Dr. Ariel Eckfeld, Ph.D.

Dr. Ariel Eckfeld, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical neuropsychologist (PSY 30913) who specializes in evaluating children, adolescents, and young adults with complex medical and psychiatric conditions.  Her comprehensive assessments are based on evidence-based practices to better understand day-to-day functioning. As a fellow parent, she is passionate about providing individualized, whole-person recommendations for each client and their families to make a difference in home, school, and/or work settings. Dr. Eckfeld’s neuropsychological expertise includes neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder), neurological conditions (e.g., epilepsy, brain tumors, leukemia, cardiac disorders, genetic syndromes, traumatic brain injury, and others), and mental health areas (e.g., psychosis, anxiety, depression).

Academic Background

Dr. Eckfeld earned her undergraduate degree with a dual major in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology and Psychology at Emory University. She then worked for two years at New York University’s (NYU) Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience doing pediatric assessments and research. Dr. Eckfeld completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in neuropsychological assessment and research. Her clinical rotations have included multiple hospital- and academic-based sites, including Providence/St. John’s Child and Family Development Center, UCLA’s Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, among others. Dr. Eckfeld completed her pre-doctoral internship at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), specializing in neuropsychology and young child assessment, followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at CHOC with an emphasis on epilepsy and pre-surgical evaluations. She has had both inpatient and outpatient assessment and consultation/liaison experience.

Dr. Eckfeld has been a longstanding member of the scientific and academic communities, presenting neurocognitive and neuroimaging (i.e., MRI) research at several international annual conferences including the International Neuropsychological Society, Society for Neuroscience, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Society of Biological Psychiatry. She has published several articles and book chapters on both neurocognition and psychosis in adolescence. Dr. Eckfeld has also guest lectured on pediatric neuropsychology, anxiety and depression in youth, early-onset psychosis, and related topics to both undergraduate and graduate-level students. She remains an active member of several organizations including the National Academic of Neuropsychology. In addition to assessments, Dr. Eckfeld is available for consultation, teaching, and speaking engagements.