Hello! I’m Dr. Christa Pereira (“Pear-air-a”), a Caucasian-American neuropsychologist licensed in California. I have lived in the Bay Area for the last 20 years and appreciate the variety it offers from beaches, cities, mountains, hills, suburbs, vineyards, redwoods, marinas, space centers, etc. I love to be outdoors and to innovate.

I am interested in improving the confusing journey families and individuals face when they start to notice they may learn differently from others. My goal is to support families and individuals who struggle with learning. If you or someone in your family finds it difficult to read, write, do math, or even pay attention, then I can help you understand how your brain works and provide a diagnosis, if that is appropriate. I use neuropsychological assessment to identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses and inform recommendations.

My approach is based on collaborative therapeutic neuropsychology assessment. I view you as the expert on you (or your family member) and I offer my expertise in neuropsychology to assist in your exploration to better understand your cognition and learning profile. 

I believe it is important to connect assessment to real-world, tangible benefits. Therefore, I love to collaborate with educators and stakeholders to develop individual learning plans. I make my recommendations practical and useful.

Ages:

• Children 7 years and older

• Adolescents

• Adults (all ages)

Specialties:

• Neuropsychological Assessments

• Executive Functioning Coaching

• Learning difficulties

• Dyslexia

• Dyscalculia

• Dysgraphia

• Nonverbal Learning Disorder

• Language difficulties

• Developmental Language Disorder or Specific Language Impairment

• Speech disorders

• Attention difficulties

• ADHD

• Emotions related to struggles with learning

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Withdrawal

Treatment Approaches:

• Individual counseling

• Collaborative Therapeutic Neuropsychological Assessments

• Coaching for executive functioning

• Interventions to overcome various learning disabilities

• Parental supportive counseling

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

Professional Background:

Christa Pereira, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist (CA PSY 28717) with a specialization in neuropsychology and obtained her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium of Palo Alto University (APA-Accredited). She did her internship at the Loma Linda Veteran Affairs (VA) and her postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Memory and Aging Center and UCSF Dyslexia Center. She has been a faculty member and Assistant Adjunct Professor at the UCSF Dyslexia Center for the last seven years. During this time, she has published numerous scientific articles on dyslexia and dyscalculia. Her current publication is on semantic strengths in dyslexia which is under review at a scientific journal that showcases her interest in understanding and applying cognitive strengths in treatment.