Dr. Hanson earned her Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology at Princeton University and received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University with a Clinical Child, Adolescent, Family, and Pediatric Concentration. She is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Hanson completed her Doctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Dr. Hanson’s clinical interests include working with children, adolescents, and their families, treating those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities. She provides parent management training to help parents better understand their child’s difficulties and strengths, teaching both parent and child new skills and strategies to help manage problem behavior that occurs in the home, school, and community settings to ensure positive outcomes for children and families. Common behavioral concerns Dr. Hanson has addressed with this population have included tantrums, noncompliance, off-task behavior, disruptive behavior, anxiety (GAD, and OCD), ADHD, social skills difficulties, sleep, and toileting difficulties, and more. Dr. Hanson’s clinical interests also include working with children, adolescents, and adults diagnosed with Anxiety (GAD, Panic Disorder), and Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD) and Related Disorders, including Excoriation Disorder and Trichotillomania. Dr. Hanson implements empirically supported treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), and Parent Management Training.
Dr. Hanson is passionate about her clients and their families and utilizes an individualized approach to treatment. She emphasizes working collaboratively with clients and their families and adjusting treatment goals to fit the client’s specific and unique needs. Having experienced the intricacies of working with clients with diverse backgrounds, Dr. Hanson believes in the importance of interdisciplinary care, working with other practitioners, teachers, and fellow therapists to ensure her clients get the best care. Her goal is to equip clients and their families with strategies to overcome challenges, better understand their specific difficulties, and feel empowered to improve their overall quality of life.
Dr. Hanson grew up in both Georgia and Florida and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, going to the beach, and cooking.