Meet Our Talented Team Of Therapists, Child Psychologists,
and School Psychologists
Ryan Strosser, Psy.D.
LICENSED Clinical Psychologist
Clinical Director
Dr. Strosser considers it an honor and privilege to listen to people’s life stories, support them in achieving their goals, and help them navigate through the various challenging seasons of their lives. He specializes in helping individuals who have experienced recent and past trauma(s). He is well-versed in working with individuals who are impacted by anxiety, obsessions and compulsions, Tourette’s, depression, post-traumatic stress, complex post-traumatic stress, dissociation, and addiction-related disorders.
He has worked in the mental health field for over 15 years and trained in various environments—from residential facilities to university counseling centers and he is skilled at working with a diverse client population. He has been working in private practice at Weston Family Psychology for over two years where he completed his post-doctoral training with Dr. Evan Mehlman and continues to work closely with Dr. Mehlman at the practice as a licensed clinical psychologist. He utilizes an integrative approach pulling from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Time Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy (TLDP), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Contextual Trauma Therapy (CTT). He utilizes specific evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Processing Therapy when treating individual who are struggling with symptoms of PTSD, CBT with Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, and Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). He is a member of the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
He is passionate about social justice, and he continues to enter contexts, both in his professional work and personal life, to interact with people from different culture, ethnic, religious, spiritual, sexuality, and gender communities to continue to meet people where they are and learn about them as an individual person. He believes that we all want to be seen and loved as people.
Dr. Strosser for over a year has been working internationally in the country of Guyana (South America) where he currently is working to establish mental health support for various groups including medical students, hospital staff and providers, and police. Dr. Strosser has traveled to Guyana several times in the past year to establish relationships with individuals in the country and continues to utilize his expertise in psychology while learning about the unique culture of Guyana to support Guyanese in their concerns with mental health. He is humbled by the opportunity to work with people in Guyana and continues to strive to adapt what he has learned in his professional practice to the unique needs and challenges in Guyana.
Pamela Cohen, Psy.D., NCSP
LICENSED Psychologist
Director of Assessment Services
Dr. Pam Cohen is a licensed psychologist specializing in the assessment and diagnosis of mental health issues and challenges facing children, adolescents, and young adults. She seeks to provide diagnostic clarity and recommendations to aid in treatment planning and/or academic success for these individuals. Dr. Cohen has experience assessing for diagnoses such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning Disorders, Giftedness, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Personality Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and more.
Dr. Cohen earned a Doctor of Psychology degree in School Psychology from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) following her graduation from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. After receiving her doctorate degree, Dr. Cohen received the National Association of School Psychologist’s national certification credential as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.
During her graduate tenure, Dr. Cohen obtained extensive experience working in Broward County schools as well as psychological assessment clinics. She completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at the Pleasantville Union Free School District in New York working with students and their families to support their social-emotional needs by providing counseling, assessment, and ensuring the proper delivery of services on their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). Following this experience, Dr. Cohen completed her postdoctoral fellowship at a private practice in Miami-Dade County where she conducted psychoeducational and psychological evaluations, therapy, and consulted with a variety of mental healthcare professionals.
Dr. Cohen’s education and training in school psychology and clinical practice is the foundation for her ongoing clinical work with individuals through comprehensive assessment as well as therapy, using evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She greatly enjoys working with children and families and feels it is an honor to help young people achieve their full potential and beyond.
Orly Doron, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Orly’s area of expertise is in treating emotional disorders, such as anxiety and depression, as well as providing couples/marital therapy and counseling for seniors. She has a degree in psychology from the Universidad de San Buenaventura as well as specialized training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy from the Universidad del Norte. Orly was also awarded a Master of Social Work from Barry University.
As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), Orly was inspired early in her life to help others. When she was seven years old, her mother took her to a therapist because they weren’t getting along. In their session, her therapist showed her security, love, and care—all things that Orly felt were lacking in her life. From that first meeting, she knew she would one day become a therapist.
Orly has lived through powerful experiences—the early loss of her first child, a kidnapping in the family, the relocation from Colombia to the US, and starting all over. But those lessons in life coupled with her education has deeply informed her understanding of the difficulties human beings can experience.
All individuals are born with a clean slate. However, as we go along life living our different experiences, especially during childhood, we begin to inscribe life theories upon our clean slate. These theories, which will direct the way we think, will be the elements used by each of us to interpret our reality. That being said, if our thoughts are distorted in some way, it will create an impact on our way of feeling and behaving. Our thoughts will work as colored lenses on glass frames, making us view reality by the color of the lenses and not necessarily in a clear, objective manner, causing an emotional impact.
In her line of work, Orly uses a model of intervention called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She believes that our way of thinking will impact our emotions and, consequently, how we behave. It is a short-term therapy, which will allow each individual to explore the origin of their thoughts, what is maintaining them, and how to change them.
This model helps each individual bring well-being into their life in a short period of time. It looks for real-life evidence to support the thoughts used to interpret our reality, finding ways to modify those that do not have any concrete validity. It teaches each individual how to identify the thoughts that are interfering in their ability to interpret their reality in a functional manner.
With the ability to have self-awareness and mindfulness of what is causing our distress, we each gain control and power to change what is not working. Having the ability to bring change into our lives makes each individual strengthen their self-esteem, self-confidence, and well-being.
CBT is a real life-changing tool that will enhance the life of every individual. It can be used across the board and address many life stressors that each of us faces in our daily lives.
Lisa Segall, LMHC
licensed mental health counselor
Lisa is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) who has been practicing for over 18 years in the South Florida community. She treats patients at all stages of life, which includes children, adolescents, and adults. She uses an eclectic approach with clients to meet their specific needs coming from a trauma informed perspective. She has an extensive history working with children and parents who have witnessed and/or experienced abuse, neglect, substance use, and domestic violence. Lisa has had training in using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for treating anxiety and depression. Further, Lisa is trained in utilizing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness with adolescents/teens and adult clients who would benefit from improvement with challenges related to emotional dysregulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
She has a passion for helping others in a warm and safe environment to explore and reach their full potential and goals. Lisa has a way of establishing great rapport with clients of all ages. She understands the difficult nature of the stages of life and how establishing a strong relationship with a therapist early on can make significant life improvements.
Ashley Freiman Psy.D.
Psychology Resident
Dr. Ashley Freiman graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and then went on to earn her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Albizu University. Dr. Freiman treats patients throughout the lifespan, which includes children, adolescents, and adults. She also has a specialization in working with older adults.
Dr. Freiman uses a person-centered approach to collaborate with her clients and creates a safe space that fosters growth and change. She uses multiple modalities and empirically based techniques to suit her client’s individual needs.
Dr. Freiman is skilled in CBT, mindfulness, solution-focused, cognitive stimulation and reminiscence therapies. She sees individual clients, families, caregivers, and groups.
Dr. Freiman has over a decade of experience and has worked in a variety of settings including: private practice, major university hospitals, county government, research, and community mental health centers.
In her spare time, Dr. Freiman enjoys fishing, going to the beach, and spending time with her family and friends!
Daniella Lang, Psy.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Lang has experience working with clients who have struggled with a wide range of challenges spanning their entire lifetimes. She received clinical training within schools, hospitals, and community-based settings serving individuals, groups, and families. However, she is especially fond of helping children and adolescents who have experienced anxiety, depression, and trauma. As a native Spanish speaker and the daughter of Argentine immigrants, she has a passion for working with culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse clients and family systems.
Daniella takes a particular interest in assisting individuals who have experienced trauma. She has worked with survivors of domestic abuse as well as students impacted by the Parkland shooting. She utilizes narrative, existential, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapies to assist individuals to overcome their reactions to traumatic events.
When working with individuals suffering from anxiety and depression, Daniella tailors her interventions to meet the unique needs of her clients. She implements a variety of evidence-based therapeutic tools including cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, as well as attachment and solution-focused interventions.
Dr. Lang received her doctoral degree from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Prior to finishing her postdoctoral residency at Nova Southeastern University, she completed her APA-accredited, pre-doctoral internship with the Community Action & Human Services Department of Miami, Dade County. She currently holds a supervisory and counseling position at Nova Southeastern University.
In addition to providing an integrative, client-centered approach to healing, when Dr. Lang is not helping others, she loves traveling, eating sushi, spending time with friends and family, kickboxing, and watching the TV show “Friends.”
Elizabeth Fernandez, B.S.
Educational Interventionist
Elizabeth graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Behavior Analysis and English. During her time in college, she spent a summer working for the Lindamood-Bell intensive program as a reading intervention tutor and enjoyed the opportunity to help young children and teens improve their reading abilities in just a matter of weeks. She is currently the office administrator and Lindamood-Bell Reading Intervention Tutor at Weston Family Psychology, assisting in office duties and helping her clients reach their full reading and math potential!
Elizabeth has had a passion for reading and psychology since a very young age and has worked as a copywriter for several online magazines. She enjoys the opportunity to mix both of her passions by working with young students struggling to keep up with their learning in a post-pandemic world. Many students lost valuable learning tools due to online learning restrictions, causing them to fall behind. Through the Lindamood-Bell intervention, we have seen students catch up to their peers in just a matter of weeks and overcome much of the frustration surrounding learning to read. Elizabeth uses a positive psychology approach in her tutoring style by focusing on uplifting her students and getting them excited about learning to read again. She believes that reading is the foundation to future academic success and through developing a student’s confidence towards it early on, we can ensure they will be equipped with the right tools and attitude for their future in learning.
Nicole Chavez, Psy.D., MSW
Psychology Resident
Dr. Nicole Chavez specializes in working with children and adolescents and has experience working with clients struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, low self-esteem, peer relationship issues, and chronic medical illnesses. She also has over 10 years of experience working with children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Throughout her education and career, Dr. Chavez has had the privilege of working in various settings, including private practice, pediatric hospitals, community mental health centers, and schools. Her approach to therapy is individualized, meeting the needs of each unique client or family. She believes a strong therapist-client relationship is key to therapeutic success making it her goal to create a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Chavez utilizes necessary evidenced based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Dr. Chavez received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), within the Child, Adolescent, and Families track, from Nova Southeastern University (NSU). She additionally holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Central Florida.
During her free time, Dr. Chavez enjoys traveling, going to the beach, playing with her two dogs, and spending time with friends.
Mirella Ezeta, Psy.D. LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Dr. Mirella Ezeta has earned her Doctorate in Psychology and is a Licensed Mental Health Clinician. She has been conducting therapeutic services for over 20 years in both English and Spanish. She has had the wonderful opportunity to work with people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, she knows the importance of working with her clients in understanding their different cultural needs. Dr. Ezeta strongly believes in considering all aspects of a person, including their emotional, physical/medical, cognitive, and relationship health. She has a keen understanding of the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship, which is crucial for working collaboratively towards the client’s goals.
In Dr. Ezeta’s work with children and adolescents, she engages parental involvement through the utilization of a systemic approach, which can help to create changes that will benefit the family as a whole. Thus, the family will learn to improve their interactions and strengthen their relationships through gaining skills to create healthy attachment, improved communication, and developing appropriate boundaries. Dr. Ezeta’s work and training also includes and is based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT).
EVAN MEHLMAN, PSY.D.
LICENSED CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Dr. Mehlman has been well-known in the South Florida community for his passion in helping children and adolescents, as well as their parents and families, overcome emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges. In addition, he takes great pride in his treatment of adults.
Through the course of his career, Dr. Mehlman realized the efficacy of evidence-based interventions and thus placed his focus on training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
As a member of the International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF) and a graduate of the Behavior Training Therapy Institute (BTTI), Dr. Mehlman has extensive experience using evidence-based treatment methods to address a range of conditions, including OCD, anxiety, depression, selective mutism, and Tourette’s Disorder to name a few. Dr. Mehlman has also been trained in the treatment of tics in Tourette’s Disorder using Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT). Further, he is a member of the Selective Mutism Association.
He also oversees and supervises the Neuroeducational Evaluation process at Weston Family Psychology. As an evaluator, he can provide psychological, psychoeducational, and neuroeducational testing for learning disabilities, giftedness, emotional/psychological conditions, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorders among others. Dr. Mehlman also collaborates with school administrators and teachers (both public and private) as well as with psychiatrists and other practitioners to ensure that the unique needs of each individual are fulfilled.
Like many therapists, Dr. Mehlman was inspired by his own experience with healing and enlightenment through counseling during his college days. After graduation, having cemented his passion for helping others, Dr. Mehlman immediately began working as a lead therapist in a residential treatment facility with severely abused and neglected children. Following this experience, he served as an Internship Director for a local community mental health agency in association with a local university. He also worked concurrently in both the private sector and within mental health communities.
Over the years, he has immersed himself in as much training as possible, consulting with some of the most world-renowned clinicians in treating OCD and anxiety-related disorders. Dr. Mehlman’s mission is to continue to learn and teach other clinicians the benefits of evidenced-based practices because education should never end. As a mentor, he is also committed to conducting and coordinating treatment team meetings within the practice to ensure that all clinicians are receiving the same training and skills he has been able to provide to his patients.
Dr. Mehlman, a member of the American Psychological Association and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, has been working in the Weston community since 2001. He loves his work and is proud to live within the community he serves with his wife, two children, and four dogs.