About Us
 
Karen M. Falla, Ph.D.                     
Licensed Psychologist
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric

Dr. Falla founded Neuropsychology Consultants with a vision of bringing together
outstanding clinicians offering state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment in the fields of
clinical psychology and neuropsychology. She is a licensed psychologist with a
specialization in Clinical Neuropsychology, focusing on the evaluation and treatment
of individuals across the developmental lifespan who are experiencing cognitive,
emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties. She provides services to individuals in the
office on an outpatient basis and also on an inpatient basis at Medical City McKinney,
including behavioral health and medical rehabilitation.

In working with children and adolescents, Dr. Falla helps to enhance understanding of
their functioning in several domains. With consideration of their strengths and
weaknesses, she works with parents to develop a plan of intervention to help the child
or adolescent fulfill their potential in multiple domains of life. Typical referral issues
include ADHD, learning disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, other
neurodevelopmental problems, and traumatic brain injury. She also helps with
emotional difficulties, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and
adjustment disorder.

In working with adults, she conducts evaluations for neurodevelopmental conditions
such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD, emotional difficulties, and differential
diagnosis of dementia and other neurologically based problems. Typical referral issues
include Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, Vascular dementia due to major stroke or microvascular disease, Parkinson’s disease,
multiple sclerosis, brain tumor, seizure disorder, and traumatic brain injury.  She works
with individuals and families to help them work toward positive emotional adaptation
to life changes associated with a family member’s decline in cognitive or physical
functioning.  She treats her patients with compassion and respect as they seek to
understand the basis of problems they are experiencing, and discusses with them
practical and accessible ways of improving their quality of life.

Dr. Falla earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology (APA-accredited) and her master’s
degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas. She earned her bachelor's
degree in Psychology from Arizona State University, graduating summa cum laude.
Prior to this, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Arizona State University. Afterward, she worked
for five years as a Software Engineer for Honeywell Commercial Flight Systems,
collaborating with systems engineers and hardware engineers to produce flight control (autopilot) systems for commercial aircraft.

As she transitioned her analytical skills into the field of clinical psychology, she
evaluated children receiving neuro-oncology services at Cook Children’s Medical
Center in preparing her dissertation, “The Relationship between Executive and
Psychosocial Functioning in Children Treated for a Brain Tumor.” She had a focus on neuropsychological evaluation and treatment of both children and adults during her
graduate practica with the Traumatic Brain Injury Program at the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, Baylor Our Children’s House in Dallas, and Cook Children’s
Medical Center in Fort Worth.

She furthered her specialized clinical training on internship at the APA-accredited
Oklahoma Health Consortium in Oklahoma City (including rotations at the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital, Neuropsychology Associates at the Mercy Hospital
Neuroscience Institute, and the Child Study Center at the University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center). Her postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology was
completed at the Center for Psychological Development in Sherman, Texas, where she conducted in- depth neuropsychological evaluations with both inpatient and outpatient populations. Inpatient settings included acute care, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and psychiatry.

Dr. Falla currently holds privileges at the Medical City McKinney where she sees
patients in behavioral health and medical rehabilitation. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the University of North Texas. She has given presentations on
many topics, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dementia, Depression, and
Coping with Stress at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, Raytheon, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Woman's University, Wilson Jones Medical Center, Community Specialty Hospital, and several preschools, retirement communities, and hospice care facilities.

She has written a book chapter on Neuropsychological Assessment in "Disability and Accommodations in Higher Education: A Handbook for Disability Advisors." She is a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, American Psychological Association (including Division 40: Clinical Neuropsychology), Texas Psychological Association, and Collin County Psychological Association, and a founding member of the Dallas Fort Worth Neuropsychological Association.



Valerie Sive-Ramirez, Psy.D.Licensed Psychologist
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric

Dr. Valerie Sive-Ramirez earned her doctoral degree from the APA-accredited
counseling psychology graduate program at the University of San Francisco, which
included a two-year graduate practicum at the Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, California. She received additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of children
and adolescents at the APA-approved Southern Arizona Psychology Internship
Consortium in Tucson, Arizona. She earned her master’s degree from the University of
San Diego and has been licensed as a marriage and family therapist in California. She is currently a licensed psychologist in Texas.

Dr. Sive-Ramirez completed her post-doctoral training in Clinical Neuropsychology
from Fielding Graduate University. As part of this specialized training, she completed
a post-doctoral fellowship at St. Mary’s Medical Center, where she worked on the
inpatient rehabilitation unit and conducted inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological evaluations for children and adolescents. She further refined her specialization by
completing a second post-doctoral fellowship on the brain injury unit at Kaiser
Foundation Rehabilitation Center.

She has worked for the Memory Center at Baylor Neuroscience Center in Dallas as well 
as for the Pain Management Center at Baylor University Medical Center.  In both 
settings, she conducted comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations and pain 
evaluations, provided individual and group therapy, and assisted in coordination of
treatment services to gather outcome data. She provides in-home neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy rehabilitation patients through Rehab Without Walls. 
She has worked with children with many different types of conditions, including 
ADHD, learning difficulties, developmental delay, and neurological problems. 

In addition to her clinical experience, she has worked in different research settings, 
including a study on anger management and substance abuse for the U.S. Department 
of Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in San Francisco. She served as adjunct faculty for 
Wright Institute in Berkeley, California teaching graduate-level neuropsychological 
assessment. She is a member of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Sive-Ramirez is committed to providing high quality evaluations and treatment.  
An important objective in her clinical work is to provide each individual with an 
opportunity to obtain optimal functioning in daily life. We are very happy to have Dr. Sive-Ramirez working with us.


   

            Licensed Psychologist
Mary Linda Chlipala, Ph.D, M.S., M.A., CCC/SLP     Clinical Neuropsychologist
    Speech/Language Pathologist
    Child, Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric

Dr. Chlipala specializes in neuropsychological assessment of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral difficulties in individuals across the lifespan. For adults, this includes concerns of possible dementia or other cognitive difficulties affecting quality of life. For children and adolescents, this includes developmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, and other difficulties affecting a child's ability to learn and function as expected in important domains of their lives. She also conducts presurgical assessments (bariatric, deep brain stimulator, spinal cord stimulator).

Dr. Chlipala has experience in a variety of settings including private practice, hospital inpatient/outpatient, skilled nursing facility (SNF), medical specialty unit (MSU), juvenile detention center, Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) Level V, rehabilitation hospital, and an outpatient rehabilitation center serving children and adults, in addition to providing didactic clinical training seminars and supervision of post-doctoral neuropsychology fellows, pre-doctoral neuropsychology interns, and psychometrists, as well as experience as an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She was formerly the Director of Clinical Training for an APPIC pre-doctoral internship site.

She earned her doctorate and master's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas. Her dissertation is entitled "Organized Semantic Fluency and Executive Functioning in an Adult Clinical Sample and a Community Sample." Her master's thesis is entitled "Longitudinal Study of Loneliness and Depression as Predictors of Health in Mid-To-Later Life." Her predoctoral internship involved work at Terrell State Hospital, where she saw children, adolescents and adults,; she also saw children for therapy at the Children's Advocacy Center.

Prior to this, she earned a master's degree in Communication Disorders from Texas Woman's University and her bachelor's degree in Education from the University of North Texas. She worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist and eventual Department Head at The Rehabilitation Center for Children and Adults in Sherman, Texas. She also worked as a Speech-Language Therapist for the Grayson County Special Education Coop.

Dr. Chlipala has numerous scientific presentations and publications. She holds memberships in the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the International Neuropsychological Society, and the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. We are very happy to have Dr. Chlipala working with us.


   

Maria C. Boix Braga, Ph.D.                  
Licensed Psychologist
Clinical Neuropsychologist
Adolescent, Adult, Geriatric

Dr. Maria Boix Braga earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology from the APA-accredited graduate program at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her dissertation was entitled Head-Impact-Related Outcomes by Position in Retired NFL Football Players.

As part of her graduate training, she completed an Inpatient Neuropsychology rotation at Memorial Rehabilitation Institute at Memorial Regional Hospital South in Hollywood, Florida where she worked as part of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team of physiatrists, nurses, physical, occupational, speech, and music therapists.  She was group co-facilitator of the Stroke Wellness and Education to Enhance Treatment (SWEET) Program and the Behavioral Pain Management Program. She also worked at the Sports Medicine Clinic at Nova Southeastern University and Miami Jewish Mental Health. At Nova Southeastern University, she served as a graduate teaching assistant for Objective Personality Assessment.

She completed her internship in Rehabilitation Psychology at the Jackson Health System in association with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. There, she provided psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessment services to a wide variety of patient populations, including those with spinal cord injury, brain injury, strokes, amputations, multiple orthopedic traumas, cancer, and a variety of other medical conditions. She worked with them through multiple levels of care, including intensive care, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient services.

Prior to her doctorate, she earned two master’s degrees from Nova Southeastern University, in Clinical Psychology and General Psychology. Her major paper for the former was entitled Exploration of the Perseverative Errors score of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance on Measurements of Intelligence, Cognitive functioning, Memory, Executive Functioning, and Personality. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida International University in Miami, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Dr. Boix Braga completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation and Neuropsychology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where she provided neuropsychological evaluations and psychotherapy services in the neurology and rehabilitation outpatient clinics and on the inpatient unit.  She also provided consultation services for members of the interdisciplinary team regarding patient/family emotional status, behavioral functioning, capacity assessments and treatment-related issues.

Most recently, she worked as a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist/Assistant Professor for the Department of Psychiatry at Parkland Hospital and Health Systems with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. While there, in addition to providing neuropsychological evaluations, psychotherapy, and consultation services, she completed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - Model Systems research responsibilities, including providing interventions nationally to care partners of individuals with neurological conditions.

In addition to fluency in English, Dr. Boix Braga has native proficiency in Spanish and Portuguese. She has authored and co-authored multiple research publications and presentations. The breadth and quality of her training has provided her with a strong foundation in the assessment of individuals with a wide variety of neurological, complex medical, and psychiatric conditions. As a result of her extensive training, she has come to appreciate the positive impact of that neuropsychologists can have on their clients’ mental and physical health. We are happy to have her collaborating with us and helping others as they seek to enhance their quality of life.


   

Daisy A. Blagg, PsyD, LSSP                     


Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Specialist in School Psychology
Child, Adolescent, Adult

 


Dr. Blagg earned her Doctoral degree and Master’s degree in ClinicalPsychology from Argosy University in Dallas. Prior to this, she earned her Master of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University-Commerce and her Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology from The University of Texas at Dallas. Her postdoctoral internship was conducted at the Frisco Independent School District and her predoctoral internship at the Allen Independent School District.

While in graduate school, she completed a clinical practicum at the Mental Health Clinic at Texas Health Resources, Presbyterian Dallas. There, she administered neuropsychological batteries to outpatient and inpatient adults to determine the presence and type of dementia or cognitive delay. She also generated reports regarding a patient’s functioning for use by the hospital staff, physicians, and family. She also completed a clinical practicum at Cynthia Galt and Associates Medical Psychological Services in Dallas.

Dr. Blagg owned her own practice at Caring Heart Evaluation Center in Allen, Texas where she conducted neuropsychological and psychological evaluations. Prior to this, she worked with us at Neuropsychology Consultants, and we are fortunate to have her join us once again. She also has worked at Dallas NeuroRehab Center in Plano, Texas.

Dr. Blagg helped many children in her work as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) for the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas and the Plano Independent School District in Plano, Texas. Her work for all four school districts in which she has worked included developing Individual Education Plans and Full Individual Evaluations, serving on the Autism Evaluation Team, conducting evaluations for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Other Health Impairment specific to attention problems, and Emotional Disturbance. She also assisted teachers and school support staff with behavioral consultations, conducted Functional Behavior Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans, and provided Special Education counseling.

Prior to her graduate training in Psychology, she worked as a Special Education Teacher for the Plano Independent School District for grades 6-8 in a Reduced Stimulus Environment. This involved providing instruction and curriculum support for students with emotional and behavioral difficulties requiring an alternative educational environment.

Dr. Blagg has very strong training and experience in Clinical Psychology which she has been able to utilize in serving both clinical and school populations. She is also very caring toward her patients and has their very best interest at heart. We are very happy to have her working with us!



   


 Emily L. Armstrong, M.S.              


                         Psychometrist
                         Clinical Neuropsychology

                                                                                                     Child, Adolescent, Adult


Emily is working on her Ph.D. in School Psychology at Texas Woman’s University. Her work as an intern has included administration of various developmental assessments on atypically and typically developing children and adolescents. This work involved developing comprehensive reports summarizing the child’s developmental functioning, interpretation of the data gathered, and recommended intervention plans.

She earned her master’s degree in Human Development and Early Childhood Disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas - School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Department. Her coursework in this program included Typical Development, Assessment Theory, Developing Child, Developing Child, Toddler and Preschool, Cognitive Development, Intervention with Young Children, Language Acquisition and Social Development. She was on the Academic Honors List throughout her master’s program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Operations from Sonoma State University in California where she was often on the Academic’s Dean’s List. Relevant courses here included Lifespan Development, Social Psychology and Applied Statistics.

Emily’s clinical experience also includes work as a psychometrist for Dr. Daisy Blagg at Caring Heart Evaluation Center. She performed developmental and neuropsychological evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults with learning and cognitive disabilities as well as emotional, mood, and psychotic disorders.

Her work as a registered behavior technician involved implementing programs based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) which support communication, adaptives kills, and social skills to children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This involved performing research-based practices following the client’s Behavior Intervention Plan including Discrete Trial Training (DTT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Natural Environment Training (NET), and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

She also served as a teacher’s aide at the School for Children with Learning Disabilities at Preston Hollow Presbyterian School. She worked with student son an individual and small-group basis to reinforce learning concepts, complete assignments, and improve academic performance. She observed class room and  play activities to identify positive behaviors and area sinneed of improvement, implementing behavior redirection where appropriate.

   


Jacqueline Miller, M.A.
     
                   Graduate Clinical Extern
                       Clinical Neuropsychology
                       Child, Adolescent, Adult


Website bio coming soon!


   

DeShawn Coleman, M.A.
     
                 Graduate Clinical Extern
                 Clinical Neuropsychology
                 Child, Adolescent, Adult
Website bio coming soon!

   

Corrina Guerra, M.A.
     
                 Graduate Clinical Extern
                 Clinical Neuropsychology
                 Child, Adolescent, Adult
Website bio coming soon!

   

Kimberly Baker, MA, MBA
     
                 Graduate Clinical Extern
                 Clinical Neuropsychology
                 Child, Adolescent, Adult
Website bio coming soon!

  
Caleb Freund, B.A.

                   Psychometrist
                      Clinical Neuropsychology
                      Child, Adolescent, Adult

Website bio coming soon!

  

WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVE THEIR ULTIMATE POTENTIAL AND ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE

We are committed to treating others with compassion and respect as we help them to more fully understand their unique characteristics and support them in seeking experiences that will enhance their quality of life.
6717 W Eldorado Parkway
Suite 110
McKinney, TX 75070

Telephone: 214-585-0584
Fax: 214-585-0586
E-mail:counsel@npconsult.net