Licensed Clinical Psychologists
Rene Barbieri-Welge, Ph.D.
Rene has been a licensed psychologist since 1998 and has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 1999. She is also a licensed speech-language pathologist since 1983. Rene specializes in developmental assessment of infants and young children with a wide range of developmental issues, including prematurity, prenatal substance exposure, failure to thrive, developmental delay, language delay, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Angelman’s syndrome. She received her doctorate in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s, Rene completed her postdoctoral training in pediatric psychology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Rene is bilingual (English/Spanish).
Ayala Ben-Tall, Ph.D.
Ayala has been a licensed psychologist since 1999 and has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 2000. She received her doctorate in counseling/clinical/school psychology, with emphasis in child clinical psychology, from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She completed a predoctoral internship at Johns Hopkins/Kennedy Krieger Institute with an emphasis on treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders and feeding disorders. She also completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship specializing in the evaluation and treatment of children with developmental disabilities and mental health disorders at Brown University Medical School. At the Developmental Evaluation Clinic, Ayala specializes in the evaluation of a variety of developmental and behavioral concerns including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning/developmental problems. She is part of two multidisciplinary teams in Rady Children’s Developmental Services, including the Feeding Team, where she provides psychological/developmental support within multidisciplinary feeding evaluations and treatment groups. Additionally, she is a member of the Cochlear Implant Team, providing pre-cochlear implant psychological and developmental evaluations. Ayala has also served as a clinical supervisor and mentor to predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees.
Debra Broadbooks, Ph.D.
Debra has been a licensed psychologist since 1999 and has worked at Rady Children’s since 2004. She earned her doctorate from the California School of Professional Psychology in San Diego (now Alliant University). She specializes in psychoeducational evaluation of school-aged children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, other behavioral disorders and executive dysfunction, as well as in developmental assessment of preschool-aged children with a variety of learning, social, attentional and behavioral disorders.
Amanda Hyatt, Ph.D.
Amanda has been a licensed psychologist since 1987 and started working at Rady Children’s Hospital in 2022. Before joining the team, Dr. Hyatt worked at Loma Linda University Health in the capacity of an assistant professor and as a full-time neuropsychologist participating in transdisciplinary team evaluations at an autism assessment clinic. Amanda specializes in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychologist evaluations of young children and adolescents. She received her master’s degree in early childhood special education from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and her doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She completed her doctoral internship and two years postdoctoral training in the Department of Pediatric Neurology at the University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics under the oversight of Dr. Kenneth Swaiman, a pediatric neurologist. Dr. Hyatt’s career has centered on fostering optimal development in children and adolescents who struggle with neurodevelopmental, neurological, learning and social-emotional challenges. Specifically, she has focused on the assessment of these patients as she strongly believes that a comprehensive diagnostic assessment leads to a fuller understanding of the child/adolescent as well as a relevant and dynamic treatment plan.
Carolyn Korbel, Ph.D.
Carolyn has been a licensed psychologist since 2009 and has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 2015. She specializes in pediatric neuropsychology, including evaluation of autism spectrum disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disorders and concerns in the area of emotional and behavioral regulation. Carolyn received her doctorate from the University of Utah. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s, Carolyn completed an internship at Primary Children’s Medical Center and post-doctoral training at the Neurobehavioral Clinic & Professional Psychology Group.
Alice Lim, Psy.D.
Alice is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 2020. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Antioch University New England, where she was a recipient of the Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship. Alice’s clinical interests are in neuropsychology, including assessment of children and adolescents with developmental, behavioral, and learning differences; rehabilitation medicine; and lifespan development. Alice utilizes a systems approach to care with an emphasis on cultural sensitivity. She completed a pre-doctoral training at NYU Rusk Rehabilitation Hospital on the adult track and a post-doctoral residency at Kaiser Permanente Oakland, Neuropsychology Emphasis on the child/family team. Alice has intermediate/conversational language proficiency in Korean and Spanish.
Rosalva Martinez, Psy.D.
Rosalva has been a licensed psychologist since 2015 and joined the Rady Children’s Hospital team in 2021. She received her Doctor of Psychology degree in clinical psychology from Biola University- Rosemead School of Psychology in 2009. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s, Rosalva provided community-based clinical interventions to at-risk children and families. She specializes in providing comprehensive developmental evaluations for children ages 0-5 in both English and Spanish, who present with a variety of developmental and mental health needs. Rosalva is also part of a multidisciplinary team that treats young children with feeding issues.
Victoria Moore, Psy.D.
Victoria has been a licensed psychologist since 2008 and has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 2015. She provides comprehensive developmental evaluations for a broad range of developmental, behavioral and mental health concerns, with a particular focus in autism spectrum disorders. Victoria received her doctorate of clinical psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s, she completed a pre-doctoral internship at the May Institute, a postdoctoral fellowship at the Watson Institute and provided evaluation, diagnosis and treatment at the Southeast Missouri State University Autism Center. Victoria has taught courses in psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and at Southeast Missouri State University. She is currently a co-director of the Rady Children’s Hospital APPIC-approved Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
Mercedes Pratt, Ph.D.
Mercedes is a licensed psychologist and has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 2022. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Bowling Green State University and completed her predoctoral internship at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s, Mercedes gained specialized experience working with young children with autism spectrum disorders and developmental delays through her postdoctoral fellowship at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center- Children’s Health Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. In her current role, Mercedes specializes in comprehensive diagnostic evaluations of young children for a variety of developmental and mental health related concerns. Her goal in working at Rady Children’s Hospital is to provide compassionate care, help families understand their child’s strengths and challenges, and guide them toward valuable services
Postdoctoral Fellows
Alanna Dantona, Ph.D., BCBA Postdoctoral Fellow
Alanna is a postdoctoral fellow from Claremont Graduate University, where she received her doctorate in developmental psychology. She is also a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Prior to working at Rady Children’s Hospital, Alanna completed her predoctoral training at the Claremont Autism Center at Claremont McKenna College. During her predoctoral training, Alanna conducted research and provided behavior therapy for autistic children and adolescents. Alanna has experience providing developmental evaluations for children from birth to 3 years, delivering treatment for neurodiverse children, and conducting caregiver training. Alanna is able to provide consultations and evaluations in Spanish.
Yanan Guo, Psy.D., BCBA, Postdoctoral Fellow
Yanan Guo is a postdoctoral fellow from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, San Diego, where she received her doctorate in applied clinical psychology. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s, Yanan completed her predoctoral training at C.A.R.E.S. in New York. She provided diagnostic evaluations and therapy to individuals with developmental disabilities. Additionally, Yanan conducted group therapy with parents and caregivers to discuss developmental milestones, address behavioral and social-emotional concerns, as well as to facilitate a safe and open environment to share. Yanan is also a board-certified behavior analyst and specialized in working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder before starting her doctorate program. She has extensive experience providing evidence-based treatment to children with developmental concerns and is passionate about supporting their families and connecting them with valuable resources. Yanan also provides developmental evaluations and consultations in Mandarin.
Katherine Zopatti, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
Katherine is a postdoctoral fellow at Rady Children’s Hospital. She earned her doctorate in School Psychology from the University of Houston. Prior to joining the DEC team, Katherine completed her doctoral internship within Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s Psychological Services Department where she provided comprehensive evaluations and evidence-based treatments to children with a wide range of developmental and mental health concerns. Katherine also has extensive experience working with young children and their caregivers regarding behavior and parenting concerns.
Therapists
Carla Dykes, L.M.F.T.
Carla has been a licensed marriage and family therapist since 2016. Prior to coming to Rady Children’s in 2021, Carla worked with individuals, couples and families with severe mental illness in various settings—which included non-profit, group practice, and private practice in both San Diego and Riverside counties. Carla has supervised postgraduate individuals pursuing licensure with the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California. Carla’s brings a non-judgmental approach in her treatment, and incorporates treatment interventions from cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, and motivational interviewing modalities. Carla’s goal in working at Rady Children’s Hospital is to help parents and children feel comfortable and confident in navigating their journey and reaching their treatment goals.
Care Coordination
Allison Scofield, Child and Family Specialist
Allison joined Rady Children’s in 2021 as a child and family specialist for DEC in Murrieta where she provides care coordination services and support to families in southwest Riverside County. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has worked with children and families for many years in home and educational settings.In her previous work, she was certified as an early intervention specialist by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and provided service coordination to families in an early intervention program. Allison is committed to helping families access available resources to help support their child’s growth and development.
Administration
Meghan Lukasik, Ph.D., Manager & APPIC C0-Training Director
Meghan has been a licensed clinical psychologist since 1998 and has worked at Rady Children’s Hospital since 1999. Meghan specializes in the assessment of infants and young children. She has extensive experience in diagnostic assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders and early mental health concerns. She is the former clinical director of Rady Children’s KidSTART program; a program for children ages 0-5 with complex developmental and mental health needs. In addition to providing direct clinical service, Meghan currently manages the Developmental Evaluation Clinic and is the Co-training director for the clinic’s APPIC-approved postdoctoral fellowship program. Meghan’s goal in working at Rady Children’s Hospital is to positively impact the lives of children by working in partnership with their families and other professionals.
Teresa Therieau, M.P.H., Director
Teresa Therieau (pronounced Terio), holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology from University of California, Riverside, and a Master’s in Public Health from San Diego State University. Teresa’s most recent experience is as vice president of operations at TrueCare (formerly North County Health Services), a federally qualified health center in northern San Diego County. Previously, Teresa directed the primary care and psychiatric services at St. Vincent de Paul Villages (Father Joe’s). She is also an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Throughout her career, Teresa has focused on making high quality behavioral health services available to all people and now looks forward to bringing her experience and passion to Rady Children’s.
Payal Beam, L.C.S.W., Senior Director of Developmental Services
Payal joins Rady Children’s following her successful tenure at Mental Health Systems in San Diego, where she served as vice president for six years. During her time there, she oversaw multiple service delivery programs for children, youth, adults and older adults, including outpatient, residential treatment programs, employment and housing for families affected by behavioral health disorders. Additional responsibilities included ensuring the quality of clinical and direct services, adhering to program budgets and collaborating with city and county services, housing agencies, colleges and universities, and other community-based organizations throughout San Diego and San Bernardino counties.
Shelley Turner, LCSW, Management Analyst Developmental Services Behavioral Health Programs
As Management analyst, Shelley supports administration and operations for several behavioral health programs, including the Developmental Evaluation Clinic. Shelley has been with Rady Children’s Hospital since 1997 and has been in leadership/administration since 1999. She is a licensed clinical social worker whose entire career has focused on childhood trauma and early childhood mental/behavioral health. Her current role includes program development, grant writing, fiscal oversight and data analysis/reporting.
