Paula Deforest, PhD

Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist

Dr. Paula Deforest is a Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist in West Melbourne, FL with special training and skill in diagnosing and treating mental disorders that affect young patients. As a Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist, Paula Deforest, PhD performs psychological assessment, therapy, and research regarding abnormal childhood mental health. Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology is medical specialty focused on diagnosing, treating, and researching childhood mental disorders. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologists include autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, eating disorders, and learning disabilities. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologists include mental health assessment, parent and child education, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), play therapy, psychotherapy, and referral to other medical specialists as needed.

A psychologist who develops and applies scientific knowledge to the delivery of psychological services to infants, toddlers, children and adolescents within their social context. Of particular importance to the specialty of clinical child psychology is an understanding of the basic psychological needs of children and adolescents, and how the family and other social contexts influence the socio-emotional adjustment, cognitive development, behavioral adaptation and health status of children and adolescents.