Natalie Sergent, Psy.D., Clinic Director
Dr. Natalie Sergent is a licensed clinical psychologist with career experience in child and adolescent behavioral health. Prior to her role at Boys Town, Dr. Sergent was the psychology training director at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT, overseeing their APA-accredited predoctoral internship program, their postdoctoral fellowship program, and their practicum student program. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of South Carolina, her masters and doctoral training at the University of Indianapolis, and her predoctoral internship at Primary Children’s Hospital. She also completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the same location, providing therapy and assessment services to children, adolescents, and their families in outpatient and day treatment settings. Dr. Sergent has been trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Her primary clinical interests are in trauma treatment, treating depression and suicidality in adolescents, and supervision/training.
Avital Deskalo, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
Dr. Avital Deskalo is a licensed psychologist at the Boys Town Washington D.C. Behavioral Health Clinic. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Delaware. Following her undergraduate education, she earned her M.S.Ed. in Learning and Developmental Sciences and her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington. At Indiana University, Dr. Deskalo gained experience in therapy and assessments in multiple treatment settings, including Riley Hospital for Children, Madison Juvenile Correctional Facility, community mental health centers and schools. She completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the Boys Town Center for Behavioral Health in Boys Town, Nebraska. Dr. Deskalo's clinical interests include: anxiety, disruptive behavior, ADHD, and traumatic stress.
Emma Larson, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
Dr. Emma Larson is a licensed psychologist who has a background in working with children and adolescents exhibiting emotional and behavioral difficulties. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland College Park and her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Louisiana State University. Dr. Larson completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Boys Town’s Center for Behavioral Health in Omaha, NE. She has experience treating and assessing children in various settings including community mental health centers, residential care, schools, and in-patient facilities. Her clinical interests include disruptive behaviors, anxiety, and OCD.
Christopher R. Robert, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
Dr. Christopher R. Robert is a licensed psychologist with expertise delivering outpatient care to individuals exhibiting mental and behavioral health challenges. His clinical interests include treatments for depression, anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, oppositional and defiant behaviors, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and psychological assessment. He has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings, including inpatient facilities and schools. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Florida and completed his predoctoral internship with the Florida Consortium for Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health.
Rebecca Cowan, Psy.D., Staff Psychologist
Dr. Rebecca Cowan is a licensed psychologist at the Boys Town Washington DC Behavioral Health Clinic. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from The George Washington University. Dr. Cowan graduated with her M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hartford. Dr. Cowan completed her predoctoral internship at Terry Children’s Center within Delaware’s Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services. She went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at the Behavior Management Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include anxiety disorders, ADHD, and disruptive behaviors. Dr. Cowan is currently a certified Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) therapist.
Elizabeth Banks, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Elizabeth Banks is a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellow at the Boys Town Washington DC Behavioral Health Clinic. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Abilene Christian University. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, Dr. Banks completed her graduate studies at Oklahoma State University, receiving her M.S. in Educational Psychology and Ph.D. in School Psychology. She completed her predoctoral internship at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, the Center for Effective Schools. During her graduate studies, Dr. Banks gained experience in assessment and behavioral skills training for youth with emotional behavioral disorders. She has worked with children, adolescents and families in school and clinical settings. Her clinical interests include disruptive behaviors, ADHD and anxiety disorders.
