Interview with an Expert Series: Carin Laue and Erin Rossello
The latest installment of our Interview with an Expert series features the dynamic duo of Dr.’s Carin Laue and Erin Rossello, clinical psychologists who met on the first day of their Masters program. Their quickly-formed personal bond blossomed from a shared professional dream to the reality of opening their private practice serving the needs of children and families.
Dr. Carin Laue, Psy.D. and Dr. Erin Rosselllo, Psy.D, are Licensed Psychologists in the State of California. They are the co-founders of Acorn Family Guidance Center in the Los Angeles area and specialize in treating children, adolescents, and their families.
Your origin story is unique - give us the details!
Dr. Erin and Dr. Carin met on their first day of their Master’s program at Loyola Marymount University. A simple ice-breaker led to a discovery of shared values of work and fun. We quickly bonded over our love of children and helping our community. Our shared dream of opening a Family Guidance Center led to pursuit of further clinical knowledge, inspiring us to earn doctorate degrees together at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Along the way, we trekked to several international destinations to volunteer our services at orphanages and schools for children. We balance all the hard work with having fun. We share a competitive spirit, finishing several triathlons, obstacle courses, and marathons together. When we are not working, we can be found battling each other on the tennis court, practicing yoga, hiking the trails, or sharing food at our favorite restaurants.
Tell us a little about your backgrounds.
Carin:
My clinical training also includes completing comprehensive psychological evaluations for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) Assessment Center. I enjoy assisting parents with implementing behavioral plans and determining strategies to best support their child.
Prior to becoming a Psychologist, I worked with children and families in multiple settings and positions. I began my career as a Lead Counselor and Special Education Substitute Teacher at a residential treatment facility for emotionally challenged boys, where I facilitated groups on Anger Management, Conflict-Resolution, and Transition Life Skills. I loved serving as a summer school teacher for the Chinatown YMCA, a Special Education Resource Teacher for San Francisco Unified School District, and a Social Worker for a Child Protective Services agency.
For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about working with children and families. I love the challenges and rewards of working with children and their caregivers. I am dedicated to helping families feel supported and understood.
I grew up in West Los Angeles and have strong ties to this community and I feel very blessed to be able to serve the children and families that reside here. I started working with children at a very young age and I could not imagine doing anything else. Working with children and families is my passion and I feel very lucky to get to do what I love every day.
Erin:
I received my Masters in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University during which time I volunteered at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles providing services for children with cancer and their families. I have also worked as an Early Interventionist and In-Home Behaviorist at Step By Step Edu Play in Santa Monica. I provided services for children with developmental delays including Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down’s Syndrome. I used a DIR-Floortime approach coupled with Applied Behavior Analysis in order to produce change in client’s behaviors.
Having such a diverse background has led me to be able to approach my work with families from a variety of perspectives and utilize a multimodal treatment style to best fit the needs of the child and their parents.
What are the common reasons families are coming to you for help? Can you describe your approach to therapy?
Many families are coming to us because they are struggling with how to best support their children. We often see families who are having difficulty managing the big feelings of their children, and are overwhelmed by behaviors that are occurring both at home and at school. We support children with anxiety, ADHD, depression and overall emotional dysregulation. We use a child-centered, strengths-based approach to therapy. We believe that the relationship between the therapist and child is powerful to help a child feel better. We believe it is important to be inclusive of caregivers, family members, nannies, school personnel, and other support people in the child’s life to ensure we are all working together to successfully achieve our goals. We are also both Registered Play Therapists, so much of our work involves play. Play is the natural language of children and beneficial to brain growth. It is through play that children communicate what they need and process what they are going through. Play helps reduce anxiety and depression, as well as helps to strengthen neural pathways.
What makes you optimistic about the future of your field?
Mental health in general is becoming more widely accessible to families and the stigma of obtaining mental health services is slowly fading. Collectively, we experienced the COVID pandemic which has led to unique challenges for children and families. However, despite these challenges, we have observed a remarkable resilience in our children and society, as well as increased ability to access mental health, and other support services, through teletherapy and technology. These advances in the field are leading to increased support for children and families.
How can families find you?
They can look us up at www.acornfamilyguidance.com
