Our Providers

Dr. Taylor Sorenson is a Clinical & Sport Psychologist and is the founder of both L.A. Psychological Assessment (LAPA) & Advantage Psychology and Mental Performance Center. She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University and completed her doctoral internship at the University of Oklahoma. She completed her post-doctoral training at a private practice in Norman, Oklahoma, where she became the Clinic Director and oversaw the assessment side of the practice and internship training program. She is proud and excited to bring her skills in and passion for psychological assessment back home to Los Angeles.
 
Her areas of clinical focus include psychological testing, sport psychology, performance psychology, anxiety disorders, ADHD and learning disorders, and mood disorders.
 
When she isn’t in the office, she enjoys attending athletic events, spending time with her family and friends, quick trips to Disneyland, and hanging out with our official office mascot, Olive.

Dr. Shauna Marsh is a clinical psychologist with LAPA.  Dr. Marsh earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University and completed her pre-doctoral internship with Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.  While her university may be affiliated with a specific religion, Dr. Marsh is welcoming of any and all religious and spiritual backgrounds.
 
She has worked in the clinical setting since 2013 within various sites including community mental health, juvenile justice, elementary and middle schools, and with the Conditional Release Program of Kern County.  Her areas of clinical focus are with children and adolescents, forensic-involved individuals, and psychological assessment.  
 
Dr. Marsh considers herself a lover of coffee, nature, and all living beings.  She is often found geeking out over rare indoor plants and figuring out how to grow tomatoes.  She is passionate about social justice and advocating for those in need. 

Dr. Jon Fledzinskas received his BA in Psychology from California State University, Channel Islands in Camarillo, CA, and then completed both his Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at California Lutheran University in 2020.

Dr. Fledzinskas has predominantly worked with adolescents and adults at a variety of centers. His formal training while in graduate school found him at several places practicing clinical psychology, including a community counseling clinic, a family medicine center, and an undergraduate college counseling center. He eventually went to Norman, OK in 2019 as part of the inaugural class at the Oklahoma Sport Psychology Consortium, where he worked at two separate sites: Psychological Resources for OU Student-Athletes (PROS) at the University of Oklahoma and Commander Counseling and Wellness. During his internship year, he accrued extensive experience delivering mental skills training, counseling, and psychological testing with many different Division I student-athletes at OU and general population clients in the Norman area. For his post-doctoral training in 2020, he remained working at Commander Counseling and Wellness and continued to provide mental skills training, counseling services, and psychological testing with children, adolescents, and adults in Norman and other surrounding areas.

Dr. Fledzinskas utilizes a client-centered, acceptance-based approach in therapy. He focuses on his clients’ strengths to help them develop a working relationship with their minds and emotions, assisting them in understanding what change they want to create in their lives and to then work toward their goals. Dr. Fledzinskas seeks to empower his clients and guide them in navigating their life’s challenges and help them find meaning and purpose in their daily living.

During his downtime, he enjoys spending time with his partner, family, and friends, playing competitive esports online, playing pick-up basketball, and reading a variety of books involving clinical and sport psychology concepts and ideas!

Elise earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology at the University of Kentucky with an emphasis in exercise physiology and a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University. She is currently attending Azusa Pacific University while completing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and working toward her certification as a Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). Elise has experience working with a community mental health setting. In particular, she worked at Azusa Pacific University’s Community Counseling Center (CCC) and Azusa Unified School District where she worked with IEP clients.

In addition to working as a practicum student with LAPA, Elise is also receiving clinical training from OC Sport Psychology where she’s worked with a variety of clientele ranging from pre-adolescents to adults. Elise uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and is interested in psychophysiology and the use of biofeedback to enhance performance.

Outside of her work, Elise enjoys playing with her dog and following her favorite sports teams.

Jessica Emde is a PsyD doctoral student specializing in evidence-based treatment for children and teens with anxiety and behavioral disorders. Jessica has experience treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety in children and teens. She's been trained in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy for OCD and currently serves as a therapist at UCLA Semel’s Child OCD Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) where she provides individual and group therapy, and parent training. Jessica also has specialization in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for young adults with mood and anxiety disorders and chronic pain. Jessica has additional experience working with Santa Barbara and Goleta school systems to conduct student assessments and lead seminars for at-risk youth. Jessica is certified in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and has worked as a crisis line counselor at the Didi Hirsch Suicide Hotline providing brief suicide assessment and crisis stabilization.

Jessica received her Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. She obtained her Master's degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University prior to beginning her doctoral degree training at California Lutheran University.
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In her spare time, Jessica loves taking her dog to the beach, surfing, hiking, eating sour candy, spending time with loved ones, and playing air hockey!

Courtney Maliakkal is a PsyD student at Azusa Pacific University. She received a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology from Azusa Pacific University in 2022 and Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2020.

Courtney has experience working with adolescents and adults with a variety of clinical concerns such as substance use, anxiety, depression, suicide, attention deficit/hyperactivity, and trauma. Courtney previously externed at CBT California providing integrative clinical care using brief assessment measures and evidence-based practices. She has also worked as a therapist at Azusa Pacific University Community Counseling Center and the local high school in the Azusa Unified School District. Courtney’s dissertation focuses on examining mental health psychopathology in youth who are in remission from substance use disorders to evaluate whether their mental health needs are being met in treatment. She hopes that her research will contribute to the field and assist in refining mental health care to better understand individuals and their unique treatment needs.

Courtney enjoys connecting with her loved ones and travelling with her free time. She is passionate about mental health and being active in caring for our mind and body.

Natalie is a PsyD student at Azusa Pacific University. She received her bachelor’s degree in special education from Notre Dame University in Beirut, Lebanon. Natalie obtained a master’s degree in developmental psychology and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Azusa Pacific University. She is also a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.

Natalie has experience working with children and adolescents with Autism, ADHD, and various special needs. Prior to a career in psychology, she worked as both an instructional assistant and a special education teacher in Lebanon and the United States. Natalie has also worked both as a behavior technician and a behavior analyst. Natalie has experience working in community mental health settings, at Azusa Pacific University Community Counseling Center and New Horizons Community Wellness Center, providing Cognitive-Behavioral therapy to clients. Additionally, she worked at Azusa Unified School district providing therapy to students who are on IEPs. Natalie is passionate about delivering mental health services and support to children, adolescents, and their families. She approaches treatment from a Cognitive Behavioral lens with an emphasis in family systems.

In her free time, Natalie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to the beach, swimming, and travelling.

Briana is currently enrolled as a PsyD student at Azusa Pacific University. She also received a Masters of Arts at the University of California, Irvine, in Legal and Forensic Psychology and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice at California State University, Fullerton. Briana's passion is in Forensic Psychology and has experience working with severely mentally ill violent offenders, under civil commitments. She hopes to continue to gain valuable experience in the field of forensics and expand her specialties to include assessments, evaluations, and consultation. In addition, she also has experience working with adolescents, adults, underserved communities such as the LGBTQ+ community, homeless people, and people with co-occurring substance use disorders.

Outside of school and work, Briana enjoys going out to eat, spending time with friends and family including her German Shepherd, and working out.

Olive is LAPA’s official office mascot. She is soft, cuddly, and sweet as pie. Miss Olive has what is called exotropia, which is when one or both of the eyes turn outward (in her case, both), but she embraces her differences and has all the confidence in the world! She is a Maltipoo and is hypoallergenic.