The ASD Lifeline Program, About Us

Counseling & Support Services for Autism Spectrum & Related Childhood Disorders (such as NLD, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, Anxiety and Mood Disorders), Traumatized & Undiagnosed Children

About Us
AnaMaria Guevara, LCSW/ Founder Professional Biography: AnaMaria Guevara, LCSW, serves families and children with special needs, particularly parents and siblings of children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). AnaMaria offers therapeutic and educational workshops for parents with children recently diagnosed with ASD ("ASD Parent: Autism Intervention"), support groups for siblings of children with developmental disabilities (Neurosibs Support Group), individual therapy for children struggling with anxiety, depression, behavioral and social problems, and individual/couples counseling to parents of children with developmental disabilities. AnaMaria earned her BA in Psychology with an emphasis on Child Development in 1995 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Masters in Clinical Social Work at San Francisco State University in 2000. As an undergraduate, AnaMaria participated in school-based internships under the supervision of clinical child psychologist, Ralph Quinn, PhD, and worked at UCSC & the Allan Gutmacher Institute, Inc. as a postgraduate researcher with Developmental Psychologists, Catherine Cooper, PhD, and Margarita Azmitia, PhD. AnaMaria began her career as a psychotherapist in Santa Cruz County providing counseling to traumatized children in a shelter for battered women. In 1998-2000, she facilitated support groups to incarcerated youth and provided intensive in-home therapeutic support to foster care children while working for San Mateo County Mental Health. She spent her next three years working for Santa Clara County, Dept. of Families and Children Services serving court-dependent children. From 2003-2009, AnaMaria worked for Santa Clara Valley, Health & Hospitals System, Family and Children Services Division, providing outpatient assessments and psychotherapy to children with complex emotional, social and behavioral difficulties. AnaMaria maintains a private practice in Campbell, CA. AnaMaria is the proud parent of two very special boys ages 9 and 6. AnaMaria has a thorough understanding of the required interdisciplinary care for children with developmental disabilities and learning differences, and experience working directly with multiple systems such as schools, regional centers, mental health agencies, and law enforcement. AnaMaria is skilled in assessnig and treating the social cognitive impairments in children along with comorbid mood, anxiety, and behavioral difficulties. AnaMaria has completed training on multiple intervention models such as Integrated Peer Playgroups, Early Start Denver Model, SCERTS, Social Thinking and sensory processing & integration. AnaMaria also has training and experience in cognitive behavioral therapy and extensive experience treating victims of trauma.	Tracey Gatheral, Family Resource Specialist Professional Biography: Tracey Gatheral began her career over 20 years ago in the High Tech industry in a variety of roles, including Marketing and Operations. Since then, she has dedicated her time and energy to care for her daughter. The first few months after receiving a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be paralyzing. There is so much to do and to learn and no roadmap to guide you. It’s that unique understanding which created the desire to assist other families in similar situations. Tracey has been to many seminar and trainings, such as SCERTS, Linda Mood-Bell, Carol Gray and Michelle Garcia Winner’s social thinking workshops to name a few. She has access to highly regarded service providers, such as Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Behavioral Therapists, information about bio-medical and dietary interventions, schools and facilitated playgroups. She aspires to combine her professional skills with her first hand personal experience and pass that onto other families with the goal of assisting them through their journey of helping their child with learning differences. Tracey is offering 1:1 services to parents as an Family Resource Specialist, who can assist them in getting organized, getting connected, identifying appropriate service providers, educational placement consultation and general guidance through this process. In addition, Tracey will be co-facilitating a 10-week series of uniquely designed interactive workshops, “ASD Parent: Autism Intervention” with AnaMaria Guevara, ASD Parent/LCSW. The program is designed to aid parents & caregivers in what to do after receiving a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder for their child. Sample topics include: How to Cope with the Demands of caring for a Special Needs Child, Overview of different service treatments, How to initiate and sustain meaningful interactions with your child, etc. She is very passionate in her desire to relieve parents of the mistakes many of us make upon entering this new world we’ve been thrust into. Welcome to Lorena Gonzalez, Clinician/ Licensed Clinical Social Worker Lorena holds a Bachelor Degree in Administration of Justice from San Jose State University and a Masters degree in Social Work from San Jose State University. Lorena is a member of the National Association of Social Workers. She is certified through CIMH (California Institute of Mental Health) on Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Lorena has been a practicing clinician for more than 14 years and brings to our practice solid clinical skills and comprehensive knowledge about the systems our clients interface with such as foster care, probation, health systems, and special education. She has participated in multiple multidisciplinary teams over the years, which informs the collaborative approach that guides her clinical work. Her emphasis has been working with children, adolescents and their families. Lorena has provided evaluation, individual, family, and group counseling and case management services to individuals with severe mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, victims of abuse, children who have been victims of trauma, and children with special needs. She is excited to join the ASD Lifeline Program and works with us on a parttime basis. She is the parent of two beautiful children ages 8 and 20. She also brings first hand knowledge and experience on addressing the inpact of medical issues in children such as diabetes.
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