Because the path to support shouldn't be a solitary one.

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No two people are the same. Educational Insights and Counseling employs a customized approach to therapy. Whether you or your child are navigating anxiety, ADHD, or autism spectrum disorders, interventions are designed to meet the individual needs of each person.

Meet Meredith Alt,
Ed.S., NCSP, LEP #4428 

I am a licensed educational psychologist (LEP) working in Studio City. I have nearly 20 years of experience as a nationally certified school psychologist in California, Florida, and Washington State. I earned my educational specialist degree (Ed.S.) from Seattle University, am certified as a Clinical ADHD professional (ADHD-CCSP), a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCTAP), and an Executive Functioning Coach. In addition, I also have experience providing mental health services to individuals across a wide range of ages and needs. I am proudly a SPACE-trained clinician (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), a parent-based treatment designed to help reduce childhood anxiety and OCD by working directly with caregivers. Learn about SPACE.
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My career has equipped me with a strong background in providing support to children with autism, ADHD, and anxiety. I have deep knowledge of the education system and educational supports, including assessments, IEPs, and 504 plans. I’m passionate about the impact of mental health services and the power of psychoeducation for both students and parents.

I have an 12-year-old son and a 8-year-old daughter, who attend Studio City schools. In my free time, I enjoy physical exercise, cooking, reading, and tending to our family’s two feisty pitbull-terrier mixes.

A Personalized Approach to Support

Everyone is different, which is why I use more than one therapy modality in my work. While cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a helpful foundation, I also draw from several other proven approaches to better support the unique needs of each client.

Here are some of the approaches I may use in our work together:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT helps individuals learn how to manage big emotions and incorporate mindfulness, improve their relationships and effective communication, and build healthy coping skills.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT encourages clients to accept difficult thoughts or feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on taking meaningful steps toward what matters most to you and your child.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (M-CBT)
This approach combines CBT with mindfulness to help clients stay present, recognize what they’re feeling, and respond to challenges more calmly and thoughtfully.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ER/P)
ERP is the most evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and phobias. ERP involves gradually exposing clients to fears or anxiety triggers while also teaching coping skills to manage anxiety.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS helps clients understand the different emotional "parts" within them. It supports healing by helping them feel more in control, confident, and self-compassionate.
Play Therapy
For younger children, play is how they express themselves. Through guided play, kids can work through emotions, build problem-solving skills, and feel more secure.
Space Treatment
SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is a parent-based treatment program that supports children and adolescents with anxiety and OCD, developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz, director of the program for anxiety disorders at the Yale Child Study Center. The treatment focuses on changes parents can make to reduce a child’s anxiety.
These modalities allow me to adjust our sessions based on you or your child's personality, challenges, and goals. Whether we’re addressing anxiety, ADHD, autism, or general behavioral or emotional struggles, I'll always meet you with compassion, expertise, and a plan that fits.

My Approach to Anxiety

Evidence suggests that avoidance of anxiety-producing or distressing situations actually increases anxiety. I tailor my treatment to each individual's specific type and symptoms of anxiety and its myriad presentations.

Anxiety impacts individuals in different ways

An individual with generalized anxiety disorder tends to worry about a number of situations and has difficulty controlling their anxiety to the point where it interferes with daily activities.
Individuals with separation anxiety disorder experience significant distress when apart from their parents or caregivers, often imagining that something “bad” will happen to you during separation. They may create situations so that they are likely to remain with you.
An individual with social anxiety disorder finds it difficult to talk to or interact with other people in social settings.
I tailor my treatment to each individual's specific type and symptoms of anxiety and its myriad presentations. Evidence suggests that avoidance of anxiety-producing or distressing situations actually increases anxiety in many children, teens, and young adults.
I use a multifaceted approach rooted in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a proven method that recognizes how the cycle of situations, thoughts, and behaviors interact. This therapeutic approach includes psychoeducation, teaching children of all ages about symptoms and how to recognize them. It also uses CBT techniques, such as catastrophizing,
which help individuals learn to cope with anxiety-producing thoughts or perceptions. In addition, it arms individuals with behavioral techniques, such as mindfulness and progressive relaxation, that address the physical symptoms of anxiety, and it can employ graduated exposure therapy, which equips children to navigate otherwise anxiety-producing situations confidently.
An individual with generalized anxiety disorder tends to worry about a number of situations and has difficulty controlling their anxiety to the point where it interferes with daily activities.
Individuals with separation anxiety disorder experience significant distress when apart from their parents or caregivers, often imagining that something “bad” will happen to you during separation. They may create situations so that they are likely to remain with you.
An individual with social anxiety disorder finds it difficult to talk to or interact with other people in social settings where they worry they may be judged by others.
I use a multifaceted approach rooted in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a proven method that recognizes how the cycle of situations, thoughts, and behaviors interact. This therapeutic approaches includes psychoeducation, or teaching clients to identify negative thoughts and how they influence feelings, and how feelings influence behavior. It aims to assist clients with reframing anxiety producing situations and negative thoughts to positively effect change in feelings and behaviors. In addition, it arms individuals with behavioral techniques, such as mindfulness and progressive relaxation, that address the physical symptoms of anxiety, and it can employ graduated exposure therapy, which equips individuals to navigate otherwise anxiety-producing situations confidently.

3 Types of ADHD

A brain-based disorder, ADHD is often categorized into three types based on behavioral impacts
Number 1
Inattentive
Number 2
Hyperactive
Number 3
Combined
Clients with inattentive ADHD have difficulties completing tasks, remaining focused, and planning and organizing.

Individuals with hyperactive ADHD are excessively restless and often move around a lot, and they have difficulty thinking before acting.

Those with combined ADHD exhibit behaviors associated with both inattention and hyperactivity. ADHD affects individuals or clients in at least two settings—most commonly school and home—and can also impact them in additional settings (eg. sports or other extracurricular activities).

Children with ADHD have deficits in executive functions, eleven separate skills that help us plan and organize, start and complete tasks, stay focused, and maintain control or flexibility. As a therapist, I use a threefold approach for children with ADHD.
My Approach to ADHD
Education
Understanding how ADHD is impacting you or your child at home or work/school and providing education about how ADHD and executive functioning deficits affect the brain and performance.
Home/School Communication
For school aged clients, consistent communication at home and at school often has the biggest impact. We monitor progress and adjust interventions to ensure continued success. For older clients, we focus on vocational strategies and/or at-home strategies.
Rewards & Privileges
Specifically designed strategies to effectively motivate and reinforce positive behaviors and achievements, improving focus, task completion, and self-regulation.

My Approach to Autism

Autism is a spectrum of neurological disorders that affect three main areas of functioning
Number 1
Communication
Number 2
Social
skills
Number 3
Repetitive or restrictive patterns of behavior
As a spectrum of disorders, autism affects individuals in different ways. Higher-functioning people with autism (a condition formerly called Asperger’s syndrome) are almost always verbal. Still, they may misunderstand the nuances of language and may interpret some verbal language (such as irony or sarcasm) in a more literal manner.

Many high-functioning individuals with autism desire social relationships and friendships, but they can have problems understanding social cues, initiating and maintaining social interaction, and understanding social “rules” and norms.

Individuals with autism tend to engage in repetitive or restrictive patterns of behavior. They may focus on routines, have very specific interests, and engage in repetitive movements. I enjoy working with these individuals, whose unique characteristics I first experienced as a graduate student working at the University of Washington autism clinic.

As a therapist, I employ various evidence-based treatment practices for individuals with autism. My approach is driven by your goals, along with a focus on supporting individuals at school and in their careers.
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(213) 566-7961connect@meredithalt.com4370 Tujunga Avenue Ste 110
Studio City, CA 91604
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