Laurie Stephens, PhD

Dr. Laurie Stephens, a developmental psychologist, has worked with autistic individuals for over 30 years, providing neurodivergent affirming psychotherapy to clients of all ages. As Senior Director of Autism & Clinical Programs at The Help Group, she oversees all autism-related programs, including Young Learners Preschool, Village Glen School’s Social Development Classes, Kaleidoscope for LGBTQIA+ neurodivergent individuals and the APA-accredited Psychology Pre-doctoral Training Department. While maintaining a small client base of her own, Dr. Stephens also provides supervision within all The Help Group’s mental health programs and conducts autism specific training and consults for all staff.

Prior to rejoining The Help Group in 2019, Dr. Stephens was Director of Clinical Services at Education Spectrum for 12 years. In this role, she ran social skills groups, provided individual therapy and conducted psycho-diagnostic assessments for children and young adults suspected of being on the autism spectrum.

Dr. Stephens earned her BA from UC San Diego and her Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook, where she co-founded the Early Diagnosis Center for Autism and was a founding member of The Cody Center for Autism. Dr. Stephens has taught autism-focused courses for special ed teachers at UCLA Extension and work-readiness skills at Exceptional Minds, a post-secondary school for young adults with ASD.