Meet Our Team
Amy Serin, PhD
Dr. Amy Serin is an internationally recognized neuropsychologist and stress expert on a mission to help you live your best life! After graduating from Arizona State University in 1996 as Valedictorian (Moeur Award), she obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in 2006. She then founded Serin Centers in 2007 to integrate cutting-edge, results-oriented neuropsychology into profound and permanent results for her clients. Her unique blend of scientifically based methods for anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, giftedness, performance enhancement, and life challenges are "truly revolutionary" according to Huffington Post. Since 2007 Serin Centers have helped thousands of kids, teens, and adults reach their full potential.
Her book The Stress Switch: The Truth About Stress and How to Short Circuit It reached #1 best-seller status for Preventative Medicine on Amazon in 2019. She is the recipient of several international awards for inventing TouchPoints neuroscience stress wearables, including the 2018 Gold Edison Award for Health and Wellness, Forbes 2019 Best Technology Award for Health and Wellness, and Digital Trends 2019 Best of CES award. Dr. Serin is a sought-after keynote speaker for conferences, including the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research, EMDR International Association, and Entrepreneur's Organization. She has been featured in USA Today, Huffington Post, Inc., NBC, Thrive Global, Men's Health, Shape, Mashable, and Bustle, among others.
Dr. Serin is an Arizona native who is passionate about health and wellness. In her spare time, she enjoys all things active, spending time with her two teenage sons and boyfriend, and unsuccessfully trying to get her mini-Goldendoodle to stop terrorizing passers-by when on walks.
What our clients are saying:
"Dr. Serin is incredible. Thoughtful and supportive while looking to achieve results!"
"Even after just one session, I feel a lot better and more equipped to improve my mental health!"
"Very thorough and professional. Thank you."
"Dr. Serin is so very smart and wise. She is clear about her observations/diagnosis and at the same time, compassionate. I have the highest respect for her expertise."
"Dr. Serin is a gem! I adore her!"
"Dr. Serin is a Godsend! She saw the whole picture, whole life, mind, body spirit counselor who doesn't waste time with talk therapy. So thankful for her!!!"
"Dr. Serin is smart, intuitive, and compassionate. She is a lifesaver!"
"Dr. Serin is amazing! The sense of relief and confidence I feel after our sessions is unmeasurable."
"Thank you for giving me hope in the middle of my darkness."
Meena Choi, PhD
Dr. Meena Choi can help parents be sure they are focused on the right treatments for their children. She assesses and treats children and families for depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, attentional problems, autism spectrum symptoms, school difficulties, loss, and trauma.
Dr. Choi utilizes cognitive-behavioral techniques, EMDR therapy, play therapy, and parent training to assist her clients in reaching their goals and improving their lives. Dr. Choi consults closely with parents, as they are invaluable sources of information and partners for intervention.
Dr. Choi graduated from Arizona State University with dual degrees in Psychology and Child and Family Studies. She obtained her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (with a focus on children) from the State University of New York at Albany.
She is a clinical supervisor for Post-Doctoral Fellows and Doctoral Interns at Serin Center.
Dr. Choi is a member of the Arizona Psychological Association, Arizona Association of Play Therapy, and the Arizona Children's Services Network. In her spare time, Dr. Choi enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.
What our clients are saying:
"I cannot say enough about how amazing my intake went with Dr. Choi. I have gone through many intakes with other agencies and I have never felt this listened to before. I would recommend Dr. Choi to anyone!"
"Dr. Choi is a very empathetic, personal, and knowledgable health care professional. Dr. Choi is a great asset to the field of mental health. We need more providers like her."
"Dr. Choi was so patient and understanding and thorough. We really appreciated our time with her."
"Dr. Choi was very caring and understanding of our needs."
"Dr. Choi was very kind, helpful, and easy to talk to."
SamanthaBlake Jacobson PsyD
SamanthaBlake Jacobson, PsyD is a licensed Psychologist and a Post-Doctoral Fellow with multiple years of experience. Instilling hope in clients while equipping them with creative solutions to life's challenges are the aspects of her career that Dr. Jacobson values most.
She uses an integrative and client-tailored approach when treating children, teens, and adults with depression, severe mental illness (SMI), anxiety, PTSD, mood disorders, eating disorders, relational stress, narcissistic abuse, and family conflict. Dr. Jacobson utilizes EMDR therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapies, and play therapy.
Dr. Jacobson conducts neuropsychological assessments for autism, specific learning disabilities, differential diagnoses, and ADHD. She administers quantitative electroencephalograms (qEEGs) and provides neurofeedback. She also supervises Doctoral Interns at Serin Center.
Dr. Jacobson graduated from Jacksonville State University with a degree in psychology and obtained her master's and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology from Midwestern University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors.
What our clients are saying:
"Amazing feedback and lots of support to give hope for a brighter future for our kids"
"Dr. Jacobson was incredibly kind. She was straightforward, direct, and matter-of-fact in the most amazing way during our session. I am so incredibly grateful to have been able to have a session with her. It helped me so much. I feel safe and supported...I will never forget her kindness and support in a time where I felt so vulnerable."
"First session went very well. Helpful and professional. Looking forward to our next appointment."
"Everything about our appointment was wonderful and insightful...Dr. Jacobson had a very good demeanor with the children, gained their trust, and was very insightful with a lot of positive hope and directed us to a very safe and stable plan that gives us a lot of hope for the future."
Yasmine Kolahi PhD
Yasmine Kolahi, PhD is a Post-Doctoral Fellow specializing in Neuropsychological Assessments. After obtaining a BA in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University, Dr. Kolahi completed her clinical internship in Neuropsychology at Utah State Hospital in Provo, Utah and joined Serin Center's team to provide accurate assessments and diagnostics to inform the best treatment plans for clients.
She is passionate about working with teens and adults using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and EMDR therapy. She specializes in providing both hope and lasting change to clients with borderline personality disorder and severe mental illness. She enjoys exploring brain-behavior relationships by assessing neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders, such as dementia, ADHD, learning disorders, and autism.
What our clients are saying:
"Great people at this center."
"Stays late on a Friday night to help me. Thank you."
"Kind-hearted"
Sheena Brown, MS
Sheena Brown, MS is an Arizona-certified school psychologist who worked in Arizona schools prior to joining Serin Center in 2021. She prides herself on her patient, gentle style when testing children and adolescents to get the most accurate results. She has a Master of Science degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University with a concentration in School Psychology.
She provides Gifted Assessments, Psychoeducational Evaluations, Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), and Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults with giftedness, emotional disabilities, autism spectrum traits, intellectual disabilities, orthopedic impairments, traumatic brain injuries, health impairments, and multiple disabilities.
Sheena is passionate about helping parents and guardians navigate the school process. She can review school evaluations, conduct private evaluations, attend school meetings (including CST, MET, IEP, and 504), consult with parents, advocate and consult on students' unique needs, write specific goals for inclusion in IEPs and 504 plans, consult on placement and programming decisions, assist with obtaining Empowerment Scholarships, and consult with educational advocates as part of a parent support team.
It is Sheena's hope that every child in Arizona will be able to obtain the services they need in order to reach their full potential in life.
What our clients are saying:
"Sheena was fabulous. I've rarely seen someone so knowledgable AND prepared. So helpful!"
"Sheena was kind and thorough. We felt very comfortable explaining our needs to her."
"Sheena was amazing with my child. Encouraging, positive, and responsive to his energy."
"I can't believe she was able to get my son to finish testing. No one at other places was ever able to get it done. She is a GEM. You're lucky to have her!"
Morgan Benoit, BS
Morgan Benoit, BS graduated Summa Cum Laude from Grand Canyon University with her Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science and an emphasis in Physical Education. Morgan has always been motivated by helping others improve their health and wellness in cutting-edge ways. She strives to constantly expand her knowledge of neuroscience so she can significantly improve her client's quality of life and is currently BCIA eligible.
Morgan is passionate about Serin Center's neurofeedback program because she enjoys using the highest quality equipment and the most cutting-edge applications that are backed by science. Over the last 7 years, she has seen ADHD, PTSD, insomnia, speech difficulties, anger problems, insensitivity, sensory issues, and many other issues significantly improve for children, adolescents, and adults. "I love this!" She says when she talks about how gratifying it is to be a part of creating profound life changes in people that will continue to reap rewards for their lifespan.
Morgan enjoys spending time with her husband and family in her free time. She also enjoys reading, water-skiing, and playing sports.
What our clients are saying:
"Excellent as always! Very professional and friendly. Time flies by."
"Really good job as always."
"Morgan is friendly, kind, and at the top of her game with all of the technology. We know we are in excellent hands."
"My son appreciates Morgan's ability to be friendly and encourage conversations with him so he can warm up and open up. It makes a difference in his experience. Thank you."
Maile Nguyen, BS
Maile Nguyen, BS graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and has plans to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grand Canyon University. Maile's kind, approachable style makes clients comfortable during their neurofeedback training sessions. She is passionate about helping others and loves connecting with everyone she meets. She finds it rewarding to be able to help everyone and especially enjoys working with children and adolescents at Serin Center who want to improve their attention, mood, sleep, anxiety, and trauma.
Maile loves working in a career where she can make a difference to the best of her abilities. She enjoys seeing the real-life changes her clients experience and gains a deep sense of satisfaction knowing she has truly made a difference in their lives.
Maile is an Arizona native. She enjoys reading, traveling, listening to crime podcasts, and spending time with her friends and family in her free time.
What our clients are saying:
"Very pleasant to work with! Thank you."
"Maile is professional and nice and makes my son feel comfortable."
"Amazing for my son's first session. Everyone was so nice."
"Worked really well with my child."
Courtney Drake
Courtney Drake, BA
Courtney obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Alfred University and is currently attending Northern Arizona University's Clinical Psychology PsyD doctoral program.
She has extensive experience in psychotherapy, counseling, and neuropsychological assessment for all ages. Courtney is so highly skilled at neuropsychological testing, she trains others to administer tests and manages a team of psychometricians. In the past, she has held various customer service and office management positions. These unique skills make her an especially valuable, and well-rounded part of Serin Center's clinical team.
She particularly loves helping adolescent clients and would like to specialize in LGBTQAI+ and neurodiversity in the future after she obtains her PsyD degree.
When she isn't at work helping improve people's lives, Courtney enjoys spending time with her spouse and cats, watching British comedy, and exploring interesting places.
Monica Iwabuchi
Monica Iwabuchi, BA
Monica obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Campus. She is a practicum student at Serin Center, working on completing her PsyD at Northern Arizona University.
Prior to training at Serin Center, she was a psychometrist and therapist at many private practices, clinics, and school settings. She has experience in evaluating a diverse population of individuals to accurately diagnose their conditions and develop comprehensive treatment plans that address their needs.
She has served as adjunct faculty at TAMUCC for General Psychology courses, a laboratory instructor in experimental psychology, and a supplemental instructor for both Learning and Memory and Cognitive Psychology courses.
Monica is bilingual and has gained valuable experience and specializes in working with Spanish-speaking and Latinx populations. Other specialties include CBT Therapy, cognitive assessments, and immigration evaluations. At Serin Center, Monica is learning and applying EMDR Therapy and quantitative brain mapping to her impressive list of specialties.
In her spare time, Monica enjoys spending time with her family, and friends. She is a lifelong learner always interested in learning something new.
Alexcess Richards
Alexcess Richards was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and relocated to Cave Creek, Arizona, with her family in 2014. She has worked in guest relations and customer service for over a decade and thrives on creating exceptional experiences for Serin Center clients. She leads with humor and always tries to bring a smile to people's faces.
Alexcess is extremely family oriented and is a proud mother to her 8-year-old daughter and two English bulldogs. She enjoys escaping the extreme temperatures of Arizona and traveling to mountainous regions or exotic beaches. Alexcess looks forward to greeting you at the Serin Center and looks forward to taking the following steps along with you in your wellness journey.