Meet Dr. Heather | Licensed Pediatric Psychologist in Los Angeles

Dr. Heather

A Pediatric Psychologist Who Truly Understands Your Child’s Needs

I’m Dr. Heather, a pediatric psychologist specializing in helping children, adolescents, young adults, and parents navigate emotional, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental challenges. With 15+ years of clinical experience in providing both neuropsychological assessment and therapy — nearly exclusively in children’s hospitals — I bring a multidisciplinary perspective to private practice.

My Approach:

Parents are an essential part of the process. We work together towards shared goals, and parents are empowered to implement their knowledge to ensure positive, sustainable, long-term progress. Whether our time working together is a brief consultation or a more comprehensive assessment and/or therapy, I offer guidance that is approachable, jargon-free, and actionable.

Holistic & Science-Based → I implement a truly whole-brain, whole-child approach to both neuropsychological assessment and therapeutic treatment.
Collaborative & Empowering → Parents are part of the process. I offer guidance that is approachable, jargon-free, and actionable.
Specialized in Pediatric & Medical Contexts → I work with children experiencing both emotional and health-related challenges.

Specialized Training

Professional Background & Training

Dr. Heather Kertesz-Briest is a Clinical Pediatric Psychologist with a dual specialization in the neuropsychological assessment and therapeutic treatment of children with acute and chronic medical and behavioral health conditions. She has over 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults in pediatric medical settings nationwide including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, UCLA, Miller Children’s Hospital of Long Beach, and Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

She earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University California School of Professional Psychology. She completed her Pediatric-focused psychology residence at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and a two-year Pediatric-focused fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Dr. Heather has extensive expertise in providing consultation, psychotherapeutic intervention, and neuropsychological assessment, and cognitive assessment for a wide range of presenting concerns, including mood and anxiety disorders, eating and feeding difficulties, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and academic and learning difficulties, amongst others.

Dr. Heather believes that every child and family is unique. Her approach focuses on thoughtfully understanding each young person from a holistic, bio-psycho-social perspective, integrating this information into the individualized assessment and treatment plan. During her consultations, she begins with a brief introduction to understanding your and your child’s or teen’s concerns. She works collaboratively with parents to develop a plan to assess and address their concerns in the most appropriate and timely manner.

Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her daughters, family, and friends, while exploring activities like cooking and doing arts and crafts.

Academic Credentials

Education & Beyond Psychology

Beyond Psychology

Get Started Today

Hey parents: keep in mind that children are very resilient! That means sooner they receive the support they need, the sooner they can thrive with the challenges life throws their way. Let’s take the first step toward your child’s well-being together. Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation to discuss your concerns and explore the best path forward.

PSYCHOLOGY COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY COUNSELING

"Dr. Heather has been a lifesaver for our family. She not only helped our son manage his anxiety but also gave us the tools to support him at home."

Dr. Heather helped me through an uncertain time assessing our four year old son who was having some developmental delays. We are so thankful for her kindness, patience, and expertise that gave us the tools to accept and move forward in a positive way.

Dr. Heather gave us actions to help improve behaviors we were seeing as our daughter adjusted to having a new sibling. It helped get us through a big transition for our family.

Dr. Heather

A Pediatric Psychologist Who Truly Understands Your Child’s Needs

My Approach:

Specialized Training

Professional Background & Training

Academic Credentials

Education & Beyond Psychology

Beyond Psychology

Get Started Today

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