Clinical Staff
Our team is committed and dedicated to the missions of the SMart Center and the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI).
President and Director
Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum (“Dr. E”) is the President and Director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety & Related Disorders and Treatment Center (SMart Center) located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the founder of the intensive group treatment program, CommuniCamp™. She is President of the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI), which is a foundation started to study her theories and treatment methodologies on Selective Mutism. Dr. E is the Founder & Director Emeritus of the Selective Mutism Association (SMA).
Dr. Shipon-Blum has developed the evidenced-based therapy, Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® or (S-CAT)® from her years evaluating, treating & researching individuals with Selective Mutism.
Dr. Shipon-Blum has her own podcast, Unspoken Words, where she shares her 30+ years of experience.
In addition, Dr E has written numerous articles, books, webinars on Selective Mutism. Vist our resource page.
Dr. Shipon-Blum has treated countless children from around the world, lectures throughout the country on the topic of Selective Mutism, performs school evaluations and trainings for treating professionals, educators & parents and is considered one of the world’s leading experts in the treatment and understanding of Selective Mutism.
Dr. E has been a featured expert within the media. She has appeared in national television shows such as 20/20, CNN, Inside Edition, Good Morning America as well as other local/national and international TV and Radio broadcasts. She has been featured in TIME Magazine, People Magazine and has interviewed with newspapers such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Diego Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Palm Beach Post and other media publications throughout the world.
Dr. Shipon-Blum prides herself on being “down to earth.” She resides with her family in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Lead Clinical Counselor & School Consultant
Jennifer Brittingham is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who completed her Masters degree in the Clinical Counseling Psychology Program at Arcadia University. Jennifer has been a team member of the Smart Center since 2005. She conducts S-CAT® Program evaluations and treatment to families, S-CAT® Parent coaching and training sessions to families across the country and abroad, and provides school consultation and training to school districts and other organizations both on-site and via web workshops. Jennifer graduated from Arcadia University with her M.A. in Clinical Counseling Psychology in 2008 and was a Pennsylvania Counseling Association Graduate Leader from 2007 to 2008. Prior to her work at the SMart Center, Jennifer has worked as a case manager for children with intellectual disabilities, elementary school special education resource assistant, and as both a college counselor, as well as a college drug and alcohol counselor and support group leader.
Director of Clinical Training
Dr. William La Valle earned an MA in Psychology from West Chester University, and an MS and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Pennsylvania.
Dr. La Valle works as the Director of Clinical Training at the SMart center and SMRI. He is also the Director or Clinical Training and Psychological Services at Intercommunity Action, Inc., a non-profit community mental health agency in Philadelphia. Dr. La Valle oversees the doctoral internship/externship and Master’s training programs. He also oversees the assessment/testing department to conduct Autism assessments (using the ADOS-2), ADHD evaluation, and full-battery psycho-educational assessments. He also supervises and conducts assessments for school-aged children and teenagers to help provide diagnostic clarity and determine medical necessarily of treatment services. His specialties include assessing and treating Autism Spectrum Disorder & ADHD, CBT for anxiety/depression, and trauma- focused interventions. He is formally trained in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Motivational interviewing.
Dr. La Valle also teaches in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine as well as in the Master’ s psychology program at Southern New Hampshire University.
Dr. La Valle serves on multiple mental health boards in the tri-state area and regularly conducts presentations, advocating for the psychology profession. He has been the receipt of PCOM’s Provost Award and APA’s Honorable Mention for Early Career Psychologist.
Clinician / CommuniCamp Counselor Director
Jenna Blum M.S is a fifth-year doctoral student in Chestnut Hill College’s Psy.D. Program. Prior to graduate school, she received a B.A. at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA in 2018 where she majored in Psychology and minored in Creative Writing. Jenna was inducted into the National Honor Society in Psychology.
(Psi Chi).
Jenna holds many titles at the SMart Center. Not only is she a Lead Clinician, she is also the Supervisor and Director of CommuniCamp Counselors. Jenna also is the Vice President of Selective Mutism Research Institute – a non-profit dedicated to increasing knowledge and awareness of selective mutism and related social communication disorder.
Jenna has experience working with children, teens and adults with a wide array of acute and chronic mental illness, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, autism and learning challenges. She also co-facilitated anxiety and depression groups for children and adolescent groups and has administered full-battery psychological assessments including autism spectrum disorder (ADOS). She also co-created virtual CommuniCamp which is modeled after SMart Center’s popular in-person intensive group treatment and parent education program, CommuniCamp.
Jenna is certified in the Trauma Recovery Empowerment Model (TREM) – a weekly intervention for women with trauma – as well as, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) – an intervention to treat children between ages 2 and 7 with disruptive behavior problems.
Overall, Jenna’s academic training has been grounded in the use of Psychodynamic Therapy and Family Systems practice but also implements Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Jaspriya Malhotra, is a doctoral student at Immaculata University studying Clinical Psychology. She has completed her Bachelor’s in Psychological and Social Sciences as well as her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Throughout her educational career, Jaspriya has taken part in many psychological research studies. She is best known for her research; the relationship between self-esteem and social media. Jaspriya received the honor to present her research findings at the 2018 MPA Conference in Chicago, IL. Jaspriya’s passion for psychology has led her to travel to Scotland, UK where she worked alongside local students to learn about the psychology of video gaming. One of Jaspriya’s future goals is to become an expert in the field of infant and child psychology. For fun, she likes to travel, run half-marathons, and spend time with family.
At the SMart Center, Jaspriya consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Jaspriya facilitates virtual group sessions and is a lead CommuniCamp counselor.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Siedah Cazaubon is currently a doctoral student in La Salle University’s Psy.D. program. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in public health from Muhlenberg College. She received her Master of Arts in psychology, clinical services from Marywood University. She has experience providing psychotherapy and conducting diagnostic intake assessments with adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, and families in a variety of settings such as partial hospitalization, community mental health, and private practice. Siedah is primarily interested in the treatment of anxiety disorders and mood disorders in adolescents, barriers to help-seeking for mental health conditions in communities of color, and accessible mental healthcare for all. For fun, she enjoys playing with and walking her rescue dog, spending time with family and friends, and reading.
At the SMart Center, Siedah consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Siedah performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Francisco Muñoz is currently a Clinical Psychology doctoral student at La Salle University’s Psy.D. program. He earned his B.S. in Psychology at William Paterson University and M.A. in Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. Francisco has worked with children, adolescents, and young adults with autism throughout his academic career in both school and home-based settings, with treatment often via Play Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis. Francisco has also been fortunate enough to work with children with Selective Mutism by participating as a counselor in summer camps at the Child Mind Institute and Kurtz Psychology. In terms of research interests, Francisco is interested in the potential impact bilingualism can have on those diagnosed with selective mutism.
At the SMart Center, Francisco consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Francisco performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Emma Heaps is a current Master’s level clinician and doctoral student in La Salle University’s PsyD in Clinical Psychology program. She earned both her B.S. in Psychology with a clinical concentration as well as her M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Saint Joseph’s University. Her master’s thesis was on Mother-infant bonding, maternal responsiveness, and infant sleep. During graduate school she has worked as a Registered Behavior Technician, implementing interventions rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis to children on the autism spectrum. Emma has experience working with families and children of different abilities and co-occurring needs. She is primarily interested in maternal well-being, parent-child relationships, diagnostic overshadowing of co-occurring childhood anxiety disorders, and childhood experiences of trauma.
At the SMart Center, Emma consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Emma performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Caroline Cole is currently a masters level clinician and doctoral student in La Salle University’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology Program. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from James Madison University her M.A. in Psychology at American University. Her clinical experience includes working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in community outpatient settings addressing a range of clinical presentations. She has worked as a group therapy leader and camp counselor for the treatment of selective mutism and she had the opportunity to present at the Selective Mutism Association national conference in 2019. She values a collaborative therapeutic relationship and strives to deliver culturally informed therapy to meet the needs of all individuals presenting for treatment.
At the SMart Center, Caroline consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Caroline performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Emma Roberts is currently a doctoral student in La Salle University’s PsyD program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University. Prior to attending graduate school, Emma worked as a research assistant in Denver, Colorado where she administered psychoeducational assessments to preschool-aged children. Her research interests also include family environment and psychosocial functioning of children with chronic illnesses. Emma has experience in conducting diagnostic assessments for a variety of developmental and neurological conditions including ADHD and learning disorders. She also has experience as an intake clinician working with children and adolescents with a broad range of anxiety and mood disorders.
At the SMart Center, Emma consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Emma performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Alexis Trakhtorchuk is a master’s level clinician who graduated from New York University, earning a B.A. in Psychology. She is currently pursuing her Psy.D. degree in Clinical Psychology at La Salle University, and plans to concentrate in Child Clinical Psychology. Prior to beginning her doctoral program, she worked as a head clinical coordinator at the NYU Child Study Center, where she worked on psychological assessments and treatment group facilitation. Her research interests involve emotional regulation difficulties of children with a variety of anxiety disorders, as well as emotion regulation in children with eating disorders which she currently studies in the Timko Lab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Alexis’s clinical interests include children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, depression, and ADHD. She is particularly passionate about early intervention and pediatric primary care. Alexis is a lead support clinician and consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Alexis facilitates groups, both in person and virtually at the SMart Center. She is also a CommuniCamp counselor for the 4 day and 1 day for in-person and virtual programs.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Kylie Rodenhaber M.S. is a fifth-year doctoral student in Chestnut Hill College’s Psy.D. program where her concentration focuses on Couples and Family therapy. She obtained her B.S. in clinical psychology from Kutztown University in 2018. She obtained her M.S. in clinical psychology from Chestnut Hill College during her doctoral studies in 2020.
Kylie has experience working with children and adolescents and their families in both the individual and group therapy settings. Kylie has experience in both the alternative school setting as an intern and school psychology assessment and testing as an intern. Kylie has experience working with children, teens, and adults with a wide array of acute and chronic mental illness including anxiety, depression, learning challenges, behavioral concerns, and trauma. Kylie has training in TF-CBT, an evidence-based treatment for children who have experienced a trauma. Overall, Kylie’s academic training has been grounded in the use of Psychodynamic Therapy and Family Systems practice but she also implements Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
At the SMart Center, Kylie consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and an array of mental health disorders. In addition, Kylie performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp.
Speech and Language Consultant
Kathryn McDonald, MS, CCC-SLP is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who graduated from La Salle University in 2019. While attending La Salle, she was trained under Evelyn Klein, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, a research consultant for the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI), in the research methodology for assessing speech and language disorders in children with selective mutism. Kathryn is currently employed at CORA Services, where she treats school-aged children with a wide range of communication disorders in charter schools in Camden, NJ. Additionally, Kathryn is a consultant at the SMART Center where she conducts comprehensive speech and language evaluations for children diagnosed with selective mutism.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Janeyshka Ortiz-Flores is currently a fourth-year doctoral student at Chestnut Hill College’s Psy.D. program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish at La Salle University. She then obtained her master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University. Janeyshka completed practicum experiences providing group therapy for families in the Latinx community and conducting psychological assessments. Currently, Janeyshka is providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families at the Center for Families and Relationships. Her clinical experiences include working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in outpatient community settings with a wide range of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, trauma, and interpersonal conflicts.
Janeyshka serves as Chair of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association for Graduate Students (PPAGS) and is currently on the student development committee for the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy (APA Division 29). She is also an Advisory Member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Chestnut Hill College. Janeyshka utilizes an integrative approach to treatment that ties in family systems, psychodynamic theory, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. She also views her clients as an expert of their own experiences and fosters collaboration. Janeyshka aims to cultivate a warm, safe, and supportive space and to deliver culturally informed care that address each client’s unique needs and cultural experiences.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Ashley Grant is a master’s level clinician and doctoral student in Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and her M.S. in Mental Health Counseling from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). Her clinical experience includes working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in outpatient, state-funded trauma centers. She has worked in victim’s rights, providing TF-CBT, an evidence-based treatment for children who experienced trauma, to survivors of physical and sexual crimes. She has also run group therapy programs for child perpetrators of sexual crimes and their families, working to reduce recidivism rates and prevent reoffending. Her advocacy work includes increasing access to mental health care for LGBTQ+ individuals and modernizing grief work in therapeutic settings. She is particularly passionate about pediatric mental health and early intervention services for those with various psychological concerns. For fun, she enjoys reading, playing with her dog, and exploring all of the sites and sounds of Philadelphia.
At the SMart Center, Ashley consults with families and treats individuals with Selective Mutism and various mental health disorders. In addition, Ashley performs testing/assessments, including Autism Spectrum Disorder testing, and leads support and treatment groups, such as, CommuniCamp
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Claudia Hyman is currently a doctoral student in La Salle University’s Clinical Psychology Psy.D program with a Masters in Child Study and Human Development from Tufts University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology at the University of Miami in 2020. Claudia’s interdisciplinary background has given her experience working with children and adolescents in a range of clinical and educational settings with varying needs and diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and social phobia. During her time at Tufts University, Claudia worked in Boston Medical Center’s Autism Program where she worked as a coordinator for their adolescent peer mentorship program and wrote her capstone paper on the need for resources that provide support for adolescents on the spectrum wanting to navigate romantic relationships. Claudia is interested in the treatment and assessment of anxiety disorders and autism spectrum disorder, as well as applying a holistic and developmentally sensitive approach to therapy. For fun, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, exercise, and trying new restaurants in Philly!
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Agata Kopacz, M.A. is a doctoral trainee enrolled in the Psy.D program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her master’s degree in counseling for mental health and wellness from New York University. She has experience in providing individual, couples, family, and group therapy services to address a wide range of mental health issues. Agata has experience in conducting psychological assessments and providing therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Agata believes that building a strong and healthy therapeutic alliance is one of the most important aspects of therapy. She offers a warm and safe space to allow her clients to freely explore their concerns. She works with her clients using evidence-based treatments to help them achieve their therapeutic goals.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Shaila Alvarez, M.A., is a Doctoral Level Trainee at the Smart Center. She completed her Master’s Degree in Psychological Services at Kean University in 2019 and is currently obtaining her Doctorate of Psychology (Psy. D.) in Clinical Psychology from the APA accredited Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has clinical experience providing assessments and therapeutic treatment to children and adults who are experiencing developmental, psychological, and emotional difficulties. Shaila offers evidence-based therapeutic approaches that make clients feel safe and understood while challenging thoughts or behaviors to promote healing and personal growth.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Vidhya Ravichandran is a graduate student at Widener University studying Clinical Psychology (PsyD) and Human Sexuality (MEd). She has completed her Bachelor’s in Psychology as well as her Master’s in Clinical Psychology. Vidhya is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has experience working with children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. She also has an interest in neuropsychological testing and has served as a practicum student assessing individuals throughout the lifespan, for a variety of conditions including ADHD and dementia. Vidhya has a passion to provide access to mental health services for individuals in minority populations, specifically individuals within immigrant, South Asian and/or LGBTQ+ communities.
At the SMart Center, Vidhya performs testing/assessments including Autism assessments, ADHD evaluations, and full-battery psychoeducational evaluations.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Emily Israel M.S. is a third-year doctoral student in Chestnut Hill College’s Psy.D. Program. Prior to graduate school, she received a B.A. at University of Maryland in 2020 where she majored in Psychology.
Emily has worked as a co-lead counselor at several CommuniCamp™ programs at the SMart Center over the years. Emily has experience working with children, teens, and adults with a wide array of acute and chronic mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, autism, schizophrenia, trauma, ADHD, and learning challenges. She also has administered full-battery psychological assessments including Autism Evaluations utilizing the ADOS-2.
Emily has worked with young children and adolescents in a school, private practice, inpatient hospital and in-home settings. She has provided behavioral services such as ABA within a specialized school, as well as other behavioral forms of treatment in various settings. She bases her treatment approaches off the needs of the individual, their goals, parent goals (when working with a child), and focuses on a holistic approach of integrating parents or people within one’s support system. She works collaboratively with the individual and their support system to ensure optimal support by all care providers.
Overall, Emily’s academic training has been grounded in the use of Psychodynamic Therapy and Family Systems practice, but Emily utilizes an integrated approach that often pulls from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as her main priority is to meet the needs of individual she treats.
Clinician / Doctoral Trainee
Lexie Mastrangelo is currently a School Psychology doctoral student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Psy.D. program. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience and Psychology and her B.A. in Dance Education from Ursinus College. Lexie has worked with both children and adolescents in schools, as well as adults and older adults (65+) in a private practice neuropsychological setting. Lexie plans to pursue board certification in Neuropsychology upon graduating and has extensive experience administering Neuropsychological testing. For the 2023-2024 year, Lexie will be working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in their assessment program.
Lexie has also worked with children with Selective Mutism (SM) by participating as a CommuniCamp™ Counselor. In terms of research interests, Lexie is writing her dissertation on anxiety (specifically performance anxiety, also referred to as state anxiety) and is interested to see how this may or may not affect an individual’s memory (specifically, working memory). She is interested in evaluating the relationship between state anxiety (SA) and the updating function within working memory to inform intervention for adolescents in schools.
Lexie is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)- a school-based individual and group intervention grounded in cognitive-behavioral principles that is designed to address behavioral concerns, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children ages 10 to 15 years old- as well as, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)- is a brief, evidence-based treatment designed to help children who are experiencing emotional and behavioral distress as a result of a traumatic event(s). Overall, Lexie’s training is grounded in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Administrative Staff
Lead Clinical Care Coordinator / Office Manager
Laura Bansemer is a valuable member of the SMart Center Support and the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI) Team. Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Muhlenberg College graduating magna cum laude and phi beta kappa. With over 10 years of customer service experience, Laura was previously a weight loss counselor and then a call center director.
CommuniCamp Director / Outreach Coordinator
LisaMarie Vargas was born and raised in Morristown, NJ and is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. She is a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor in science from Temple University. After graduating, she fell into, and fell in love with, a career in marketing and events. She is a seasoned event professional who brings her experience from various industries, including, but not limited, to sports, food, and tourism, to the SMart Center. LisaMarie has worked with popular public figures such as Serena Williams, Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg, Allen Iverson, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, and many others. She is a pro at creating unique events that leave a lasting impression by combining new trends and unmatched hospitality. At the SMart Center, you will find LisaMarie organizing CommuniCamp plans, building out other SMart Center events, and heading up marketing and social media efforts.
In her free time, she loves to cook, travel, and watch true crime documentaries. LisaMarie currently resides in Philadelphia with her fiancé and boxer puppy.
Sales & Marketing Intern
Alexandra Collins graduated from Temple University in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus on child psychology. She has a lot of experience working with children of all ages in environments such as daycare, day camps, one-on-one care, and volunteer programs for children in need. Alexandra also overcame selective mutism when she was in elementary school. She hopes to continue her education in the field of psychology so she can be even more involved in the process of helping others.
Marketing Consultant
Brandon Blum was born and raised in Abington, PA. After graduating from Temple University, he spent six all-encompassing years inside the digital marketing wings of three prodigiously large media companies. His day-to-day consisted of project managing key corporate client relationships; relentlessly writing, pitching, ideating & launching six-figure multi-channel advertising campaigns; and learning how brands – large and small – tell their stories. In other words, communication is his area of expertise. In addition to his marketing consulting work, Brandon is the co-founder of For Others, a clothing label that gives back to the local communities their items are purchased in or purchased for. Brandon currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
Dakota Hornak was born and raised in Willow Grove, PA. They graduated from Susquehanna University in May of 2022 with a BA in communications and psychology and have done work in marketing and sales for over ten years. They have wanted to work in mental health and non-profit organizations since beginning college and has been a freelance designer and marketer since their freshman year. As a hobby, Dakota began art and graphic design as well as writing, which then became their passion and what they wanted in a career. They are now the marketing coordinator for the SMart Center.
Clinical Care Coordinator
A graduate of DeSales University, Mary Kate had previously worked as an Executive Assistant and Meetings Coordinator at the Philadelphia Bar Association. After taking a leave while her children were very young, Mary Kate returned to the workforce in 2016 and worked as a church secretary before joining the SMart Center at the Clinical Care Coordinator. She is thrilled to be with the SMart Center, and is gratified to be helping our SMart families get the help that they need. Mary Kate lives in Jenkintown with her husband, three children and two dogs. She is an avid reader, a wannabe foodie, and an enthusiastic fan of Philadelphia’s sports teams.
Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI) Research Consultants
Research Consultant
Sharon Lee Armstrong, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of PsyD Research and Dissertations at La Salle University. She is also Associate Faculty Member at Rutgers University Center for Cognitive Science, Adjunct Scientist at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, and Principle Investigator at the Selective Mutism Research Institute. Her specializations within Cognitive Science are psycholinguistics, concepts/categorization, reasoning, and metacognition. Her research has investigated these topics in typical and special populations (e.g., children and adults with schizophrenia, ASD, selective mutism, ADHD, aphasia, depression). She is a member of the Psychonomic Society, APS, APA (Experimental Psychology Division), ADAA, and has been on the Executive Committee of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology. She is a consulting editor for The Journal of General Psychology.
Financial Disclosure:
Dr. Armstrong is the research coordinator for the Selective Mutism Research Institute (SMRI). She is a paid research consultant at the SMart Center and SMRI. She is a professor of Psychology and Director of PsyD Research and Dissertations at La Salle University
Non-Financial Disclosure:
Dr. Armstrong is a member of the Selective Mutism Group (SMG-CAN) and she is a consulting editor for the Journal of General Psychology.
Course Content:
Dr. Armstrong has been a researcher regarding assessment as well as outcome studies examining Dr. Shipon-Blums Social Communication Anxiety Treatment® (S-CAT®).
Research Consultant
Evelyn R. Klein, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, BCS-CL is Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at La Salle University. She is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist and licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania with post-doctoral training in neuropsychology. She holds Board Certification in Child Language from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) where she is an ASHA Fellow. Her specializations include evaluation and treatment in the areas of selective mutism, autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, language-learning disabilities, and acquired language disorders. She is an author of Focus On Function I & II, Hear It-Say It-Learn It, The Association Memory Test, and the textbook, Acquired Language Disorders: A Case-Based Approach. With more than 25 years experience as a clinician and educator, Dr. Klein conducts evaluations and supervises students at La Salle Universitys Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinic. In addition to being a PA State Coordinator with the Selective Mutism Group – Childhood Anxiety Network, she conducts research on assessment and treatment practices for children with communication-based anxiety disorders. She is the 2018 winner of La Salle University’s Faculty Distinguished Scholar award.
Dr. Klein is a consultant with the SMart Center and Selective Mutism Research Institute, where she is a principal investigator studying assessment and treatment methods for children.
SMart Center Therapy Dogs, Our Mascots, and Best Friends
Therapy Pug
Mr. B is Dr. E’s first therapy dog. He accompanied Dr. E to various conferences and SM retreats and has touched the lives of our families for 14+ years! It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of this beloved ‘O.G.’ pug. He played an instrumental role in the lives of so many families affected by Selective Mutism. He was known to knock on the doors (with his paw!) when he wanted to join a session. He would either sit on a child/teens lap ‘n snuggle or sit by their feet. He instinctively knew who was comfortable and who needed more TLC. Mr. B was a true blessing to so many children who have suffered in silence.
Therapy Pug
Lil’ Girl (pictured left) or “SMall Lady of Love” joined the SMart Center team in 2014.She’s small and cuddly and our families adore her!
She often disguises herself as a stuffed animal to help kids (and parents) who may be afraid to realize she’s just like a stuffed animal but can move around and play!
Lil’ Girl attends CommuniCamp™ and will go from classroom to classroom helping children/teens feel comfortable.
