Biographical Information

Dr. Scott received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. As an undergraduate, Dr. Scott focused her research and clinical work on examining early disruptive behavior problems and academic difficulties for high-risk youth. She went on to complete her graduate training at the University of Central Florida where she obtained extensive training in the assessment and treatment of very young children as well as anxiety disorders in children and teens. She also obtained extensive training in offering comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological, and educational assessments. Under the supervision of Dr. Deborah C. Beidel, Dr. Scott’s research efforts focused on emotion regulation as well as the behavioral and physiological responses of children with selective mutism to various social situations. In 2012, Dr. Scott completed an APA-accredited internship at the West Virginia University School of Medicine under the supervision of Dr. John C. Linton. During her internship, Dr. Scott honed her therapeutic and assessment skills in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and she obtained additional training in consultation, collaboration with allied professionals, and understanding medical conditions often related to psychological difficulties. She was also able to implement and win awards for her school-based bullying prevention program, “The Best Me I Can Be”. Dr. Scott has since been able to implement lessons from this program in local private schools. In August 2012, Dr. Scott returned to her hometown of Salisbury, Maryland where she joined the Child & Family Center with Dr. Adeline Tryon.

Since returning to Salisbury, Dr. Scott has continued to offer comprehensive assessments and therapy for children, teens, and adults. She also offers psychological and fit to parent evaluations for the local DSS offices in the surrounding counties. Over the past few years, Dr. Scott has expanded her assessments to include very young children, including the early identification of autism in toddlers. Lastly, Dr. Scott obtained a Master’s in Psychopharmacology degree from Farleigh Dickinson University in 2018.

After joining the Child & Family Center, Dr. Scott saw a need to offer more to the teenage girls who were frequenting her office. In 2014, she created 1 Year to Empowerment (www.oneyeartoempowerment.org), a non-profit that offers a year-long empowerment program to teenage girls in middle and high school. 1 Year to Empowerment is about to celebrate 5 years in operation and actively recruiting teenage girls each spring.

Specializations

Dr. Scott has specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Behavioral Modification techniques, Play Therapy, and Parent Training. She also has extensive training in assessment from identifying unique learning challenges to autism evaluations to ADHD/Executive Functioning assessments. Dr. Scott believes strongly in utilizing a holistic approach to understanding the child (or adult) that presents for therapy or an assessment. Her background in health-based psychology is often used to better understand how physical and psychological health interact.

Dr. Scott has extensive training and experience working with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing a wide range of social and emotional difficulties. These difficulties include depression and mood-related disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder), anxiety (including school refusal, panic, OCD, selective mutism and PTSD), ADHD/ODD, assisting parents with the management of hard to manage children, developmental disabilities, autism, and trauma- and adjustment-related stress reactions that often occur during transitions (e.g., family transitions, divorce, bereavement, relocation, school changes, etc.). Collectively, Dr. Scott believes in incorporating family, school, and community systems when appropriate. She believes in not only offering the services detailed above, but also being an advocate for her patients as they develop their own voice to advocate for themselves.

If Dr. Scott is unable to offer treatment for a specific need, she will help refer you to a specialist who can.

Personal Information

Originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Dr. Scott moved back to Salisbury in 2012 to be near her family and launch her career. She married her husband in 2015 and has since had two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, exercising, volunteering and doing anything in the sun!

Select Publications

Scott S, Beidel DC. Selective mutism: an update and suggestions for future research. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2011 Aug;13(4):251-7. doi: 10.1007/s11920-011-0201-7. PMID: 21538033.

Middleton, M., Scott, S., & Renk, K. (2008). Parental depression, parenting behaviors, and behavior problems in young children. Infant and Child Development, 18(4), 323-336.