Dana J. Grasso, MA, Psy.D. (Dana J. Grasso, PsyD, PLLC)
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)
Dana J. Grasso, MA, Psy.D.
is a licensed clinical psychologist in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
At present, she maintains virtual capacities while mostly seeing people in person. She collaborates with people across the lifespan for all varieties of assessment but specializes in work with children, adolescents, and young adults.
Dr. Grasso remains committed to developing this small, personalized assessment practice so that we are constantly evolving to meet changing needs. Lessons learned in the pandemic led to advocating for developmentally-appropriate, client-centered use of teleassessment to promote health and wellbeing while rendering important data. After six years, she closed out her role as consultant to Sidwell Friends Lower School in 2022. It was an absolute privilege to have a connection to her own Quaker educational roots and many wonderful relationships with educators and families continue.
Dr. Grasso began observing children and assessing response to intervention in support of Guardian Ad Litems and child advocates in DC before pursuing her graduate education. While at John Jay, she practiced psychological evaluation of children and adolescents at Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center and then went on to expand her experience base while earning a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Grasso 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. She completed an APA-accredited internship at the Queens Children's Psychiatric Center in New York and has since been conducting comprehensive evaluations for public and private multi-disciplinary educational teams, individuals, physicians, therapists, attorneys, and others in the DC Metro area.
Early in her career, Dr. Grasso gained tremendous experience from evaluating children and adolescents throughout DC-- often in very difficult conditions. This, in part, inspired her 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, Dr. Grasso was also on staff at a full-time special educational center where she provided psychological services to children and adolescents experiencing emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties. Between 2013 and 2016, she co-founded a non-profit dedicated to a sports-based therapeutic modality that drew from her expertise in applying forensic and trauma knowledge bases in a down-to-earth and creative manner. The effort was infused by her love of sports and dedication to multi-disciplinary collaboration as well as reflecting the flexible and respectful approach she aspires to consistently offer all clients. Dr. Grasso also served as an evaluating psychologist at the Fairfax County Juvenile Forensic Evaluation Program (JFEP) providing assessment, consultation, and expert testimony. In this capacity, she 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 her role was very small, it was informative and rewarding work.
After six years, Dr. Grasso 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, she taught Basics of Psychological Assessment and Forensic Psychological Assessment, while also supervising graduate students as they practiced what they were learning in the classroom.
Dr. Grasso is experienced in diagnosing and treating complex issues including developmental concerns, learning and attention challenges, mood and behavioral problems, trauma, and interpersonal difficulties. She is also attuned to some of the unique circumstances faced by gifted people and those in rigorous academic programs. She is particularly dedicated to making the evaluation process comfortable and meaningful for all participants. She takes great care to stay up to date on developments in the field as well as to foster an inviting environment and rewarding experiences.
She is 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. She is also credentialed as a National Register Health Service Psychologist.
Dr. Grasso takes a holistic yet efficient approach to testing and aspires to produce thoughtful, differentiated, culturally aware and accessible reports as well as practical recommendations. A call to social justice and advocacy follows Dr. Grasso outside of the office--but she also finds time to be silly, appreciate art and nature, relax with family and friends, and cheer on her NY sports teams (and the Nats).