About Me

Welcome! I’m Anna, a clinical child and adolescent psychologist. I work primarily with children and teens to understand their experiences and to help improve the way they learn, grow, and adapt in school and across all facets of their lives. I am able to work with college students and adults as well, especially as they encounter challenges in their educational or work environments. As a clinical psychologist trained in neuropsychological assessment, my areas of focus include:

Developmental learning disorders, including dyslexia (reading), dysgraphia (writing), dyscalculia (math disorder)
Differential diagnosis of attentional issues, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) & Executive Functioning
Intellectual disabilities
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Intellectual giftedness across the lifespan
Twice-exceptional (2e) individuals
Anxiety
Depression
Memory & learning
Response to intervention and progress monitoring
Emotional factors and challenging behaviors
Language and social-communication concerns

Related to learning:

School fit & educational choices
School/test accommodations
IEP/504 Accommodation Plan support
Creativity & positive development
Parent coaching
Consultation and assessment-based progress monitoring of interventions

For adults:

Adult psychological assessment
Memory concerns
Adult ADHD
Personality assessment
Collaborative/consultative evaluations

I’ve been working in public and private schools for the last 23 years, primarily as a credentialed school psychologist, then as a Licensed Educational Psychologist and now as a Clinical Psychologist. Formerly, I was a public school teacher. Throughout my practice, I have developed a problem-solving solution-focused approach to all of my work. I start by creating strong relationships with students and families while empowering them with the appropriate tools so that they can learn to advocate for themselves in their primary settings: with their providers, school leaders, teachers, families, and communities. By focusing on problem-solving, developing coping skills, and practicing self-advocacy, we build critical skills necessary for successful relationships in schools and beyond.

Credentials:

Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
Masters of Social Welfare & Education, University of California, Berkeley
B.A cum laude, Cornell University
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, NY
Licensed Educational Psychologist, CA
State of California & State of New York Pupil Personnel Clear Credential in School Psychology
State of California Clear Multi-subject Teaching Credential, Spanish/English
23 years of experience working in public and private schools
Fluent in Spanish

Publications/Presentations:

Tamis, A., Payne, C., Holloway, S., Bempechat, J., & Li, J. (April, 2005) Resilience and parenting practices: A qualitative study of low-income Mexican-American and African-American caregiver-child dyads. Paper presented at the American Education Research Association Convention, Montreal, Canada.

Tamis, A. & Payne, C. (August, 2004) Resilience among urban youth and their caregivers: A qualitative exploration. Poster Presentation, Student Affiliates of School Psychology, American Psychological Association Convention, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Tamis, A. & Bell, R. (April, 2003). Influences of context and learning beliefs on the academic achievement of low-income adolescents: An exploration. Poster Presentation, Graduate School of Education Research Day, University of California, Berkeley

Tamis, A. (April, 2001). The influence of shyness on academic achievement. Poster Presentation, Graduate School of Education Research Day, University of California, Berkeley

Tamis, A. (1997). How Your Child Can Learn to Love to Read, Read, Read. Children, 2 (6), 22-23

Professional Affiliations:

National Association of School Psychologists

Member

California Association of School Psychologists
Member

Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, Division 53, American Psychological Association

Member

New York State Psychological Association

Member

What is a Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist?

A clinical child & adolescent psychologist can work in many different modalities. And that is why we can support families in many ways. Most importantly, clinical child & adolescent psychologists are experts in both typical and atypical child and adolescent development, behavior, psychology, and psychopathology. We specialize in figuring out the why and how children may be engaging in challenging behaviors by examining the intersection of how the child interacts with and between their family and their environment.

What is a Licensed Educational Psychologist?

I provide testing, therapy, consultation, and case management services to families, children, and adults who are in need of educational intervention. LEPs work with children and adults in such areas as learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Tourette Syndrome, and school adjustment issues of all kinds. LEPs are experts in how people learn and in the development of learning styles. They observe in classrooms, attend school meetings with parents, provide information regarding learning styles, and help parents select the right school placement for their child. As educational consultants, LEPs help parents understand special education laws and develop goals for 504 Accommodations and Special Education.

Licensed Educational Psychologists are highly trained experts at testing children and adults for learning styles and special needs status for all academic levels and occupational settings. They provide testing for college test accommodations including the GRE, MCAT, CBEST, and LSAT.

Finally, Licensed Educational Psychologists provide counseling services related to all aspects of school adjustment. In particular, the LEP understands how the student’s developmental age, learning style, temperament, and personality factors can interact with the learning environment.