Staff
Dr. Laurie Emery
Dr Laurie Emery, president and founder, created Families by Design with the comprehensive needs of families in mind. After working with families in a multitude of settings, including mental health centers, public schools and private practice, Dr Emery realized the need for a central center that specializes in all areas of family needs. By having a team of professionals and their services in one location, Dr Emery and her staff provide parents and children with avenues and resources to make family life easier and fun.
Dr. Laurie Emery began her esteemed career in the educational system of Palm Beach County, Florida. With her Masters in Special Education, Dr. Emery was introduced to the realm of modern youth while in the special education program where she was responsible for children with emotional and behavioral problems. For over eight years, Dr. Emery supported the regular teachers with behavioral modification programs. She soon became known for her work as a behavioral specialist. As a specialist, Dr Emery began working with students with speech and language disorders, pervasive developmental delays, and learning disabilities. Dr. Emery then went on to work toward her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology while working in mental health clinics, adolescent treatment centers and later private practice.
In addition to her work at the Center for Group Counseling in Boca Raton, Florida, where she specialized in Play and Family Therapy, Dr. Emery later became a Clinical Director of a large group practice in South Florida.
In 2002, Dr. Emery opened the Emery Psychological Center. As sole practitioner, she continued her psychological services with adults and married couples, concentrating on parenting training, including advocating for parents with children with special needs and adolescent treatment.
Dr. Emery continues to expand her skills and resources in the area of families and children. In order to supplement her skills Dr Emery believes working in team will support families who come to our center to have the diverse resources needed.
Dr. Stephanie May
Working with teenage girls and women's issues is the calling of Dr. Stephanie May. Her specialty is in eating disorder treatment, nutrition and wellness. The foundation of Dr. May’s career is a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Central Florida (Orlando, Florida), a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) and a Doctorate (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University’s Center for Psychological Studies (Fort Lauderdale, Florida).
To augment her education, Dr. May has held several positions that have allowed her to gain experience in many diverse aspects of mental health. These included working with individuals, families and groups, covering therapeutic issues such as eating disorders, self esteem, health, life transitions, relational problems, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders.
Dr. May gained experience with undergraduate and graduate students during her pre-doctoral psychology internship at the Indiana University Health Center’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) and with women from the age of 14 and older, as a resident, while completing her Postdoctorate at The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders in Coconut Creek, Florida. Her responsibilities allowed her to utilize short-term interpersonal/dynamic and CBT models of therapy in individual, group and family style environments. In addition, Dr. May became familiar with working on an individual basis as well as in a team capacity involving other professionals in the areas of medicine and nutrition.
In order to more optimally serve her patients and clients, Dr. May has invested herself in a concentrated effort of personal growth and discovery to enhance herself and her abilities on a physical, psychological and spiritual level. Her specialty training in both health psychology and eating disorder treatment allows her to work with people on many different levels, thereby further amplifying Families by Design’s ability to successfully treat their patients through both personal and team methodologies.
Dr. Michelle LaRocque
Dr. Michelle LaRocque is a national leader in the field of early childhood/early childhood special education and has over 20 years of experience effectively working with young children with and without disabilities and their families. She received a doctorate in special education from the University of Washington with a focus on students with emotional and behavioral disorders and disabilities of learning and attention. In addition to her private practice Dr. LaRocque’s professional career has included applying her extensive education and experience as a classroom teacher for students with Autism and behavioral disorders, parent trainer and educator, and inclusion specialist.
As a university professor her instructional expertise are in the many areas which affect school and classroom climate, including classroom management, social skills training, home-school collaboration, diversity training, and school-wide discipline plans. Her research interests are in the prevention and remediation of behavioral disorders in early childhood and inclusion for young children with disabilities. She has had extraordinary success applying this research to benefit the daily lives of the families in her care.
Dr. LaRocque is a sought after speaker and presents extensively at international and national conferences and in the media. She is the author of numerous publications devoted to bridging the gap between research and best practices for families. She is the co-author of “Blended Curriculum in the Inclusive K-3 Classroom”, and the upcoming “Working with Diverse Families in Early Childhood Settings”. Her current work is individually tailored to meet the unique needs of the child and family and includes:
- Recognizing Typical/Atypical Development
- Managing and Preventing Challenging Behaviors
- Promoting Positive Social Interactions
- Supporting Cognitive Development
- Enhancing Communication Skills & Language Development
- Assistance with Toilet Training and other Independent Living Skills
drlarocque@familiesbydesign.net
Jonathan Black, MS
Working with couples, children, and families is Dr. Jonathan Black’s forte. He recently completed his doctorate in psychology at Nova Southeastern University and has an MS in Applied Psychology (Specialization: Counseling) from the University of Baltimore and an MS in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. His educational training also includes a BA in Communications and Psychology from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Black gained valuable experience in couples behavioral wellness at the Center for Group Counseling in Boca Raton. His pre-marital and marital counseling work focused on behavioral strategies, improving communication, reducing conflict, and increasing passion. He has been successful in empowering couples to better understand their partners and improve satisfaction in their relationships. While at the Center, Dr. Black also led elementary and middle school groups, focusing on children of divorce and blended families, anger management, and social skills.
He began working with children in play therapy and groups in Baltimore, providing counseling to elementary and middle school students with ADHD, anger, and difficulties in the classroom. While working at the Child & Family Consortium at Easter Seals in Plantation, Florida he conducted play therapy and counseling to children aged 2-13.
In addition, he has coached families in many areas, including parenting a child with behavioral concerns, effective discipline strategies, improving homework compliance, and increasing communication.
Dr. Black’s experience in sports broadcasting and tutoring often enhances his conversations with patients, especially children.
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