Meet Holly Barnard, Ph.d. | Pediatric Neuropsychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Barnard, Ph.d. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The field of psychology is not a “one size fits all” for mental health issues. You wouldn’t go to a podiatrist to diagnose or treat heart problems, but the mental health field has not come as far as the medical field in terms of specialization that is obvious to potential patients. When looking for mental health services, patients CAN and SHOULD ask questions like: “What kind of patients do you assess or treat?”; “What is your area of specialty?”; “Are you board certified?” Board certification in a particular area – like neuropsychology – communicates to patients that this provider has been evaluated by their peers and knows their area inside and out. I became a neuropsychologist because I wanted to be able to assess and provide treatment planning for any child who walked through my door, regardless of their developmental and medical history, and I’ve been rigorously vetted to ensure I can do just that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is different every day, because the brain is a complex and wondrous thing. One day, the question might be as common as how to help a child who is struggling to achieve in school. The next day, the question might be how surgically removing a specific part of the brain will impact a child’s day-to-day functioning. Learning how to approach each of these questions, and every question in between, was a long road, but an extremely rewarding one. Along the way, I have learned not only about the remarkable ability of the brain to heal and adapt in response to trauma, but also about the remarkable resilience of children and their families. Each child is complex and unique, and respecting that complexity and uniqueness is what is most important to me in my job. I don’t rubber stamp anything. I take the time to really get to know each family’s story so I can help them understand how their child processes information and interacts with the world, and I do this so that I can guide them towards the best possible outcome and highest level of success for their child.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My home and practice are located in Allen, TX, and there are too many lovely spots to name. First and foremost, I’d take a visiting friend to brunch at Fairview Farmers, which has the most delicious lattes and decadent breakfast dishes in all of Allen. Then we might work off breakfast with a stroll or a bike ride in Celebration Park, which is my favorite place to exercise. After that, I’d love to go shopping for some souvenirs for them at Watters Creek, where we could sit on the green and chat about what to do next. Are we hungry enough to grab a portabello burger at Village Burger Bar? Or a chai at Armor Coffee? If it was getting towards the evening, I might suggest that we take in a movie at iPic in Fairview, where we could snuggle under blankets in oversized recliner chairs and have a glass of wine.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would never have discovered my love of helping families of children with developmental and brain issues if it were not for two people, my brother who sustained a brain injury in infancy, and my mother who dedicated countless hours of her love, time, energy, and effort towards finding and securing the therapies, supports, and educational opportunities that helped him to graduate college and earn two masters degrees. Thirty years ago, there was no set road map for what do to when medical trauma impacted a child’s brain. I had never heard of a neuropsychologist, and neither had anyone in my family. I watched my mother toil tirelessly to connect the pieces of a crazy puzzle in order to cobble together the environment my brother needed to achieve success, and I watched my brother work every day to confront the challenges that faced him medically, developmentally, socially, and academically. They will forever be the inspiration behind what I do, and I try to bring my mother’s love and my brother’s perseverance to work with me every day.

Website: https://hollybarnardphd.com