About Dr. Ana Cragnolino

My goal as a psychologist is to encourage the individuals I work with find their potential and become the people they most want to be. I aim to help them seek satisfaction and contentment in their lives and find a path to self-fulfillment.

Training and Experience

I have been involved in the field of psychology and neuropsychology for more than 20 years.  I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Swarthmore College and spent two years doing research in neuropsychology after graduating from college. I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and went on to do my internship in Clinical Psychology at Harvard Medical School at McLean Hospital.  I also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology at Harvard Medical School. I have worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and I have been in private practice for more than 15 years. I specialize in the assessment and treatment of learning disabilities, ADHD and co-existing conditions such as depression and anxiety. I have been practicing collaboratively with my colleagues Dr. Antonia Forster and Dr. Michael Fulop since I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2010. You may learn more about the work we do together at Behavioral Diagnostics & Treatment.

My goal is to help the individuals I work with find their greatest potential and be the people they most want to be.

Current Practice

I offer comprehensive testing evaluations that clarify areas of weakness and identify core strengths that can help clients reach their highest potential. I see the assessment process as part of a therapeutic intervention, and so while some of my clients come for assessments to update prior testing or to seek accommodations for school or the workplace, much of the testing is conducted as part of a holistic approach to working with a client. I have experience assessing people throughout the lifespan, but my specialty is in the evaluation of older children, adolescents, and adults.  My expertise is in diagnosing learning disabilities, ADHD, and other cognitive difficulties, as well as diagnosing psychological struggles getting in the way of healthy functioning.

My psychotherapeutic treatments use a solution-focused therapy with a basis in cognitive-behavioral treatment. I work with adolescents and adults. I encourage my clients to examine and change the thoughts behind behaviors, assisting them to cope more effectively with their current challenges, while helping them practice skills that will harness their cognitive strengths and help them compensate for weaknesses. I alternate between using a skills training approach meant to address difficulties with planning, organizing, and completing daily tasks with a therapy that involves an examination of aspects of a client’s identity and beliefs that impact their effective functioning in the world.

Treatment often includes reviewing systems of organization and experimenting with different strategies, developing more assertive ways of communicating with others and/or employing technological strategies to serve as reminders and reinforcements. My clients are encouraged to identify their goals for treatment and together we develop a plan.