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Why is my child struggling?

Nobody knows your child better than you do. Do you think that something is going on for your child? Are you wondering whether what your child is experiencing is “normal” or is a cause for concern? Children are complex beings, developing at many levels at once. They…

How Do I Know If An Evaluation Is Needed?

A comprehensive evaluation looks at an individual’s cognitive abilities (verbal and visual), academic skills (reading, writing, math), executive-functioning, processing, memory (visual and verbal), personality, over-excitabilities, and behavior. Evaluations are…

Is My Child Gifted and/or Twice-Exceptional (2E)?

You might notice that your child has advanced vocabulary, verbal expression, or an excellent memory. Your child might have heightened emotional depth and sensitivity. They may demonstrate early or unusual mathematics ability. It is common for gifted children to be “too…

Are you feeling misunderstood at work or in your relationships?

Many adults may find that they are still suffering from experiences and challenges that affected them as children. Others find they are experiencing new challenges related to finding their passion, identity, parenting, relationships, or …

Assessment | Coaching | Consultation | Counseling

Helping Children, Teens, Adults, and Families Realize Their Potential

Summit Center can provide the answers to your questions. We offer psychological and educational services for children, adolescents, adults, and families, including assessments, coaching, consultation, and counseling.

Our team of psychologists, consultants, and educators use a collaborative, strengths-based approach to work with our clients. Our goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the individual and provide a roadmap for making personal, parenting, school, and life decisions. Better understanding the “why” of a person’s behavior can provide relief to parents, teachers, and the individual, and is often the first key step toward maximizing potential.

More From Summit Center

Make Your Worrier a Warrior

With this award-winning book by Dr. Dan Peters, parents can team up with their children or teens to help them conquer the Worry Monster. ORDER NOW

Evaluations & Counseling with Doctoral Trainees

Our training program allows more clients to access high-quality Summit Center services at reduced fees. Appointments are virtual when possible, or at our Walnut Creek office.

Boosting Your Child’s Natural Creativity

Our founders Dr. Dan Peters and Dr. Susan Daniels collaborated on this book about nurturing creativity. Published by Gifted Unlimited for parents and teachers. GET THE BOOK

Latest Newsletter

Summit Center Update: Everyone’s Journey Is Different. Only a few spots left for Executive Functioning Support Course for parents, plus new podcasts and more! READ OUR NEWSLETTER

Assessments

Summit Center offers various evaluations, also known as assessments. These may be narrow in scope (i.e., IQ testing) or comprehensive, assessing a child’s multiple levels of functioning (i.e., intellectual, academic, neuropsychological, social, emotional, and behavioral). Each evaluation is tailored based on the goals and questions to be answered.

Counseling

The Summit Center offers individual, family, and group counseling (also known as psychotherapy) utilizing a strength-based approach to problem-solving and optimizing growth potential through a developmental lens. Our counseling services can help clients address a wide variety of issues.

Coaching & Consultation

We provide consultation on a variety of issues such as parenting, giftedness, twice-exceptionality (2e), finding the right school fit, health and wellness, and more. We also provide coaching services for life and career, ADHD, spiritual sensitivity and awareness, and executive functioning.

Educational Therapy

Our trained professionals combine educational and therapeutic approaches to assist students whose learning challenges at school are not resolving.  Some issues that we address include dyslexia, dyscalculia, test-taking difficulties, and problems with organization and managing time. Educational therapy is not the same as tutoring. Our work is remedial, designed to fill gaps in background, understanding, and learning strategies in order to develop independent learners.

Parent Education

Summit Center offers workshops, classes, webinars, and discussion groups for parents, led by one of our experienced professionals. Groups for parents or gifted adults allow participants to share concerns and gain support from others who have similar experiences.

Are you or your child having trouble at school, home, at work, or with peers?

We offer psychological & educational services for children, adolescents, adults and families. Our assessments and counseling can help you find more meaning and help your child be more successful.

Our Expertise

Summit Center’s team of professionals offers a wide array of expertise to help children, teens, adults, or families deal with these issues:

  • ADD/ADHD
  • Anxiety
  • Asynchronous development
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Dyslexia
  • Executive-functioning issues

 

Summit Center Blog 

PODCAST

Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan

Dr. Dan Peters’s online talk show teaches parents, families, and caregivers how to leave their best footprint for the next generation. Dr. Dan interviews a top parenting expert in each episode, including doctors, therapists, authors, and educators, to discuss diverse and timely parenting topics. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn Radio, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, Android, RSS, or the show page.

Upcoming Events

27

September

Executive Functioning Support Course: Raising an Organized Kid, with Deanna Kim, M.Ed.

Fridays, Sept 27-Oct. 25 (5 weeks)

Virtual

Event Info

Do you feel overwhelmed by your family’s ever-growing list of after school activities? Are you up late at night helping your child finish a project that’s due tomorrow? While many of us with children struggle with planning, organization, and time management, developing a family system can be the key to overcoming these challenges.

This 5-week course with instructor Deanna Kim, M.Ed. will offer parents the unique opportunity to work with our staff to develop their own family system, and learn more about executive functioning and how it impacts our day-to-day lives.

Sessions will focus on planning through the use of a family calendar, time management, routines, sustaining attention, how to work through the homework frustrations, and emotional regulation. Each participant will leave with the tools they need to help their family get back on track and more organized.

Space is limited, and pre-registration is required, so please register early. Early bird rate of $320 ends Sept. 10.

Learn more and register here.

 

 

16

October

Summit Center Webinar: Childhood Anxiety: What Parents, Teachers, and Therapists Need To Know

with Dr. Ginny Ritchey

FREE – Virtual

Event Info

Have you noticed that your child or student has become more agitated, restless, clingy, isolated, or withdrawn? Does your child complain of headaches, insomnia, a decreased appetite, or stomach aches? Your child might be suffering from anxiety, the number one mental health problem in our country. During this FREE Summit Center webinar, Dr. Ginny Ritchey will address topics including: the warning signs and symptoms of anxiety, the cognitive and evolutionary models, the core fears for most people, the common characteristics of anxious children, and what to do.

Wednesday, October 18, 1:00 pm. FREE. Recordings will be available after the event for a fee. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

13

November

Summit Center Webinar: Twice Exceptional (2e), Neurodivergent, Highly Sensitive, & Medically Complex

with Dr. Jeannie Lopez

FREE – Virtual

Event Info

What types of struggles do 2e and neurodivergent families face? What does it mean to be highly sensitive and medically complex? How can we support and guide children and adults with multiple sensitivities in academic settings and daily life?  Summit Center psychologist Dr. Jeannie Lopez, Ph.D., FDN-P, will provide an overview of these topics and explore these challenges through different types of assessments and functional medicine approaches to healing.  She will also offer ideas for lifestyle changes that can improve the health and well-being of the child and their family. Wednesday, November 13, at 12 noon PDT. Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3TDnv3M

 

 

In Crisis?

For a behavioral or mental health crisis, call or text 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255

Trevor Project Lifeline (LGBTQ youth): 866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678