Dori Pelz-Sherman , M.S., M.A.

Doctoral Intern

Expertise

• Parent Psychoeducational Support and Group Therapy
• Psychological Assessment
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• High Functioning Autism
• Parent Infant Mental Health

Biography

Dori Pelz-Sherman M.S., M.A. is a doctoral level intern at 3-C Family Services currently completing her PhD with specializations in neuropsychology and parent-infant mental health. Ms. Pelz-Sherman?s research addresses adolescent depression and high functioning autism (HFA). She has extensive training in a wide variety of treatments for HFA, is an active parent educator, and has recently published a chapter on autism and assessment. Ms. Pelz-Sherman has worked with integrating mind-body care, wellness and health-psychology support for families and with mothers of newborns. After completing a B.S. in education from Indiana University, Ms. Pelz-Sherman specialized in multicultural teaching and researching in the Unites States and abroad in both the public and private Pre-K through university settings. Prior to receiving her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, Ms. Pelz-Sherman obtained an interdisciplinary M.S. from San Diego State University in cognitive psychology and instructional design. As an award-winning designer of health education curricula, she incorporates a strong psychoeducational approach to her work with children and families. She utilizes cognitive behavioral and integrating a variety of approaches within a positive psychology framework. Her clinical experience also includes attachment-based short term therapy, sandplay, and group therapy. She trained in both community and private clinical settings in Marin and Sonoma in California, where she completed specialized training in treating adjustment disorders, anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, rehabilitation, substance abuse, and domestic violence (certified). She brings to 3-C Family Services and her joint internship with 3-C Institute for Social Development (3-CISD), her foundation in empirically based treatments with an approach that develops highly individual treatment plans that dynamically and creatively build skills and competencies for children, teachers, and parents.

Education

• B.S. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Education: double major English and Fine Art
• M.A. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, Interdisciplinary: Cognitive Psychology and Instructional Design
• M.S. Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA, Clinical Psychology
• Ph.D. Clinical Psychology anticipated in 2009

Selected Publications

Pelz-Sherman, D. J. (2007). Assessment, In D. Sherman, Autism: Asserting Your Child's Rights to a Special Education (pp. 50-74). San Francisco: Oxford Churchill Publishing. [no relation]