Randy Yates, LEP

Foundation for Understanding

It is a pleasure to meet you. Hello, my name is Randy.

Seeking a psychological evaluation can be a crucial step for individuals experiencing mental health issues, behavioral or emotional regulation disturbances, educational challenges, or developmental concerns. It provides a foundation for understanding the complex interplay of factors affecting an individual. A well developed evaluation guides effective treatment and support, fostering better outcomes across various aspects of life.

Evaluation Approach

Through my years of domestic and international experience, I have come to practice an integrative approach to evaluations, blending humanistic and cognitive approaches.

Every person possesses a unique mix of knowledge, experience, and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral abilities shaped by the interplay of their cultural and social contexts. My humanistic philosophy tells me that everyone has a unique emotional and motivational capacity for growth. The cognitive approach reveals how a person’s  attention, perceptions, memory, and higher-order thinking processes interact with the world around them. The goal is to provide insight, diagnostic clarification, and a path forward.

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity has significant implications for evaluations, recognizing and respecting the wide range of differences in human brain function and behavioral traits as part of normal variation in the human population. An assessment within a neurodiversity framework focuses more on identifying the individual’s strengths and challenges, emphasizing creating supportive environments that value and enhance a person’s abilities. This involves using assessment tools sensitive to the diverse needs of neurodiverse populations and interpreting results in a way that acknowledges the broad spectrum of human neurocognitive functioning.

Effective evaluation and support of neurodiverse individuals often require interdisciplinary collaboration. That is why practicing at TheraThrive is so exciting! This is not my approach but our approach.

Clinical Experience

My clinical experience has been a personal and professional decades-long journey to reach TheraThrive. I have practiced abroad and domestically with international, public, a Native American reservation, and private schools. Through these experiences, I understand how the development of academic skills is driven by cognitive, social-emotional, and developmental trajectories but shaped by school, home, and community environments.

In the educational context, the intersection of neurodiversity and classrooms is critical for fostering an inclusive learning environment that recognizes and respects these differences while providing appropriate support to optimize educational outcomes for all students.

As a graduate student, I worked for California-Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, in a treatment center for adolescents. Here, I learned to see beyond struggles by appreciating what we all uniquely bring to the world. This often means advocating for oneself, but the first step is knowing what to advocate for.

My first position after my undergraduate studies was working with sexually abused children in a wilderness program. The philosophy was to challenge these children with wilderness adventures, from white water rafting to two-week excursions into the Northern Californian wilderness. Teaching children the individual and team skills to successfully navigate these adventures with a sense of wonder and accomplishment was a great joy.

While an undergraduate student, I completed internships with the Long Beach VA Medical Center in their Neuropsychological Assessment Department and Fairview Developmental Center, Goodell Education Center. I found these fulfilling adventures learning how to use and apply assessment results to improve life outcomes, fostering a sense of well-being.

Educational & Credentials

I earned a Master in School Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor in Applied Psychology from Long Beach State. I am a Licensed Educational Psychologist by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. I have Pupil Personnel Services credentials in School Psychology and School Counseling from the California Board of Teacher Credentialing.

Leisure and Recreation

My mainstays have always been water, nature, basketball, poetry, and music. I grew up near the beaches in Orange County, where I found a love of bodysurfing. That feeling of being one with the water as you slide down the face of a wave never grows old. My love of water grew to include rivers and lakes. Nature, not so far removed from water, became my retreat from daily life in the city. Nature is my go-to when I need to listen to and marvel at wonders beyond my imagination.

Although I have never had formal training, basketball has always been enjoyable because of the teamwork. What I love about it is not necessarily making the shot but making or taking from a teammate the pass that results in a shot. Poetry began as a journal and moved outward from there.

My two favorite American poets are Emily Dickinson and Bob Dylan. Music is one of my other retreats. I love country rock, old timey country and western, some bluegrass, Motown, and rock and roll. Without a doubt, Jerry Garcia is my all-time favorite guitarist.