Dr. Rachel Venezia is a Licensed Psychologist who provides neuropsychological evaluations and therapy to children, teens, and young adults. She earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from St. John’s University. She completed her predoctoral internship in pediatric neuropsychology and pediatric psychology at Franciscan Children’s, a post-acute rehabilitation hospital in Boston. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology, with a concentration in chronic pain, at Children’s National Medical Center. She is a former DC public school teacher and graduated with honors from the University of Chicago.
Services
- Neuropsychological evaluations
- Psychoeducational evaluations
- Psychological evaluations
- Admissions testing
- Individual therapy
- Parent coaching
Evaluation Expertise
- ADHD and Executive Functioning Disorders
- Learning Disabilities
- Anxiety Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Developmental Delays
- Concussion
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- In-utero exposure to alcohol/illicit substances
- Prematurity and Low Birth Weight
- Neurological Conditions
- Congenital and Genetic Conditions
Membership
- International Neuropsychological Society
- Society for Clinical Neuropsychology
- Society of Pediatric Psychology
- American Association of Pain Psychology
- Maryland Psychological Association
Background
While working as a DC Public School teacher, Dr. Venezia found herself drawn to children who struggled due to issues with mood, behavior, and learning. Inspired by this experience, she pursued a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in order to help clients like her former students live happy, successful, and meaningful lives. She enjoys developing strong relationships with even the most resistant clients. In fact, among her favorites to evaluate are those who others have deemed “untestable.”
Dr. Venezia is skilled at evaluating toddlers, children, teens, and young adults. Her expertise spans a range of issues from academic challenges to medical complexities. Her evaluations are therapeutic experiences that help clients come to a stronger understanding of themselves or their children. Moreover, she excels at writing reports that answer client’s specific questions and provide individually tailored recommendations. She also enjoys providing consultations to medical providers, teachers, and schools (including attending IEP meetings), in order to ensure that everyone on the client’s team works together on a path forward.
Dr. Venezia’s approach to therapy echoes her approach on evaluations. She primarily focuses on working with preteens and teens in individual therapy as well as providing parent coaching to parents of toddlers through elementary school aged children. Therapy with Dr. Venezia begins by developing a strong therapeutic relationship and outlining specific goals and a plan for achieving them. She then works with clients to change the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that stand in the way of achieving happiness and success. She follows a skills-based approach using evidence-based therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), parent management training (PMT), and mindfulness. Relatedly, she is skilled at providing cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and pain-focused CBT.
As an evidence-based practitioner, Dr. Venezia is skilled at incorporating the latest research into her evaluations and treatments. She has published peer-reviewed journal articles on the impact of critical illness and mood disorders on neuropsychological functioning. She has also published book chapters on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT). She has presented on these topics, as well as on anger, at international conferences.
Personal Life
Dr. Venezia lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband, three young children, and pet rabbit. In her free time, she enjoys playing outside with her kids, taking them on outings, drawing, writing letters, and hiking.
