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Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
Rutgers logo
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
ADHD Clinic

ADHD Clinic

What is the ADHD Clinic?

Our clinic is an outpatient specialty program at GSAPP, focusing on research and treatment of child and adolescent Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Our therapists are graduate students from the clinical, school, and applied psychology programs who are trained and supervised by Dr. Stephanie Lyon, a licensed psychologist and faculty member of the Department of Applied Psychology. 

Traditional treatments for ADHD, both behavioral and medication-based, focus primarily on modifying problematic behavior. At the ADHD Clinic, we take a different approach. Our treatment is designed to support the whole child, by addressing the thoughts, feelings, and relationships that underlie problematic behavior, increasing resilience, and improving emotional/behavioral regulation. We believe that when children live and learn in compassionate environments, their experience of themselves and their behaviors are transformed.

We specialize in proving short-term treatment for children age 5-15 who are struggling with ADHD symptoms. We also provide support for parents and welcome opportunities to consult with teachers and schools.

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Who is right for the ADHD Clinic?

If your child is between 5-15 years old, has been diagnosed with ADHD or is experiencing several of the following symptoms, you may be a good candidate for the ADHD Clinic:

  • Trouble paying attention or sustaining attention
  • Difficulty with organization, listening and following directions
  • Easily distracted
  • Frequent fidgeting, excessive running/climbing, always “on the go”
  • Trouble waiting or taking turns
  • Interrupting frequently, talking excessively
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Treatment Approach

The short-term treatment model at the ADHD Clinic aims to support children struggling with ADHD symptoms and their families. Through a combination of play and talk therapy, clinicans help children develop greater self-awarness and improve their ability to regulate their emotions and behaviors. We also provide parents with psychoeducation, skills training, and support to help them better understand and support their children, and foster close, caring relationships. We believe that improving the functioning of the family system as a whole is an essential element in treating ADHD and related disorders.

Our treatment approach grew out of Dr. Francine Conway’s 2017 book: Cultivating Compassion: A Psychodynamic Understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and is informed by Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C) (Midgley, Ensink, Linqvist, Malberg, & Muller, 2017). MBT-C is a cutting-edge, research-informed approach that has been shown to benefit children with wide-ranging difficulties as well as their caregivers.

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Founding Director: Dr. Francine Conway

Francine Conway, an award-winning scholar and clinical psychologist recognized for her work in child psychopathology, is a Distinguished Professor. She is the current Chancellor of Rutgers University-New Brunswick and previously served as the dean of Rutgers–New Brunswick Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology from 2016 to 2020. As dean, in addition to leading the nation's premier academic programs training doctoral-level psychologists—including a top nationally-ranked doctoral PsyD program in clinical psychology, she also led the school's nationally recognized research and service centers: Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, Douglass Developmental Disability Center, Center for Psychological Services, Center for Applied Psychology, and the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services.

Francine Conway Head Shot

Co-Director/Faculty Dr. Stephanie Lyon

Dr. Stephanie Lyon is an assistant professor of clinical practice at GSAPP working primarily in the ADHD and child behavioral disorders specialty training clinic, investigating mentalization-based treatment for children. Dr. Lyon earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University and completed her pre-doctoral internship at NYU-Bellevue Hospital Center. Prior to entering the field of psychology, Dr. Lyon taught elementary and middle school students and earned a master’s in education from New York University. She is licensed as a clinical psychologist in New Jersey and New York and maintains a private practice in South Orange, New Jersey, where she treats children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families.

Lyon

FAQ

  • Call us a call @ (848) 932-5908 or email our Clinic Coordinator at gsapp_adhd_clinic@gsapp.rutgers.edu.

    We would be happy to give you more information about our program and conduct a brief phone screening to see if we are an appropriate program for your family.  

Support

Support for the ADHD Clinic is generously provided by The Far Fund.


Contact Information

Rutgers ADHD Clinic
41 Gordon Road, Suite A
Piscataway, NJ 08854 
gsapp_adhd_clinic@gsapp.rutgers.edu