MERIT PSYCHOLOGY GROUP, A PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY CORPORATION
WELCOME
Offering psychological assessment, individual, couples, and group therapy services to support youth and adults.
Learn More
WELCOME
Offering psychological assessment, individual, couples, and group therapy services to support youth and adults
Learn More
Services
Psychoeducational
Assessment
Specific areas of assessment include:
- ADHD/ADD
- Learning disabilities/academic achievement, school accommodations
- Mental health diagnostic evaluation: anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
- IQ testing for school admissions, giftedness, 2E (twice-exceptional)
Psychological
Assessment 18+
Specific areas of assessment include:
- ADHD Evaluation Adults
- ASD Evaluation Adults
- Diagnostic Evaluation
- Personality Disorder Evaluation
- Psychological Assessment
- Memory Assessment
- Attention/Executive Functioning Assessment
Forensic
Assessment
Specific areas of assessment include:
- PC 1368
- EC 1017
- VAWA- Violence Against Women Act
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Evaluation
- Diagnostic Assessment
Counseling &
Psychotherapy
Specific areas of therapy include:
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Trauma informed care
- Gottman-informed couples therapy
Occupational
Therapy
Specific areas of therapy include:
- Executive Function Assessment
- Sensory Processing Assessment
- Neuromotor Assessment
- Gross and Fine Motor Assessment
- Neurodevelopmental Assessment
Services
Psychoeducational
Assessment
Psychological
Assessment 18+
Forensic
Assessment
Counseling &
Psychotherapy
Occupational
Therapy
Specific areas of assessment include:
- ADHD/ADD
- Learning disabilities/academic achievement, school accommodations
- Mental health diagnostic evaluation: anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
- IQ testing for school admissions, giftedness, 2E (twice-exceptional)
Specific areas of therapy include:
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Trauma informed care
- Gottman-informed couples therapy
Our Mission
Merit Psychology Group is a comprehensive group practice fully staffed with licensed psychologists, therapists, couples counselors, and adult and child therapists. Merit Psychology Group aims to accurately assess and treat clients based on their individual goals and unique needs. Therapists at Merit Psychology Group are trained in evidence-based and empirically validated therapies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed therapies and interventions, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Gottman Informed Therapy for couples treatment and solution-focused treatment.
All therapists at Merit Psychology Group take a thoughtful and scientific approach to treating a variety of mental health conditions. These include but are not limited to depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and insomnia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger’s Disorder, gender dysphoria, developmental trauma, intergenerational trauma, chronic and acute medical conditions, life stress, life transitions, relationship strain, co-parenting and many more concerns.
Merit Psychology Group therapists are diverse themselves and support the diversity that their clients present. This means that we are welcoming to people of all backgrounds. Merit Psychology Group therapists are allies to the LGBTQIA+ population and are affirming of populations that are neurodiverse, neuroatypical, and neurodivergent.
Merit Psychology Group also offers specialty services if you feel like therapy needs to be informed by a data-driven assessment. This includes neuropsychological assessment for diagnostic purposes, to understand cognition (i.e. memory, attention, concentration, social reciprocity, communication, and language). Standardized assessment of neurodevelopmental events in early childhood, trauma, prenatal or perinatal trauma, neglect, learning challenges (psychoeducational evaluation), psychological assessment for depression, sadness, anxiety, social differences, attention, executive functioning, or mood differences can also be completed by our licensed clinical psychologist on staff.
Additional specialty services include Occupational Therapy services for sensory, neuromotor, and executive functioning concerns which include functional assessments of the body and can also be used to inform traditional therapy, psychological assessment, and your overall health and well-being. Additionally, these services help individuals learn how to more effectively function in their day-to-day activities which include work, school, and play!
Merit Psychology Group therapists believe in taking an integrative, holistic, and data-driven approach to the care and treatment they provide to get the best possible outcomes for each person they see.
Providers are located in California by telehealth and in person. Providers are also available by telehealth in Washington, California, South Carolina & Arizona. We look forward to speaking with you and helping you pick the best therapist and therapeutic approach to put your mind at ease! pick the best therapist and therapeutic approach to put your mind at ease!
Our Mission
The mission at Merit Psychology Group is to assess and treat. The goal is to help you be the best version of yourself. Our environment and our genetics shape our brains. Neural connections and pathways exist, grow, and develop based on what is around us and what is going on inside of us. Trauma, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Epilepsy, Depression, Anxiety, Tourette’s, Gender Dysphoria, and OCD (and many more concerns) are all diagnoses that are the result of a diverse set of experiences that cause symptoms that can then potentially cause distress or feeling like you do not fit in. Being a neurodiverse individual is your lived experience.
Merit Psychology Group clinicians use neuropsychological assessment for diagnostic purposes, to understand cognition (i.e. memory, attention, concentration, social reciprocity, communication, and language). Merit Psychology Group clinicians use psychological assessment to help identify the constellation of symptoms that a person experiences which may be the result of neurodevelopmental events in early childhood, trauma, prenatal or perinatal trauma, neglect, learning challenges, depression, sadness, anxiety, social differences, attention, executive functioning or mood differences. When you come to Merit Psychology Group you can also receive treatment for these newly identified or previously assessed symptoms and experiences. Merit Psychology Group clinicians use empirically validated treatment methods (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy- DBT, and trauma-informed and solution-focused treatments).
Merit Psychology Group provides services that are an extension of the assessments and talk therapy that occurs. This can include referrals to psychiatry in the area, group treatment, or occupational therapy services. Merit Psychology Group has telehealth executive functioning coaching which can be done anywhere in the state of California from the comfort of your own home.
Adrienne DiFabio, PhD (She/Her/Hers)
Dr. DiFabio’s desire to pursue her doctorate and work with people began when she worked in K-12 classrooms as a teacher’s aide alongside students with a variety of educational and physical needs. Dr. DiFabio continued pursuing her passion in working with populations needing supportive care when she completed an undergraduate internship working with at risk youth-ages 6-18 in Upstate New York.Dr. DiFabio’s graduate education and clinical experience continued with training in the assessment of human behavior, and psychological assessment in many different settings. These training experiences helped her better understand the nuances of individuals who have a variety of cognitive and psychological needs. Dr. DiFabio has conducted psychological assessment across the lifespan during her training and post doctoral studies.Dr. DiFabio also holds a certificate as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) which allows her to better assess the impact of psychological trauma on brain functioning and test performance. Dr. DiFabio’s assessment practice is also informed by theories from Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP™) for the treatment of prenatal and perinatal trauma. Dr. DiFabio’s services are also informed by the Resources for Infant Caregivers (RIE) model of care.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you receive a diagnosis from a provider at Merit Psychology Group this will give you the freedom of understanding how your brain works. Psychological assessment takes the guess work out of communicating to your healthcare providers, job or school what your needs are. Psychological assessment also gives you a baseline understanding of your mental health and brain health prior to starting treatment or receiving accommodations in school or at work.
Each client will have an assessment experience tailored to their specific need or “referral question.” This questions is related to understanding how your brain works. Referrals can come from a school, doctor, or therapist you are already seeing or know. Or, some clients pursue psychological assessment to identify barriers to reaching their goals.
Psychological assessment includes a 1.5-2 hour “intake” via telehealth platform. This is your history from birth to your present age. It is ok if you don’t have all this information, we will do our best to understand who you are and how your brain works regardless of the information you provide.
The second portion of psychological assessment is in person assessment at the Merit Psychology Group office in Palo Alto, CA. This is usually 6-10 hours and can be broken up over multiple days. During this time you answer questions, and complete puzzles and brain teasers to get an understanding of how you think and how your brain works.
If you cannot make it to the clinic for assessment services, telehealth assessment services are offered. Additionally, some in home services are considered but this is on a case by case basis.
We have a 48 hour cancellation policy for all therapy sessions. If you cancel under 48 hours you will be charged the full cost of your session. For assessment services we ask that you cancel as soon as you know you will not be using our services. We charge a 10% no show fee for assessment services. If you are not sure about scheduling, we understand, but we ask you don’t book services until you feel confident in working with us. We appreciate your understanding as these policies allow us to help as many people as possible, which is important to us!