Meet Our Team

Dr. Amy Serin, Founder of Serin Center

Amy Serin, PhD

Neuropsychologist and Founder

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." 

Dr. Meena Choi

Meena Choi, PhD

Psychologist

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."

Samantha Jacobson PsyD

Samantha Jacobson, PsyD

Neuropsychologist

Samantha Jacobson, PsyD is a Neuropsychologist and a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Arizona with multiple years of experience with both therapy and assessment. 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." 

Maile Nguyen - Neurofeedback Tech - Serin Center

Maile Nguyen, BS

Neurofeedback Technician

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." 

Monica Iwabuchi

Monica Iwabuchi, BA

Neurofeedback Technician

Monica Iwabuchi, BA 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. 

Andrea Menhennet

Andrea Menhennet, LPC

Doctoral Practicum Trainee

Andrea Menhennet, LPC is currently attending Walden University's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. Andrea received her Master's degree from Grand Canyon University with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy before becoming a licensed therapist. She worked in private practice experience before joining the Serin Center team. Andrea works with a broad range of clientele and is comfortable working with any population. She specializes in subconscious therapies such as EMDR and Neuro Emotional Technique (NET); and integrates Psychodynamic and CBT therapies in her work. 

At Serin Center, Andrea is excited to learn how applied neuroscience can improve psychological outcomes and provide more tools for clients to reach their life goals.  In her spare time, she enjoys being physically active and spending time with her family and friends.

 

 

Baylee Gardner

Baylee Gardner, BS

Doctoral Practicum Trainee

Baylee Gardner, BS is currently attending Northern Arizona University’s Clinical Psychology PsyD Program. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brigham Young University-Hawaii with a Bachelor's degree in general/ experimental psychology with a minor in English. While there, she presented research to community members of Laie, Hawaii on the symptoms and treatment options for mood disorders with a goal of destigmatizing mental health disorders.

Baylee has knowledge of Cognitive Testing, Diagnostic Processes, Objective Personality Testing, and Neuropsychology. She is trained in EMDR and enjoys helping clients heal from PTSD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Social Anxiety Disorder, and more.

Baylee is Originally from Washington State and loves helping her community through volunteer work such as setting up programs at a local library and working with a South Sudanese refugee program. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends in her spare time.

chanessa stanley

Chanessa Stanley, MS, LMSW

Doctoral Intern

Chanessa Stanley, MS, LMSW is a Licensed Master Social Worker who earned her undergraduate degree at Delaware State University with a focus in Psychology and her Master of Science from Wilmington University. She is currently a Clinical Psychology doctoral student at Capella University. She currently has over 10 years of clinical experience providing therapeutic services to children and adults with a wide range of presenting issues including depression, self-image issues, anxiety, and trauma. She also has experience in facilitating teen groups to encourage positive self-image, as well as co-facilitating parent support groups.

Chanessa approaches therapy from a strengths-based approach using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing. Chanessa believes you are what you speak. She helps her clients to develop a positive mindset while working alongside them to develop their strengths. She provides a non-judgmental and safe environment for her clients and is now integrating EMDR Therapy and applied neuroscience to her extensive skill set in working with her clients to help them live their best lives.

Negeen Farida - SerinCenter Team Member

Negeen Farida, Ph.D in Clinical Psychology

Doctoral Intern

Negeen Farida is a Ph.D. candidate in Clinical Psychology specializing in Neuropsychology at Fielding Graduate University. Negeen earned her Master's Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, focusing on Human Development and Psychology. With her undergraduate degree in Psychology and World Arts and Cultures/Dance from UCLA, she is uniquely positioned to provide services to diverse populations and outside-the-box methods to help clients learn necessary academic, executive, and life skills.

Negeen has over ten years of experience working with children, adults, and various disability populations in inclusive and specialized classes. She is interested in neuropsychological assessment, neuroscience, and utilizing a strength-based approach to help individuals. She has expertise working with a wide range of clients, including those exhibiting dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, visual processing deficits, expressive language challenges, autism, ADHD, and anxiety. She is also experienced in developing test-taking and study strategies and building students' self-esteem and confidence. Negeen's added background in applied behavioral analysis and DIR Floortime helps her create effective interventions for those with behavioral learning challenges. Her approach is playful, interactive, and focused on each client's individual needs. Her background working with underserved populations, children with special needs, and multiple pathologies strengthens her passion for helping people achieve mind-body integration and happiness. Negeen is native to Los Angeles and recently relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, outdoor activities, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

Kayla Cummings

Kayla Cummings, BA

Counselor Practicum Trainee

Kayla Cummings, BA is currently finishing her Master of Science degree in clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis on trauma at Grand Canyon University. Prior to her training at Serin Center, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, with a second discipline in human development at Arizona State University. She then became a special education and behavioral education teacher for grades K-8 and has extensive experience working with children with trauma, mental health diagnoses, and behavioral health issues. As a trauma survivor who has experienced the loss of a partner, Kayla is passionate about helping children and adults heal from trauma and thrive in their lives. She plans on obtaining her doctorate in psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology in the future. In her spare time, Kayla enjoys writing poetry, epigrams, short stories, and novellas. She also leads an active lifestyle and enjoys watching feel-good movies.  Kayla is an Arizona native and looks forward to traveling the world in the future.