Meet Our Clinical Team

Being in the field of ABA since 2002 I have had the opportunity to practice in various countries as well as several states in the US. I have had the privilege of working in various settings as a BCBA including -schools, in home – community centers, groups homes as well as Clinic settings. As a Clinical Director at Behavior Nation, I oversee the Clinical operations for the company. At Behavior Nation I have the honor of working with some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated BCBA Supervisors, Program Managers and BTs in this field. I love interacting and nurturing new BCBA and potential BCBA in the field. I also volunteer my time working with individuals who are unable to access ABA services in other countries. I also work with BCBA’s in other countries to ensure individuals with disabilities can access timely care. My passion is to disseminate ABA and provide an accessible learning environment for all individuals with disabilities.

I have been working with people with developmental disabilities for more than 20 years, first as a volunteer, then as a paraprofessional and finally as a special education teacher and behavior analyst. I joined Behavior Nation in March 2021, and as a Clinical Director, I provide support to all of our highly dedicated Clinical Supervisors in the Bay Area, as well as having my own caseload. In my clinical practice, I focus on helping children learn how to communicate, whether it is vocally, through using picture exchange, or through using gestures and signs. I am passionate about working with families as they help their children learn the skills they need to lead their best lives. I am fascinated by human behavior, and the field of behavior analysis; there is always something new to learn! In my spare time you will find me engrossed in a novel, writing in my journal, walking my dog, visiting local wineries or just hanging out with friends and family. I am delighted to be a part of Behavior Nation.

My name is Alexa Paynter and I am a Resident Clinical Supervisor. As a Clinical Supervisor I oversee the direction of your child’s case. I will meet with you to discuss your areas of concern for your child. Some of your areas of concern and goals for your child may require pre-requisite skills. If that is the case, those building block skills will be identified first and targeted. I will also assess your child to identify their strengths and needs. I will create goals for your child based on their current skill level as well as areas of need. I will focus your child’s treatment plan to produce meaningful socially significant change. My goal for your child is to create a treatment plan that leads to meaningful improvements in their life, and your family dynamic. ABA is a whole systems approach which means that it is most effective when everyone on the child’s team is practicing the skills and strategies with the child. As the most important members of your child’s team, I will be meeting you, the parents, to discuss your child’s goals and ways that you can implement these strategies at home.

I graduated cum laude from UC Santa Cruz with my degree in Intensive Psychology. Additionally, I received the Dean’s award for my research on undergraduate dating double standards. After college, I continued this research and got my study published in “Sex Roles” a psychology journal. Following this I began my career in Applied Behavior Analysis. I entered into this field not knowing very much about ABA or working with children with additional needs. I fell in love with working with children and families and practices Applied Behavior Analysis strategies. I pursued my masters in education and graduated from University of West Florida with a 4.0, completed my supervision hours, and passed my test to become a BCBA.

I am so happy to be in a field where each child’s goals are personalized to them and their needs. There is no one-size fits all model in this field. I believe that each child is different and as practitioners we must work to individualize our treatment goals and strategies. I love this job as I get to see a child’s growth and development. I get to hear about a child’s successes with their goals, as well as talk to families about different strategies to try to help their child. My job will never be boring, routine, and I will never learn enough. I get to learn and grow with each child I work with to produce the best possible results and the highest quality of care. I am thrilled to be at a company like Behavior Nation where the focus is always on the child and their needs.

My personal passions within the field of ABA include a focus on communication. I love working with families and their children to assist the child to communicate their wants and needs. I’ve found that teaching a child to communicate what they want in an appropriate way leads to decreases in challenging behaviors. Further, communication is a fundamental social interaction that can provide reinforcement for that individual in multiple environments.

When I am not working with your little ones I like to spend my time baking and cooking. I have pursued the “best” chocolate chip cookie, the softest cinnamon rolls, and the prettiest cakes as I’ve been learning to bake. I enjoy starting (and sometimes finishing) art projects including sketching, upcycling furniture, painting, and watercolors. I enjoy meeting with friends and playing board games like “Dominion” or silly games such as “what do you meme.” You will not find me out hiking on the weekends, however, you might find me learning how to shoot my bow and arrow at the archery range. Finally, like most of us, I enjoy binge watching the newest Netflix series and catching the newest Marvel movie at the box office.

Thank you for taking the time to read a bit about me. I look forward to working with you and your child.

My name is Selia Torres, and I am a board-certified behavior analyst. I have been working in the field of ABA for several years.I started in the field as a Behavior Therapist working in a clinical setting as I was completing my undergraduate degree. After a few weeks of working with in the fieldI soon became very passionate about helping my clients become more independent and develop socially.Throughout my years of working in the field I have been exposed to individuals of all ages with various behaviors so I have learned to adapt based on what my client’s needsI am committed to working closely with caregivers to create treatment plans that will meet the individualized needs of my clients and their family.

Professional achievements/accomplishments

• B.A. – Psychology
• M.A. – Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis.
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst Certification

Passion and values

• Empathetic
• Caring
• Adaptable
• Respectful
• Client-focused Committed

Personal interests

• Early intervention
• Verbal behavior
• Social skills
• Self-Management

Outside of work

• When I’m not at work I love spending time with my family and going out to eat. I love doing outdoor activities such as going to the beach, hiking, fishing, and camping. I also love going to the gym and playing soccer.

My name is Savannah Rasmussen and I have been working in the field of ABA for the past several years. I started as a behavior therapist while earning my bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences where I soon realized this was a field I wanted to be a part of. It was amazing to see the progress my client’s would make and positive impact I could have on their lives. I then worked full-time as an RBT in various schools before I came to Behavior Nation. I am passionate about providing empathetic,fun and individualized ABA services that fit the need of your child and your family.

Professional achievements/accomplishments

• B.S. – Health Sciences, Administration and Management
• M.S. – Behavioral Psychology
• Completed research on improving empathy across health care workers and presented at multiple conferences

Passion and values

• Integrity
• Empathy
• Honesty
• Caring
• Having fun therapy sessions

Professional achievements/accomplishments

• Certified RBT
• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

Your personal interests

• Trauma-informed care
• ACT
• Verbal Behavior
• Early Intervention
• Self-monitoring and Self-Management

Outside of work

• Outside of work, I love spending time with my friends and family. I love running, animals, being active, going to the beach, baking, reading and relaxing!

My name is Ally Wong. I am a Program Manager at Behavior Nation, which means I have the privilege of overseeing multiple kiddos different goals and progress within their ABA program. I provide support to clients’ direct service providers and make adjustments and updates to client’s programs to find what is most helpful and beneficial for them! I love getting to know all my clients to learn what is best for their needs. My favorite is hearing stories of my clients asking for me outside of sessions because I’m always so excited to see them!

Professional achievements/accomplishments

• BA in Child Development with an emphasis in early development, care, and education

Passion and values

• I’m passionate about providing services that are fun and effective for your child. Your child’s therapy sessions should be centered around them and their interests, and I enjoy identifying creative and naturalistic learning opportunities for each child. I love seeing when a client is first learning a new skill to see the way it empowers the child and the family.

Personal interests

• Establishing strong reinforcers, identifying the functions of behavior, teaching play skills

Outside of work

• Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, finding fun new places to eat and spontaneous day trip adventures. I love to spend my days reading and journaling at a coffee shop, and I love seeing new musicals!

My name is Kimmy and I’m a program manager here at Behavior Nation. What do I do here? Well, I help support the parents and Behavior Technicians on their ABA journey along with learn how I can become the best future BCBA myself. My job and strengths are to teach you everything you need to know so you won’t need us anymore! I started off as Behavior Technician myself and am currently going to school to get my masters in ABA (I’ll be done October 2022… Yay me) and ever since I fell into this job I feel in love with ABA (I took a hard left turn and graduated with a bachelor’s in food science). I literally use it for everything and have seen how it’s changed so many of my kiddos’ and families’ lives. Some things I do outside of work is take care of my dog (he literally is the cutest), play volleyball, and just have social time with friends. Thanks for reading and I look forward to getting to know you also!

My name is Hannah Reyes, and I am an Assistant Program Manager here at Behavior Nation. My job is to support our clients, parents, and Behavior Technicians with ABA services. I also train Behavior Technicians to ensure that we are providing the best service possible to our clients. One of my goals is to ensure that our clients can live their lives to their fullest potential! I started out as a Behavior Technician and have gotten my bachelor’s degree with a specialization in ABA. I received my master’s degree in October 2021 and is currently working towards my BCBA certification. With my experience, I have learned that ABA is used in our everyday lives and that it can be utilized with many tasks. I value integrity, client dignity, and growth. One of my favorite things about my job is seeing the clients’ progress. Outside of work, I like to spend time with my family and friends and explore new places (and explore new eateries). There are also days where I just watch Netflix, which I enjoy just as much. Thank you for reading and I look forward to working with you!

As a program manager, I oversee client cases by developing and managing their teaching programs with support from our Clinical Supervisors. I also provide supervision to our Behavior Technicians as they work directly with our clients, as well as education and support to our client families so they can learn to implement new skills with their children. This means providing guidance on how to implement a new program or teaching strategy, and observing how interventions are working in order to make any necessary changes.My strengths as a clinician are my patience, ability to meet people where they’re at, my sense of humor, and my backpack full of the coolest toys.

Professional achievements/accomplishments

• Certified RBT
• Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

Passion and values

• Helping people (clients, people, and families) grow by teaching new concepts and skills
• Creating a safe environment where people feel comfortable asking questions and learning
• Making sessions enjoyable and reinforcing for everyone involved – including clients, BTs, and families

Personal interests

• Professionally, I’m interested in clinical psychology, education, and teaching/mentoring others.
• Personally, some of my interests are exercising, gardening, cooking and baking, and streaming.

Outside of work

• Outside of work, I spend time exercising, cooking new recipes I find on Youtube, and playing video games (I’m a huge Minecraft fan).

Supervise, train, and support our Behavior Technicians as well as client families. This means providing guidance on how to implement a new program or teaching strategy, and observing how interventions are working in order to make any necessary changes. Run direct therapy sessions when possible. Managing client cases which involves analyzing their data and

My strengths: compassion, patience, a sense of humor.

My name is Alyssia and I am a Program manager here at Behavior Nation. As a Program manager, I work with client, families and our clinical team to help manage and develop goals for our client. This entails helping train and supervise behavior technicians and working with families to help ensure we are giving our clients the best treatment. I have always been passionate about working with children, so when I was introduced with the field of ABA I found a love for it. I love to getting to know my clients and creating goals for them to help with their everyday lives and their future.

Professional achievements/Accomplishments

• RBT certification
• BA in Biology

Passion and Values

I am passionate about working with clients and family on ABA to help our client succeed in their future. I value having a fun ABA session, showing compassion, caring and being empathetic.

Personal Interests

Early intervention learning and establishing a way of communication.

Outside of work

I love to go on hikes, try new foods and explore new places. When I’m not doing that, I am likely spending time with family and friends.