We are now offering completely customized virtual neuropsychological testing assessments and remote neurofeedback! Schedule your assessment and treatment today
Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic provides executive function therapy for children, teens, and adults in Palo Alto and throughout the Bay Area. We work with individuals and families from nearby communities seeking support for organization, planning, attention, emotional regulation, and other executive functioning skills that impact success at school, work, and home.
Depending on your needs, services may be available in person at our Palo Alto clinic or through virtual appointments when appropriate.
Executive function refers to a set of cognitive skills that allow you to focus your attention, remember instructions, and manage tasks. Your executive functioning links your past experiences with your present actions, allowing you to learn from past events and adjust your current behaviors and emotions accordingly.
Your executive function skills give you the ability to succeed in school and work by helping you keep track of time on your assignments and sustain your attention long enough to complete your homework or work project.
Working memory is also part of your executive function skills. This type of memory allows you to hold multiple pieces of information in your memory long enough to solve a problem, determine your next action, and participate in conversations.
Executive dysfunction is an impairment in your brain’s ability to organize or control your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. It can occur in both children and adults and can be a symptom of various other conditions, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), brain injuries, or trauma. Whatever the cause, treatment for executive dysfunction can help you or your child better manage life’s demands.
Executive functioning counseling can be especially helpful for those with:
Even if you don’t have a diagnosed mental health condition, it’s common to experience some challenges in keeping up with the demands of the modern world. If you’re struggling to manage your tasks and responsibilities or finding yourself stuck in dysfunctional patterns, executive functioning therapy may help.
The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic in Palo Alto, California, offers executive function therapy that helps each person learn and improve their executive function skills.
First, an executive functioning therapist will perform a neuropsychological assessment to determine your executive function skill levels. They will identify your current skills and areas for improvement and help you understand the importance of executive function for achieving your goals. Using examples from daily life, graphics, and visual aids , they will help you see the role each executive function skill plays in your daily activities.
Next, you and your therapist will decide which skills are most important to work on, whether for academic, work, or other goals. Your therapist will create a custom treatment plan to improve executive function skills and help you reach your goals.
Our executive functioning therapy focuses on behavioral strategies. We’ll teach you how to use memory aids, time management techniques, note-taking, self-monitoring aids, daily organizers, and techniques for keeping emotions in check. You’ll also learn how to advocate for yourself.
Your therapist will track your progress and use assessments to measure the effectiveness of your treatment plan. As your skills improve, external aids will be withdrawn so you can internalize your skills.
Our clinic is now offering Telehealth to clients in California, Texas, and Florida!
Executive functioning challenges are unique to each individual, which is why Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic takes a personalized, evidence-based approach to treatment. Our goal is to help patients build practical skills that support long-term success at school, work, and in everyday life.
When you choose Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, you can expect:
Everyone’s psychotherapy journey is different, and it can feel daunting when you’re unsure what to expect or how long it might take to sense any progress. Many clients notice positive changes within the first 8 sessions, with deeper improvements over 3–6 months. Understanding every step can help you feel more confident about the process.
Executive dysfunction therapy helps individuals build the cognitive and self-management skills needed to navigate daily life more effectively. At Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic, therapy begins with understanding each person’s unique challenges, strengths, and goals before developing a personalized treatment plan.
Using evidence-based techniques and practical skill-building exercises, executive dysfunction therapy focuses on improving organization, planning, time management, attention, working memory, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. Sessions are tailored to each individual’s age, developmental stage, and specific needs, helping children, teens, and adults apply these skills in school, work, and everyday life.
Throughout therapy, clinicians monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed to support continued growth. The goal is to help patients build lasting executive functioning skills that increase independence, confidence, and success across all areas of life.
The duration of executive functioning therapy will depend on your needs, goals, and rate of progress. However, it’s not unusual for sessions to last anywhere from six months to a year.