Meet Abbie Kopelman
Leading Compassionate and Multicultural Therapy at Reflections Counseling and Assessment
Dr. Abigail Kopelman is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Licensed School Psychologist with a Bilingual Certificate in Spanish. With 10 years of experience in counseling and evaluation within school and private practice settings, Dr. Kopelman brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to her clients at Reflections Counseling and Assessment, based in Libertyville, Illinois.
Specialized Client Services
Dr. Kopelman is dedicated to maintaining a neurodivergent-affirming and LGBTQ-affirming practice. She specializes in working with children, teenagers, and adults with ADHD and Autism. Her expertise extends to individuals with cognitive differences, including developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. Additionally, Dr. Kopelman offers valuable support to parents, including parents of individuals with cognitive differences, aiding them in navigating unique challenges. She frequently works with clients experiencing anxiety, depression, and general life stressors.
Therapeutic Approach
Dr. Kopelman's therapeutic approach centers on fostering compassionate, genuine, and warm relationships with her clients. Her goal is to help them achieve greater happiness and fulfillment in their lives. Recognizing that therapy can be challenging, she collaborates closely with her clients to move them towards their goals.
Therapy Modalities
Dr. Kopelman utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities tailored to the unique backgrounds, needs, ability levels, and experiences of her clients. Her integrative approach includes cognitive behavior therapy, behavior therapy, mindfulness therapy/relaxation, humanistic therapy, and solution-focused therapy. She also uses a facility dog named Nifty, who provides clients with unconditional support, understanding, and comfort. Trained by Canine Companions for Independence, Nifty helps create a calming environment, particularly for clients with anxiety, depression, or Autism, and helps children feel more at ease during therapy sessions.
Multicultural Therapy
Dr. Kopelman has comprehensive experience working with children, teenagers, and adults from diverse cultures. Having lived in multiple countries, she understands the complexities and challenges faced by families and individuals who have moved to a new country. Dr. Kopelman is passionate about providing multicultural therapy to clients undergoing these experiences. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she is dedicated to working with clients facing mental health and emotional problems, such as anxiety, depression, attention and executive functioning difficulties, trauma, and significant stress.
Expertise in Educational Settings
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Kopelman has worked full-time as a school psychologist and has extensive experience with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), 504 plans, psychoeducational evaluations, crisis intervention, and counseling students. Her experience providing counseling and social skills groups with children and teenagers who have moderate developmental delays and intellectual disabilities gives her a unique background in working with this specific population and their parents. Her background in education and child development informs her practice, making her particularly skilled in parent coaching and stress management.
Commitment to Client Support
Dr. Kopelman strives to create a supportive, non-judgmental, and positive environment for her clients. She believes that feeling fully supported and accepted is crucial for clients to make meaningful progress. Dr. Kopelman provides counseling and evaluations in both English and Spanish, ensuring that language is not a barrier to receiving quality care.
Neuropsychological Assessment
As a licensed clinical psychologist and school psychologist, Dr. Kopelman has extensive experience in providing neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessments for children, teenagers, and adults. She specializes in assessing autism (including subtle presentations), ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, and depression. Dr. Kopelman emphasizes the importance of gathering comprehensive information from a variety of sources, including in-person assessments, interviews with parents, significant others, and teachers, and using a range of rating scales. Clients often commend her for the thoroughness of her assessments and her ability to consider their symptoms and problems from multiple perspectives, ensuring accurate diagnoses and appropriate support to enhance their lives.
Clinical Highlights
Specialties: Clinical Psychologist and School Psychologist with 10 years of extensive psychoeducational testing experience in schools and other agencies/settings, individual therapy, IEP/504 plan consultation & planning, academic support services, animal therapy with a facility dog, learning & behavior challenges, autism, ADHD, executive functioning, academic & school difficulties, anxiety & mood, diversity factors.
Primary Modalities: Evaluation/Assessment, CBT, Client Centered, Solution Focused, Animal Therapy
Populations: Children, Adolescents, Young Adults, & Adults
Schools: University of Iowa (American Psychological Association - Full Accreditation)
Languages: English & Spanish
At Reflections Counseling and Assessment, Dr. Abigail Kopelman is dedicated to providing exceptional care and support to her clients, helping them navigate their unique challenges and achieve their personal goals.