Clinical Focus

Dr. Ferguson, Ph.D., Child Psychologist, brings a focus toward helping children and their families develop effective, warm and connected relationships. She is one of the few Child Psychologists in the greater Cincinnati area trained to evaluate and treat very young children, including toddlers and preschoolers. When parents are struggling to find the best approach for blending their love and parenting roles for the best benefit of their child, Dr. Ferguson strives to help. Using a collaborative style, Dr. Ferguson helps children and their parents communicate effectively and shift unproductive patterns of relationship.

Education and Training

Dr. Ferguson received her doctorate in Clinical Child Psychology at the University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS.) in 2001 and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH.) in 1996.

While at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Ferguson completed her Predoctoral internship at Boston Children's Hospital (Boston, MA).  She then completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She was then hired as an Assisstant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and worked in the Psychology Department at Cincinnati Children's prior to starting her own private practice.

Prior to her advanced training in psychology, Dr. Ferguson received her B. A. from Wittenberg University (Springfield Ohio), then trained and worked as a registered nurse.

Specialization

While Dr. Ferguson is professionally published, was a research project coordinator and taught at Xavier University, her professional work in recent years has centered on helping families develop close, caring and connected relationships. This work often begins with a psychological or neuropsychological evaluation, so that a clear understanding of a child's development is available.

I'm not sure how to help my toddler?

Young Children (0-5): Parents often find themselves feeling "stranded" when problems surface with their young child. Empowering parents with understanding of children's developmental stages and, most importantly, helping parents work with their children to successfully move through these stages is a critical step in the formation of family life. Establishing a healthy relationship within the family provides young children with a basis for successful early social/school experiences.

My child isn't doing well and I'm not sure what to do?

Older Children (6-12): New stressors are presented to children as they enter the school years. During these years, children are forming ideas of self-worth and self-confidence. Setbacks with peers or in the classroom can overwhelm a child and change their natural emotional progress. Likewise, parents can be overwhelmed and confused about how to help their child cope with stressors. This can become particularly difficult because children often struggle to describe their stressors and emotional reactions. Hence, children's reactions to stressors can appear confusing.

Does my teenager need an evaluation?

Psychological or neuropsychological evaluations can help high school students and their parents understand onsets of school or social problems during this intense period of life. An evaluation can set the correct direction for treatment decisions and educational planning decisions.

Programs associated with Dr. Ferguson

Family
Psychological Assessment