María Alejandra Palacios U., M.S

Psychologist graduated with honors at Universidad Santa María La Antigua in Panama, with a masters in Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in the United States. Team member of The Bridge Center since 2013, and with almost 10 years of experience working with adolescents and children in the private school setting in Panama.

During her master's studies in the United States, she gained experience directly related to child development and its disorders, especially with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She has lead support, psychoeducational, and psychotherapeutic groups for parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members of children with autism and other developmental disorders. Inside the school setting, she has directly worked with students with learning disabilities, developmental conditions, attention deficit, and other academic, behavioral, social and / or emotional difficulties, including contributing to the creation and implementation of accommodations and specialized learning plans. She has also led groups and workshops for children and adolescents with the purpose of strengthening relationships and enhancing the school experience. Currently, her services are offered to help children, adolescents, parents and families improve their mental and relational health. By focusing on the importance maintaining healthy relationships and working on concrete and individualized goals, Maria Alejandra can help in discovering new solutions to favor a family or individual life experience more meaningful. She specializes in working with ASD and other special needs within the family. Part of her services are aimed at those families with children with special educational needs both to support the individual in their school experience, as well as providing psychological support and guidance to parents and other family members such as siblings, grandparents and others. She also sees children and adolescents, who have difficulties with their school and/or personal experience either for academic, behavioral or emotional and social reasons. Moreover, she is dedicated to help new and not so new parents who want support in the parenting process, while fostering self-regulation and strengthening the bonds between family members.