Who am I?

Who am I and what is a child psychologist?

I’m Dr. Rachele Merk. I’m a child and adolescent psychologist who is passionate about helping improve the well-being of your child and family.

That means I am specifically trained in child development and provide specific skills to improve your child’s behavior. I’ve been licensed as a psychologist since 2018 and seriously love seeing your child become the best version of themselves.

I serve Nevada and Colorado, and I provide individual therapy and family therapy through virtual (telehealth) format. I received my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2017 from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). I went on the participate in an APA accredited internship at UCLA’s Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior within the OCD and Intensive Anxiety Track, focusing on providing care to disorders such as OCD, selective mutism and body focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. trichotillomania and Tourette’s). This means I am skilled in working with kids with severe anxiety and habit-based presentations. I have also received extensive training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, a unique therapy that improves the bond between children and their parents and significantly reduces aggressive and noncompliant behaviors. Treatment is individualized and we work collaboratively to identify primary needs and discuss interventions that work for your family. You should expect to receive skills to ensure you are working on the interventions needed for change. 

I love my job because I get to partner with you (the expert on your child) to develop a plan to help reach your family’s goals. I also work with young adults (up to age 20) who need additional support transitioning to adulthood. With young adults, I commonly address anxiety, depression, communication problems, and difficulties with independence. As a parent of young kids, this is a no-judgment zone and we get to work together to collaborate, problem solve, and provide feedback to find solutions.