Dr. Courtney Dirksen is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in clinical neuropsychology. She went to the University of Illinois for her bachelor’s degree, and then worked for a year as a cognitive neuroscience research assistant at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center. She earned her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Boston University in 2003, where she was awarded an F31 NIH Predoctoral Fellowship to support her graduate research. She focused her dissertation research on behavioral neuroscience and frontal/executive function in adults with various neurologic disorders. Dr. Dirksen began her work in pediatric neuropsychology during her internship year at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology and continued pediatric training throughout her 2-year APPCN-member postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, and Semmes-Murphy Neurosurgical and Spine Institute, all located in Memphis, TN.

Following completion of her fellowship in 2005, Dr. Dirksen began working for Advocate Lutheran General Hospital as their pediatric neuropsychologist. She transitioned to private practice at the Dirksen Center in 2009 to provide neuropsychological assessment services, and it has grown over the years to include comprehensive assessment and therapy services for children, adolescents, parents, and young adults.

Dr. Dirksen maintains a medical staff appointment at Advocate Children’s Hospital/Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL where she is a member of the Department of Psychiatry, division of Psychology, as well as the Child and Adolescent Psychology subdivision. Dr. Dirksen has extensive experience with a variety of medical and developmental disorders, including pediatric cancer, brain injury, neurologic conditions, neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, and many more frequently experienced childhood difficulties with attention, learning, mood, and behavior. Dr. Dirksen has made numerous presentations at professional meetings including the International Neuropsychological Society and Society for Neuroscience and has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Susan Klostermann is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in clinical child and pediatric psychology. She earned her PhD in psychology from Case Western Reserve University in 2016. She completed a predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at the Nemours/Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. After completing her training she spent several years working in outpatient medical settings, including integrated primary care.

Dr. Klostermann works with children, adolescents, young adults, and families. She utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based practices in her approach to both assessment and treatment. Dr. Klostermann works to address areas of concern while building upon areas of strength, both within individuals and within families.  She works with youth and parents to build skills, problem solve, and communicate effectively.

Dr. Klostermann’s areas of specialty include medical concerns/chronic illness (e.g. chronic pain, diabetes, medical trauma), anxiety (including generalized, social, and separation anxiety), depression, ADHD, organizational and learning challenges, parent-child conflict, emotion regulation difficulties, and behavioral concerns as well as adjustment to stressors. She works collaboratively with teachers and other medical professionals to ensure youth receive optimal, coordinated care.

Dr. Karen Burcham is a Lifespan Neuropsychologist. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Northern Illinois University in 2008, with an emphasis in both clinical psychology and neuroscience and behavior. Her primary research focus during graduate school was in the areas of facilitation of recovery of function from brain injury, and she published several research studies and presented at professional meetings.

In addition to NIU’s required research and clinical training, she completed specialized training in neuropsychological assessment at both the University of Chicago and in a private practice. She completed the Neuropsychology Specialty Clinical Internship at the Southern Arizona Veteran’s Health Care System in Tucson, AZ. She later received additional neuropsychological assessment experience at Medical College of Wisconsin and at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare’s All Saints Hospital. Through 2018, Dr. Burcham was an Adjunct Professor and /or Instructor in the Department of Psychology at Northern Illinois University, where she taught graduate-level courses in cognitive assessment, as well as undergraduate courses focused on general research methods and on conducting research specifically in the area of clinical psychology.

Dr. Burcham joined the Dirksen Center in 2018 and conducts neuropsychological assessments for children, adolescents, and young adults.

Dr Lisa Sorensen is a licensed clinical psychologist with 20+ years experience in pediatric neuropsychological assessment. She received her PhD from The University of Chicago in 1999, and completed a pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Lurie Children’s) followed by a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Children’s Hospital Boston / Harvard University.

Dr. Sorensen spent 18 yrs as a neuropsychologist at Lurie Children’s and left with an academic appointment of Associate Professor at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine.  During her time there, she became a nationally and internationally renowned researcher in neurocognitive outcomes of pediatric liver disease and transplantation, with several peer-reviewed journal publications, chapters, and invited reviews and lectures in this area.

Dr. Sorensen has evaluated many children and teens with complex medical, psychiatric, and learning issues including brain tumor, leukemia, traumatic brain injury, concussion, epilepsy, lupus, stroke, spina bifida, diabetes, perinatal complications, genetic disorders, congenital heart disease/ liver/ kidney/  intestinal disease / organ transplantation, ADHD, Learning Disability, etc.

Dr. Sorensen’s goal in clinical assessment is to help the child, family, school, and care team better understand the child’s neurocognitive strengths and weaknesses in the context of current demands. She then seeks to provide realistic, evidence-based recommendations that will support the child in developing to their fullest potential.

With the shift to private practice, Dr. Sorensen is able to spend more time with family, and enjoys long walks, estate sales, and organizing.

Dr. Tria Murphy is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the Chicagoland area. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology and completed a predoctoral internship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Children’s Memorial Hospital (now the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago). Dr. Murphy is on the Medical Staff at Presence Resurrection Medical Center and is a faculty member in the Family Medicine residency-training program at Presence Health. She is a currently a member of the Illinois Psychological Association, as well as the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Dr. Murphy enjoys working with all age groups, including pediatric, adult, and older adults. Her interests include, but are not limited to: health psychology and chronic illness; women’s issues and caregiver support; grief and loss due to death, divorce, and suicide; parent-child conflict and family therapy; anxiety and mood disorders, OCD, and panic disorder; coping and stress management; behavior problems in children such as ODD and conduct disorder; as well as neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and learning disabilities. A particular area of interest is the training of parents of young children as they navigate day-to-day routines such as mealtimes, toileting, social skills, bedtime, separation, and discipline.

Dr. Murphy combines evidence-based treatments such as CBT with a systemic and problem-solving approach that focuses on the particular needs and strengths of her patients. She often works in close collaboration with referring physicians and other medical professionals in an integrated approach to the diagnosis and treatment of children, adults, and their families. 

Kara is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Developmental Psychopathology at Northern Illinois University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, where she also minored in Educational Psychology and conducted an undergraduate thesis exploring the effects of maternal anxiety on infant sleep.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Kara gained extensive research experience as a research assistant in the Little Learner’s Lab at UT Austin. There, she contributed to studies on the diverse developmental trajectories of young children, focusing on language, cognition, and motivation. Simultaneously, she worked in the Daily Activity Lab, where she collected and analyzed ecologically valid data from parents and children to study the impact of maternal mental health on early socio-emotional development.

At NIU, Kara’s research in the Families and Development in Context Lab investigates how parenting behaviors contribute to the transmission of anxiety from parents to children. For the past two years, she has also served as a clinician at NIU’s Psychological Services Center, offering therapeutic and assessment services to both children and adults. Her experience extends to assisting with group therapy in private practice settings.

Kara’s commitment to working with pediatric populations and their families has led her to pursue an externship at the Dirksen Center for the 2024-2025 year.

Michelle joined the Dirksen Center team as the office manager/administrative assistant in September of 2016. She brings with her 15+ years of customer service and office experience. She also volunteers at the shelter and offsite events helping stray animals and owner surrenders find new forever homes. You can also find her dog handling at the Chicago Wolves adopt-a-dog nights during hockey season at the Allstate arena.

Tiffany Layhadi joined the Dirksen Center as a neuropsychology testing technician in April 2019. Prior to that, she has worked in childcare and with kids in various other capacities for 5+ years. Tiffany was certified with a Child Development Associate in 2015. She loves working with kids and she is dedicated to fostering a positive and supportive relationship with both children and their families. She is passionate about making a difference in the lives of young ones and helping them achieve their goals! For fun she enjoys spending time with her family, she enjoys traveling, and her favorite food is pasta!  

Maggie joined the Dirksen Center in 2022 as a neuropsychology testing technician (psychometrist). She earned her Master of Science in Psychology from Arizona State University in 2021, as well as her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Lake Forest College in 2020. She holds a variety of experiences stemming from her own guided independent research on mental health stigma to internships in intensive outpatient care programs for adolescents. She fosters a strong ideology towards creating positive change for mental health advocacy and believes that the Dirksen Center is a fundamental piece of that movement.

With a decade of involvement as a competitive gymnast, her passion for physical fitness extends beyond the sport, as she also thrives on lifting weights and pushing her limits in the gym. She enjoys expressing her creativity and individualism through painting, drawing, coloring, and anything art related.