Andrea Brandon, Psy.D., HSPP, ABPP is the owner and director of Childthrive: Advanced Specialty Care in Child Psychology. She is a Board Certified Clinical and Adolescent Child Psychologist who is licensed in Indiana, Illinois, and is temporarily licensed in Wisconsin. Dr. Brandon specializes in the treatment of selective mutism, social anxiety disorder, and disruptive behavior disorders.
Dr. Brandon is a certified Parent Child Interaction Therapy for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM) therapist and trainer. She is also a certified Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapist. Dr. Brandon also provides cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Dr. Brandon completed her post-doctorate fellowship at the Primary Care Center for Psychological Health in 2012, located in Northwest Indiana, while simultaneously receiving advanced specialty training for the intensive group treatment of selective mutism using Parent-Child Interaction Therapy adapted for Selective Mutism (PCIT-SM) during her volunteer work at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions (ATS), located in Oak Brook, IL. Dr. Brandon later became an employee at ATS and treated children and adolescents who were diagnosed with selective mutism and social anxiety disorders, applying treatment via individual and extended sessions, and intensive sessions, in addition to facilitating groups and participating in the intensive group treatment protocol for selective mutism known as Adventure Camp.
Dr. Brandon earned her Board Certification in Child and Adolescent Psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in 2015. She earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in psychology from Adler University located in Chicago, IL, in 2010, after having completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Children’s Institute, Inc., in Los Angeles, CA.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES:
Indiana: #20042619A
Illinois: #71.008503
CERTIFICATIONS:
American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) – Chapel Hill, North Carolina // Board Certified Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist – November 2015
SPECIALIZED CLINICAL TRAINING:
PCIT Therapist Training
DePaul University – Chicago, Illinois – August 2015
Completed a 40-hour workshop training provided by Christina M. Warner-Metzger, Ph.D., PCIT International Certified Master Trainer.
PCIT-SM Therapist Training
Advanced Therapeutic Solutions (ATS) – Oak Brook, Illinois – May 2011
Completed a 2-day intensive training provided by Carmen M.T. Lynas, Ph.D., SM Specialist and Steven Kurtz, Ph.D., SM Specialist and PCIT International Certified Master Trainer.
EDUCATION:
Psy.D., Clinical Psychology – 2010
Adler School of Professional Psychology – Chicago, Illinois
American Psychological Association (APA) approved program
M.A., Counseling Psychology – 2009
Adler School of Professional Psychology – Chicago, Illinois
Illinois School of Professional Psychology – 2001
Student-At-Large, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Course – Chicago, Illinois
M.S., Dispute Resolution – 1998
Nova Southeastern University – Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
B.A., Psychology – 1996
Purdue University Calumet – Hammond, Indiana
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:
Andrea Brandon, Psy.D., ABPP – Private Practice – Northwest Indiana
Owner/Practitioner- August 2012-Present
Providing the assessment and treatment of childhood anxiety and disruptive behaviors.
Providing Psycho-educational consultation.
Advanced Therapeutic Solutions (ATS)- Oak Brook, Illinois
Supervising Psychologist, Practitioner, Selective Mutism Specialist – January 2012 – May 2017
Provided assessment and treatment of selective mutism and associated anxiety disorders.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Primary Care Center for Psychological Health – Northwest Indiana
Post-Doctoral Fellow – October 2010 – August 2012
Provided generalist psychological assessment and treatment.
Post-Doctoral Volunteer
Adventure Camp 5-Day Intensive Treatment for Selective Mutism – Oak Brook, Illinois
Camp Counselor – August 2011
Supervised by Carmen M.T. Lynas, Ph.D., Selective Mutism Specialist
Winter Adventure 1-Day Intensive Treatment for Selective Mutism – Oak Brook, Illinois
Camp Counselor – Winter 2011
Supervised by Carmen M.T. Lynas, Ph.D., SM Specialist
Pre-Doctoral Internship:
Children’s Institute, Inc. (CII, Inc.) – Los Angeles, California
APA Accredited Internship Program – September 2009 – August 2010
Successfully completed three mandatory rotations in the areas of Early Childhood Mental Health, Childhood Trauma Treatment, Eco-systemic Family Therapy.
Pre-Doctoral Externships:
The Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (CCAC) – Chicago, Illinois
Doctoral Therapy Externship – August 2009 – July 2010
Provided Trauma Assessment and Evidenced Based Intervention Services of Sexually Abused Children
The Children’s Campus – Mishawaka, Indiana
Doctoral Assessment Externship – September 2008 – August 2009
Psychological Assessment of Children and Adolescents
RESEARCH:
Adler School of Professional Psychology-Doctoral Dissertation – Defended, August 9, 2010
Topic: Intergenerational Childhood Sexual Abuse and its Impact on Perceived Parenting Stress. Chair: Kristen Velazquez-Kenefick, Psy.D.
PROFESSIONAL PAPERS, POSTERS, and PRESENTATIONS:
Pabis, J. & Brandon, A. (2015, October). In vivo and imaginal exposure: use of stimulis fading, second individual, and therapeutic tools to transfer verbal behaviors from clinician to teacher in a school setting. Poster Presented at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies – Special Interest Group. New York, New York.
Brandon, A., Lynas, C., & Gabby ,T.B. (2014, October). Social skills group treatment combined with exposure therapy to foster progress in children recovering from selective mutism. Paper presented at the Selective Mutism Group– Child Anxiety Network Annual Conference (SMG). Chicago, Illinois.
Lynas, C., Brandon, A. & O’Meara, Ed.D, ABSNP. (2014, October). Parent skills development
workshop. Paper presented at Selective Mutism – Child Anxiety Network Annual Conference (SMG). Chicago, Illinois.
Lynas, C.,Kurtz, S. & Brandon, A. (2012, October). Adventure camp intensive treatment for selective
mutism: a replication of brave buddies. Paper presented at the Selective Mutism Group-Child
Anxiety Network Annual Conference (SMG). Orlando, Florida.
Houston, T., Brandon, A. & Valez-Rivera, P. (2010, April). Effectively managing behaviors in the
classroom. Paper presented at the California Head Start Association Annual Health
Institute (CHSA). Long Beach, California.
Houston, T., Brandon, A. & Valez-Rivera, P. (2010, February). The proactive teacher: how to handle
challenging behaviors. Paper Presented at the California Head Start Assoication Education
Conference (CHSA). Los Angeles, California.
Houston, T., Velez-Rivera, P., Lockhart, A., & Brandon, A. (2010, June). Early childhood mental health
consultation: in practice. Poster presentation presented at the Georgetown University Early Childhood Symposium. Washington, D.C.
Lynas, C. & Brandon, A. (2012, November). In-service training for schools: slp selective mutism intervention. Naperville, IL.
Lynas, C. & Brandon, A. (2012, September). In-service training for schools: how to teach children with selective mutism. LaGrange, IL.
Brandon, A. (2010, March). Building healthy relationships. Main Street Head Start Preschool. Los Angeles, California.
Brandon, A. (2004, October). Adlerian parent education. YMCA. Michigan City, IN.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
American Psychological Association (APA) – Since 2009
Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, APA, Division 53 (SCCAP) – Since 2014
Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ACBT) – Since 2016
