jobs or educational programs, such as law enforcement, the military, or government-related positions.  Clients may contact their health insurance company to ask if there are any benefits to cover fees of out-of-network psychologist providers.  I am happy to provide receipts to submit to insurance companies for your reimbursement, along with the relevant diagnostic and procedural codes.  Clients who have pursued reimbursement are often successful, especially if there is a medically related issue.

Scheduling:

I encourage you to contact me if you would like more information or to schedule an appointment.  You may call me at 978-499-0509 or email me.  I pride myself in returning messages within 24 hours.

kids Meet Dr. Abate

I am a licensed Psychologist, Child Clinical Neuropsychologist and nationally certified School Psychologist in private practice since 2003.  Over the past 20 years, I have worked in a variety of clinical and school settings, including children’s hospitals, mental health clinics, private schools, public schools, and colleges. 

I received my doctorate in Clinical Psychology (child/family proficiency) from the APA-accredited California School of Professional Psychology in 1994.  I completed my pre-doctoral internship at Children’s Hospital in Boston where I was also a clinical fellow in Psychology through the department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  My post-doctoral training in Child Clinical Neuropsychology was performed at North Shore Children’s Hospital in Salem.   I also have two master's degrees, one in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology (1992) and the other in Education from Harvard University (1987). Please refer to my Vita for more details.

kids Forms & Resources

kids Contact & Directions

Contact Dr. Abate:

  • Telephone:  978-499-0509
  • Fax: 978-499-0511
  • Email

Office Location & Directions:

Office Location:  18 Center Street, Suite 2, Newburyport, MA  01950

From Route 95 North or South, take exit 57 Newburyport/West Newbury.  If coming from the South, take a right off the exit onto Route 113 toward downtown Newburyport, or, if coming from the North, take a left off the exit onto Route 113 toward downtown Newburyport.  After 2.6 miles, take a left onto Green Street at a set of lights/intersection where you will see the Bluewater Café on the corner.  Follow Green   Street to the very end where you will take a right at the lights onto Merrimac/Water Street.  As the road turns, stay left on Merrimac/Water Street heading toward Plum Island (do not bear right into the downtown shopping district).  Take a right onto Center Street.  I am located at 18 Center Street, a large brown house next to the 10 Center Street Restaurant.  Please enter through the front door; mine is the first office on the right.  You will enter into the waiting area so please come right in. 



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