“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”

- Albert Einstein

Alyssa van der Merwe, Psy. D.

Dr. Alyssa van der Merwe is a school neuropsychologist, licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist in New York State and Connecticut. She earned her diplomate in School Neuropsychology through the American Board of School Neuropsychology and is a board certified neurofeedback therapist through the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. Dr. van der Merwe earned her Master’s degree in school psychology at Marist College and her doctorate in psychology through Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Dr. van der Merwe began her school psychology career as a building-level school psychologist, eventually working with students of all ages, from pre-k through the age of 21. She served as the chairperson for the Committees on Special Education (CSE) and Preschool Special Education (CPSE) as well as the Section 504 Committees across multiple school districts in Westchester County.

Deeply passionate about helping children of all abilities reach their potential, Dr. van der Merwe decided to make the change to private practice in order to be able to reach more children and families. She continues to collaborate with families, schools, and professional associations in order to improve the lives of all children. Aside from evaluating, providing direct interventions and support, and being an advocate for her clients and families, Dr. van der Merwe provides professional development to school districts throughout New York State. She is dedicated to giving back to the field at large, and has published articles and other written work as well as presented independent research across the nation. Dr. van der Merwe is a life-long learner who regularly participates in conferences, workshops, and other learning opportunities.

Dr. van der Merwe intentionally chose this field due to her father’s personal story of navigating a school system with a disability. As a deaf student going through school prior to the modern and critical laws and regulations, he was forced to navigate the school system without support. In listening to these stories and recognizing the unfortunate inequality that he was faced with, Dr. van der Merwe chose to dedicate her career to making sure that all students are provided with an appropriate and meaningful education. VDM Psychology was founded based on the principle that all children deserve and have the fundamental right to learn and fully participate in their educational settings and communities. Our mission is to help all students reach their academic, social, and emotional potential.

Dr. Natalie Spina

Dr. Natalie Spina is a New York State licensed psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She earned her doctorate in psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in school psychology, both from Iona College. Dr. Spina has over 10 years of experience working with individuals from preschool through young adulthood. She has worked in public school settings, where she earned tenure as a school psychologist and in a New York State-approved school for special education.

Dr. Spina’s role as a school psychologist has afforded her the opportunity to serve as a case manager for students with disabilities and conduct comprehensive initial and triennial psychoeducational evaluations, functional behavior assessments, and behavior intervention plans. Dr. Spina has facilitated numerous parent and in-service trainings for school team members. She has provided individual and group psychological counseling services to students, utilizing evidence-based practices, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). In addition to her experience as a building-level school psychologist, Dr. Spina has also served as the chairperson for Committee on Special Education (CSE) in order to assist in determining eligibility for special education services and developing appropriate individualized education plans.

Dr. Spina is passionate about promoting innovative research-based programs that are designed to foster academic and social-emotional growth. As a result of her work implementing a social-emotional learning curriculum, which included analyzing pre- and post-data to measure the effectiveness of the program, she was able to present her findings to the board of education and allocate funding for staff training and universal adaptation of the curriculum. All students are taught explicit skills and strategies to assist in building healthy emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance skills on a preventative level, regardless of being identified as a student with a disability or within the general education population.

In collaboration with individuals, their families, school professionals, and community service providers, Dr. Spina strives to assist in identifying one’s unique learning profile and provide sound recommendations that are individually tailored to meet the needs of all learners.

Dr. Erica Kozakis

Dr. Erica Kozakis is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist in New York State. She has also received her degree in School Neuropsychology. Erica earned her Bachelor’s in Education at St. John’s University and obtained a certification in childhood education. While teaching, she continued to achieve her Master’s degree in School Psychology. Dr. Kozakis also went on to earn her doctorate in psychology through Fairleigh Dickinson University. After pursuing her doctorate, she received her diploma in School Neuropsychology through the American Board of School Neuropsychology.

Dr. Kozakis began her career as a school psychologist working at a public elementary school in Long Island. After one year, she then transitioned to working with both middle and high school students. For the past 10 years, Dr. Kozakis has continued to work with students in grades 9-12, where she chairs CSE and 504 meetings, administers psychological evaluations, conducts counseling, and helps support the development of IEPs.

Dr. Kozakis joins VDM Psychology to continue her work beyond the scope of a school setting and to help evaluate children so that they can access the tools needed to achieve their potential. She will collaborate with families and schools to provide the necessary strategies, support, and interventions needed.