Our Clinicians
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Owner, Licensed Psychologist
Laura J. Morizio, PhD, NCSP (she/her) is a licensed psychologist in New York specializing in the psychological assessment of children, adolescents, and young adults. She is also a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.
Dr. Morizio has extensive experience working with school-age children and adolescents. She has expertise in diagnostic assessment, special education systems in schools, social-emotional curriculum development, research, and developmental approaches that honor the whole child. She has over a decade of experience in assessment with Northwell Health and throughout her training and work as a school psychologist across three different states in both public and independent school settings. She is an adjunct professor for graduate students and a seasoned speaker, having presented the implications of her research work at numerous national professional conventions.
She loves to conduct comprehensive evaluations to help kids and young adults find the success they deserve. She finds immense joy in discovering the strengths of each individual she works with to help them feel seen, valued, and capable enough to chase their dreams.
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Clinician
Christina Hatsis, MHC-LP (she/her) believes that each and every one of her clients deserves a life filled with clarity, happiness, and understanding. She enjoys helping people navigate the hard parts of life so they can move towards exploring what brings them joy.
Christina has carved out clinical niches supporting parents as well as teens and adults dealing with anxiety. In partnering with her clients, she works to understand one’s strengths alongside what's standing in their way as they develop skills to grow. She uses a blended Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and psychodynamic approach to help her clients move towards discovery and self-compassion so that they can step into a more satisfying life. She is also trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a first-line treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
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Clinician
Caroline Exter, LMSW (she/her) specializes in fostering holistic well-being and personal growth. With a deep commitment to understanding individuals' unique perspectives and experiences, she creates an empathetic space for exploration and healing. Caroline brings her background as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) to implement mindfulness in order to help her clients better understand the connection between their mind and body.
Caroline integrates evidence-based practices with a person-centered approach, empowering her clients to discover their inner strengths. She guides clients towards greater self-awareness, resilience, and self-compassion. Caroline uses a variety of therapeutic modalities and approaches sessions from a strengths-based framework. She is passionate about discovering how experiences shape our way of relating to the world and exploring the bridge between the mind-body connection.
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Morizio, L. J. (2024). Chapter 4: Engaging in YPAR with Early Elementary School Students. In A. L. Cook & I. Levy’s Activating Youth as Change Agents: Integrating YPAR in School Counseling. Oxford University Press.
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Morizio, L. J., Cook. A. L., Collier-Meek, M. A., Famolare, G. M., Fallon, L. M., & Bender, S. L. (2022). Creating Compassion: Creatively-focused explicit behavioral instruction for empathy development. School Psychology Review. Link
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Morizio, L. J., Cook, A. L., Troeger, R., & Whitehouse, A. (2021). Creating Compassion: Using Art for Empathy Learning with Urban Youth. Contemporary School Psychology. Link
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Cook, A. L., Brodsky, L. M., Morizio, L. J., & Walker, W. (2018). Storybooks and Social Hooks: Building Social-Emotional, Academic, and Literacy Learning through Shared Reading. Alexandria, V.A.: American School Counselor Association.
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Morizio, L. J. (2021, January). Creating Compassion: Harnessing Creativity for Empathy Development (Order No. 27997397). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2479483643).
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Morizio, L. J., Contributor. “Episode 8: Art, Authenticity, and Changing Minds.” State of the Arts Arizona, National Public Radio (NPR). 2021 Jul 9. Link
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Poynton, T., DeFouw, E., & Morizio, L. J. (2019). A Systematic Review of Online Response Rates in Four Counseling Journals. Journal of Counseling & Development, 97(1), 33-42. Link
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Cook, A. L., Brodsky, L.M., Morizio, L. J., & Gracia, R. (2018). Exploring Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Training Outcomes on School Counselor and Youth Development. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 10(2), 78-93. Link
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Cook, A. L., Shah, A., Brodsky, L. M., & Morizio, L. J. (2017). Strengthening school-family community engagement through community dialogues. Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, 9(1), 9-37.
Select Research Publications
Grounded in principles of Balance, Equity, and Abundance, Coast Psychology seeks to empower children and their families with individualized clinical insights so they may navigate the world around them with a sense of confidence and optimism.
“Getting the right help from the right person has the power to reshape our perspective and catapult children into a lifetime of success.”
— Dr. Morizio, Owner, Coast Psychology
