Child Psychologist and Testing Specialist,
Clinical Director at WFP
Office Location: Cary NC
EXPERTISE & SPECIAL INTERESTS: children through adolescents, trauma, abuse, anxiety, depression, divorce, adoption, foster care, sexual behaviors, behavior problems, ODD, defiance, mood disorders, OCD, ADHD, Autism, PDD, social skills issues, parent training, forensic assessments, custody evaluations, LD testing, gifted testing, DBT Dialectical Behavior Therapy for teens.
Sara Salter, Ph.D. is a licensed child and family Psychologist in Cary NC, specializing in providing both therapy services and assessment services for children, adolescents, and families to address a wide array of challenges. She also enjoys working with young adults, older individuals, and couples.
Dr. Salter is the Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) for WFP. As CCO, Dr. Salter provides leadership and oversight of the clinical programs at WFP, works closely with the practice owner to oversee some aspects of practice management, and provides support to clinical staff. Dr. Salter also continues to maintain her own clinical caseload.
Child Counselor in Raleigh and Cary North Carolina
Believing that children are born with great potential, Dr. Salter enjoys working with kids, teens, and parents to help families achieve their goals, learn new things about themselves, and successfully interact with the world around them. Dr. Salter has extensive experience working with children and adolescents with a variety of emotional, behavioral, or psychological concerns such as low self-esteem, defiance, anxiety, depression, school problems, respect, temper tantrums, peer pressure, friendships, sexuality issues, conduct problems, eating disorders, gender identity issues, time management difficulties, inappropriate sexual behaviors, ADHD, fear, phobia issues, Aspergers syndrome, anger issues, adjustment issues, substance abuse, bedwetting, soiling issues, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, OCD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and ODD Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Furthermore, Dr. Salter has expertise in providing family based services, designed to build upon a family’s strengths. These practical and solution-focused services achieve long term goals, such as increasing family communication, effective disciplining, assisting with co-parenting dilemmas, dealing with divorce situations, and raising children in today’s modern society.
Kids Achievement, Educational, and Psychological Testing in Cary NC
Dr. Salter also has extensive clinical testing experience providing comprehensive Psychological Testing for a variety of concerns, including developmental assessments, educational evaluations (e.g. I Q Testing, Intelligence Testing, ADHD Testing, Learning Disabilities Testing, Dyslexia Testing, Achievement Testing, Gifted Testing, AG Testing, Early Entry Kindergarten Readiness Testing), Autism Testing, Asperger's Testing, and evaluations to determine diagnostic impressions and treatment recommendations. Additionally, she has conducted evaluations for family court (including child custody), dependency (including pre-adoption), and the department of juvenile justice systems.
Social Skills Groups for Children and DBT Groups for Teens, Cary & Raleigh
Dr. Salter provides group based therapies, including social skills groups and social skills summer camps to address social concerns for pre-schoolers, elementary school children, middle school kids, high school teenagers, and young adults. She also runs an ongoing DBT Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group for teenagers struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, and self-harming behaviors.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Roanoke, Virginia, Dr. Salter earned her Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech. She then traveled to South Florida and earned her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. After an APA Accredited internship, Dr. Salter completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Kennedy Krieger Institute. As a licensed psychologist, she has created, implemented, and served as program director for family strengthening programs. Dr. Salter acquired specialized training for trauma-related issues including sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence, sexually reactive children, attachment related disorders (such as RAD Reactive Attachment Disorder), involvement with the foster care system, adoption, bullying, coping with medical illnesses, issues surrounding loss, and coping with divorce. She focused her dissertation on high-conflict divorce parental estrangement, co-authored a book chapter on sexual abuse, and has provided various trauma-related presentations at national and international conferences.
When approaching therapy, Dr. Salter understands the importance of fostering a trusting and collaborative relationship in which clients feel safe to explore their thoughts, feelings, and life challenges. Having been formally trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and family systems therapy, she employs a therapeutic style that is individualized, empathetic, strength-based, and solution-focused. When needed, Dr. Salter consults with other professionals (teachers, pediatricians, psychiatrists, court officials) to assist clients in effectively achieving their goals.
In her spare time, Dr. Salter enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing with her dogs, traveling (especially to Disney World and on cruises), baking cupcakes, reading, watching movies, scrapbooking, spending time on the water, and cheering on her beloved Virginia Tech Hokies!
Teen Therapist, Testing, and Social Skills for Children in Cary, North Carolina 27513
Dr. Salter provides psychotherapy services for children, teenagers, college students, and adults dealing with a range of social issues, emotional issues, behavior problems, developmental disorders, and other mental health concerns. She offers developmental testing, educational testing, psychoeducational assessments, and psychological testing for kids, teens, and families. She also provides a full spectrum of group therapy services, including social skills classes and social skills summer camps for preschool children through teenagers. Find out more about Wynns Family Psychology therapy services and testing services.