Dana J. Grasso, MA, Psy.D.

Dana J. Grasso, MA, Psy.D. (Dana J. Grasso, PsyD, PLLC)

North Shore Cooperative Preschool Long Island, NY
Maplewood Elementary School Long Island, NY
Friends Academy (Middle & Upper School)
BA Georgetown University (Psychology)
MA John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Forensic Psychology)
Psy.D. The George Washington University (Clinical Psychology)

Welcome. I'm Dana Grasso, a licensed clinical psychologist in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia. I enjoy collaborating with people across the lifespan (ages 5+) for all varieties of assessment. I love what I do and really value the partnership. As such, in addition to consultation and testing, I dedicate a good amount of time to talking with prospective clients to help determine optimal next steps and a great match within our team. If you call our office, chances are, we'll talk!

I remain committed to developing this small, personalized assessment practice so that we are constantly evolving to meet changing needs. There is no substitute for professional expertise, but I'm also drawn to this work because I'm deeply curious, persistent, and positive. In addition to growing up in a diverse community in NY, my family's immigration story set the tone for appreciating context and perspective while fostering a deep sense of stewardship. An authentic and open-minded approach has grown out of life experience. 

I regularly help to identify and understand developmental concerns, learning and attention challenges, mood and behavioral problems, trauma impacts, and interpersonal difficulties. My work with adults often involves making sense of longstanding challenges through new lenses. I am attuned to the unique circumstances faced by gifted people and those in rigorous academic programs, with a particular affinity for appreciating "2e" (twice exceptional) dynamics and honoring the demands of student-athlete life. The mind-body connection is an important component in my thought process and I appreciate physiological impacts on functioning. I am dedicated to making the evaluation process comfortable and meaningful for all participants. There are a lot of fancy words for it these days, but at the core, we're all different, and I love that. My job is not to change people but to help ease challenges and foster strengths. I take a holistic yet efficient approach to testing, guard against over-pathologizing, and aspire to produce thoughtful, differentiated, culturally aware and accessible reports as well as practical recommendations. 

I began observing children and assessing response to intervention in support of Guardian Ad Litem and child advocates in DC before pursuing graduate education. While at John Jay, I practiced psychological evaluation of children and adolescents at Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center and then went on to expand my experience base while earning a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I provided individual and group therapy and psychological testing at the Children and Family Network Center preschool in Alexandria, Virginia and then at the DC Superior Court Child Guidance Clinic while attending GW in addition to evaluating adults at the Center Clinic. I completed an APA-accredited internship at the Queens Children's Psychiatric Center in New York and have since been conducting comprehensive evaluations for public and private multidisciplinary educational teams, individuals, physicians, therapists, attorneys, and others in the DC Metro area.

Early in my career, I gained tremendous experience from evaluating children and adolescents throughout DC-- often in very difficult conditions. This, in part, inspired me to create a space in which assessment could always be performed the way it is intended--with the client's best interest at heart. With the intention of maintaining the most rigorous standards of practice accompanied by a caring and flexible demeanor, WPA was founded. From 2008 to 2012, I was also on staff at a full-time special educational center where I provided psychological services to children and adolescents experiencing emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties. Between 2013 and 2016, I co-founded a non-profit dedicated to a sports-based therapeutic modality that drew from my expertise in applying forensic and trauma knowledge bases in a down-to-earth and creative manner. The effort was infused by my love of sports and dedication to multidisciplinary collaboration as well as reflecting the flexible and respectful approach I aspire to consistently offer all clients. I also served as an evaluating psychologist at the Fairfax County Juvenile Forensic Evaluation Program (JFEP) providing assessment, consultation, and expert testimony. In this capacity, I was proud to hold an advisory role on the Trauma team, helping to identify effective screening and assessment measures for court-involved adolescents.

Spring and summer of 2016 also brought a wonderful opportunity to consult with Fairfax Neonatal Associates and create reports for parents whose young children had been evaluated as part of the PETIT study. This important longitudinal research involved comprehensive intellectual, neuropsychological, and behavioral studies of children born across the preterm spectrum. Although my role was very small, it was informative and rewarding work.

After six years, I took a break from teaching in 2017. As Assistant Clinical Professor of Clinical Psychology at The George Washington University (Psy.D. Program) and Adjunct professor at The George Washington University Masters Program in Forensic Psychology, I taught Basics of Psychological Assessment and Forensic Psychological Assessment, while also supervising graduate students as they practiced what they were learning in the classroom. After another six years, I closed out my role as consultant to Sidwell Friends Lower School in 2022. It was an absolute privilege to experience Quaker education from a different perspective and many wonderful relationships with educators and families continue.

I am a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society and the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) in addition to being an avid seeker of continuing education. I'm also credentialed as a National Register Health Service Psychologist. 

Social justice is always important to me. I pay attention to what happens in the world and I care. I also find time to be silly, appreciate art and nature, relax with family and friends, and cheer on my NY sports teams (and the Nats).