Tracie R. Baker, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist

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Dr. Tracie Baker earned her Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University's APA-Accredited clinical psychology program.  She has obtained experience with children, adolescents, and young adults at community mental health centers, a college counseling center, and a pediatric private practice specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders.  While she enjoys variety in her clinical work, including early childhood, personality, ADHD, trauma, anxiety, mood, and learning/cognitive disorders, she has a particular interest in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. 

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Here at Child &Family Psychological Associates, Dr. Baker will focus on assessing and treating clients suspected of having or who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  She also currently works as a licensed psychologist at Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health in Canton, where she provides assessment services, individual and family therapy, and assessment training for their APA-Accredited Predoctoral Internship Program.  Dr. Baker is also an active member of the Ohio Psychological Association.

​ Robert M. Brewster, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist

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Dr. Brewster received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Kent State University in 1987, has been licensed as a Psychologist by the State Board of Psychology in Ohio since 1988, and has been offering psychological services in the Akron-Canton area since 1976. He received both his pre-doctoral internship training and post-doctoral fellowship training working with children, adolescents, and families in a community mental health setting. He joined the Child & Family Psychological Associates and began private practice for psychological services with children, families, and adults in 1989.

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Dr. Brewster has served as a clinician, psychology supervisor, school and psychological program consultant, Director of Training, trainer, faculty member, program administrator, planner, and presenter. In addition, he has spent time working and teaching at an area community mental health center and at Hiram College and Kent State University. He has made professional presentations related to the practice of Psychology, training in Psychology, client attendance in therapy, Psychology internship acquisition, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), brief therapies and managed care, time-limited therapy, therapy role induction, and career choice and guidance.

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Dr. Brewster has extensive training, experience, and clinical expertise in areas such as Anxiety and Depressive Disorders of children and adults, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Mood Disorders, therapy with children, adolescents, and adults, outpatient and family therapy, family communication and conflict resolution concerns, parenting skill training, school related problems, adjustment to family changes, grief and loss, marital concerns and conflict, divorce, work-related problems and stressors, job loss, career choice and change, and psychological assessment and evaluation.

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Dr. Brewster is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Ohio Psychological Association and is listed in the National Register of Health Services Providers in Psychology as well as in multiple other professional directories. He is recognized as an approved service provider by most area insurance and managed care health plans.

Allison L. Burck, Ph.D. Therapist

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Allison L. Burck, Ph.D. has provided psychological services to children, adults, and families in Northern Ohio since 2005. She received her master and doctoral training in the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Burck completed an APA-accredited internship at a large community mental health center in Cleveland, Ohio, where she provided therapy individual and family therapy in addition to psychological assessments. She has extensive experience in the treatment of anxiety, depression, adjustment and trauma.

 

Dr. Burck has also instructed numerous child and adolescent psychology courses at the University of Akron, along with teaching seminars and providing mentorship to interns at a community health center in Canton, Ohio.

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Dr. Burck is currently providing services via telehealth.

  David J. Coleman, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist

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Dr. David J. Coleman has over 15 years experience as a psychologist working with children, families and adults in the Akron-Canton area. A graduate of an APA accredited program at Kent State University; he was licensed as a Psychologist by the Ohio State Board of Psychology and has been a managing partner with Child & Family Psychological Associates since its inception in 1989.

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Dr. Coleman maintains faculty and supervisory status at Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health in Canton for the training of child and family psychologists, has taught graduate courses at both Kent State and Walsh Universities, and is on the staff of the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron.  He has also served as Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) for The Counseling Center which provides assessment and treatment services for children and adults in Wayne & Holmes Counties. 

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Dr. Coleman's areas of specialty include the treatment of trauma victims, improvement of school performance in students, and couples' therapy. He is an active speaker on issues that affect children and families, is published in the area of child psychotherapy and has been recognized by the Supreme Court of Ohio for his work with abused children and adolescents. Dr. Coleman is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Ohio Psychological Association.  His credentials are also listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.  He is recognized as an approved service provider by most area insurance and managed care health plans.

Ellen Homlong M.Ed., LPCC, RD, LD, CDE

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Ellen received her M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Kent State University in OH and her B.S.in Nutrition Management from Rochester Institute of Technology in N.Y.

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Ellen is a licensed professional clinical counselor who has worked extensively with clients struggling with eating disorders.  She started working with this population as a registered and OH licensed dietitian, and this experience inspired her to grow her area of competency by earning a Master Degree in mental health counseling. Ellen previously co-facilitated psychoeducational support groups for clients affected by poor body image and a complex, unhealthy relationship with food and eating.  She has written a book chapter on eating disorders in a resource guide for nurses published in 2006.  In recent years, Ellen has provided office based counseling services for youth and their families affected by anxiety, depression, traumatic stressors and other internal and external factors resulting in poor self-image, distorted body perception, anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disorder.

Geoffrey E. Putt, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist

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Dr. Geoffrey E. Putt became a full partner with Child & Family Psychological Associates (CFPA) in 2003. He currently wears many professional hats, including his work at Akron Children's Hospital where he serves on the Medical Staff as a Pediatric Psychologist and both runs the ADHD Assessment Clinic and is the psychological provider for the Healthy Active Living Program (multi-disciplinary Pediatric Obesity clinic).

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At Child & Family Psychological Associates, Dr. Putt does not provide any counseling services. He currently only provides assessment services to United States Veterans and assessment services to injured workers. He will also provide occasional Adult ADHD assessments on a fee-for-service basis.

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 Dr. Putt received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, with a specialization in Health Psychology, from an APA-accredited doctoral training program at the University of Indianapolis. He is fully licensed as a Psychologist by the State Board of Psychology in Ohio to provide psychological assessment and treatment services to children, adults, and families. His past clinical expertise includes ADHD assessments, working with parents to address disruptive behavior, and working to improve weight-related difficulties. Dr. Putt is a member in good standing with the American Psychological Association (APA), Division 54 Pediatric Psychology, and Ohio Psychological Association (OPA).

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 Dr. Putt is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry through the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMed). He provides regular lectures and training to Pediatric Residents, Psychiatry Fellows, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellows, and Psychology Fellows. He has previously served as an Adjunct Professor in the graduate and undergraduate programs at both Walsh University and the University of Indianapolis.

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 Dr. Putt was the founder and Director of The ADHD Clinic in Canton, Ohio where he worked until 2008, as well as the founder and Director of the ADHD Assessment Clinic at Akron Children’s Hospital. He also was the founder and past Director of the Executive Functioning Skills Building Program and the past Director of the parenting program at Akron Children’s know as Triple P.

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  Erin M. Rafter, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist

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Dr. Erin Rafter received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology in 2006 from an APA accredited training program from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. During her training, she provided care in multiple areas including grief & loss, pediatric palliative care & hospice, family therapy, behavioral difficulties, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder assessment and treatment, school difficulties, and psychodiagnostic assessment.

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Dr. Rafter serves as a member of the Child Life Advisory Board of The University of Akron and is an Advisory Board member for Camp Kesem of Case Western Reserve University, a camp for children who have a parent with cancer. She has served on local and state-wide traumatized child task forces and actively worked to develop assessment batteries at a state-level to assist in the screening and diagnosis of children experiencing trauma and stressors.

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Currently, Dr. Rafter is a member of the clinical staff at The Gathering Place, a non-profit center supporting families and individuals coping with cancer in Northeast Ohio. Here at Child and Family Psychological Associates, she provides therapeutic services to children, families, and adults coping with various forms of trauma (divorce, family discord & stressors, moving, abuse, grief & loss, health issues), as well as anxiety diagnoses, behavioral disorders, and mood disorders.

Sarah Chessar-Tirpak, Psy.D. Licensed Psychologist

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Sarah Tirpak, Psy.D., has provided psychological services to children, adults, and families in Northern Ohio since 2005.  She received doctoral training in the APA-accredited Collaborative Program in Psychology at The University of Akron, and completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at California Southern University.  Dr. Tirpak completed an APA-accredited internship at a large community mental health center in Canton, Ohio, where she provided therapy individual and family therapy in addition to psychological assessments at the agency and in a school setting.   She has extensive experience in psychological testing and the treatment of mood disorders, adjustment, anxiety, trauma, learning, and ADHD.  Dr. Tirpak has a specific interest in treating test anxiety and school-related issues. 

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Dr. Tirpak has instructed numerous developmental psychology courses at The University of Akron and serves as a board member of the Coalition for Children's Mental Health.  She has also participated as staff in The Cleveland Botanical Garden's special needs day activities.

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