Hi, I’m Dr. Meredith Franco, a licensed clinical psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist. I specialize in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. My work prioritizes building strong relationships and offering a warm, empathetic, and affirming space for growth. As a Bethesda-Chevy Chase native and former Montgomery County Public School special education teacher, I’m deeply committed to serving my community with neurodivergent-affirming, gender-affirming, and culturally responsive care.

My approach is family-focused and collaborative, offering guidance to parents and caregivers during times of change and transition. I draw from cognitive-behavioral techniques and integrate influences from attachment, ecological, and family-systems theories. This means that I focus on how relationships and environments shape young people’s well-being. This sometimes involves partnering with people in a child’s support system—like teachers, parents, and siblings—to proactively nurture their well-being. I take pride in using a strength-based, solution-focused approach to help clients thrive and focus on their passions and interests outside of therapy.

In addition to therapeutic services, I offer psychoeducational evaluations, including independent school admissions testing. My expertise includes identifying learning and neurodevelopmental differences such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, Autism, anxiety, and ADHD. I also offer consultations for families navigating the special education process, including IEP and 504 Plans, connecting them with local resources and tools for advocacy.

•  ADHD
•  Anxiety
•  Autism
•  Depression
•  Grief and Loss
•  Learning Differences
•  Life Transitions
•  Neurodivergence
•  OCD
•  Parenting
•  Potentially Traumatic Events (PTEs)
•  Relationship Issues
•  School-Related Stress
•  Self-Esteem
•  Trauma

Prior to graduate school, I earned a Combined B.S./M.Ed. in Special Education with a minor in Human Development from the University of Maryland and worked as a special educator in Montgomery County Public Schools. I went on to complete my Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology at the University of Virginia, one of the nation’s few NASP- and APA-accredited programs. During my doctoral training, I trained at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Virginia Treatment Center for Children, and completed an APA-accredited internship with the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine. Beyond my clinical work, I am actively affiliated with Youth-Nex, a research center at the University of Virginia that advances developmental science to promote positive youth development.