Life can sometimes feel overwhelming and can result in difficulties managing social and academic demands, or create emotions or behaviors that are hard to control.

Luckily, these challenges don’t always have to have a negative impact on your or your child’s quality of life ~ they can improve. In my work as a psychologist, I have helped children, teens, and young adults who are navigating various aspects of life to live more happily or productively, including families of young children with developmental concerns, children with academic or social challenges, or those with difficult emotions or behaviors that have created barriers to successful relationships.

Therapy can address both emotional and behavioral needs, and provide a safe space in which you or your child can speak openly and freely, without judgment, to best understand their thinking, feelings, and why they behave as they do, with the goal of improving overall quality of life. I lean toward a cognitive-behavioral (CBT) approach in therapy, while incorporating unique factors about each client to match treatment strategies to their needs. Additionally, I implement Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), as appropriate, for individuals who have experienced especially traumatic events within their lives. I also incorporate Mindfulness and other features of Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) into my therapeutic approach, and focus on your strengths as we work together to help you or your child. As a child, adolescent, or young adult, it can be difficult to open up to friends, teachers, and parents about certain facets of life and I want each person coming into therapy with me to feel valued and heard.

Psychological evaluations can assist in gaining a better understanding of your children or teens, or even yourself. Evaluations can target specific needs, including neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and comprehensive psychological assessments that provide valuable information to best determine the course of intervention. Results may inform placements into enriched or special education environments, assist with the implementation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) , or gain a better understanding of your child’s or your abilities and functional impact on daily life. I believe this process should be a collaborative effort and include parents, school staff, primary care physicians, and/or other mental health providers to obtain the most comprehensive view of your child as possible.

Background: I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the American School of Professional Psychology in Northern Virginia. My training has included work in different settings, including the juvenile justice system, middle and high schools, and outpatient community mental health. I offer psychological evaluations and individual counseling for children, adolescents, and young adults. In an effort to provide comprehensive services, I challenge myself to think outside the box and get creative in approaching each individual as just that – an individual.

Dr. Jasleen Parihar is a Pre-Licensed Psychology Associate under the supervision of Bridges’ Co-owner and seasoned psychologist, Michelle Mullaley, Ph.D. A Pre-licensed psychologist refers to a clinician who has completed a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree, and met all of the supervised experience requirements needed to be a full licensed psychologist, awaiting the final step of passing the Licensing Exam. Dr. Parihar has additional experience having completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in assessment of children with developmental and behavioral challenges before coming to work with Bridges in 2020.