About
This site is the work of Leslie E. Packer, PhD.
About the Author
I am a NYS-licensed psychologist who specializes in Tourette’s Syndrome and the associated conditions. After completing a doctorate in experimental psychology and working in academia teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology, I left to go into applied clinical work at NYU Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital in the Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine, where I applied my previous research in biofeedback and my background in behavioral psychology to treating patients with a variety of neurologically-based motor control problems, including movement disorders such as spasmodic torticollis and Tourette’s Syndrome.
For the past 27 years, I have been in private practice, the last 12 of which have been devoted to working with children and adolescents with TS+. Within that framework, my private practice has been split between providing psychotherapy for individuals have TS+ and serving as a consulting psychologist to school districts who need training and/or assistance in developing appropriate educational programs for students with TS+. In my psychotherapeutic work, I incorporate research-validated methods such as cognitive-behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral interventions for tics (CBIT), as well as parent training. I also provide workshops for parents, educators, and clinicians who want to learn more about TS+.
This site represents more than just “book knowledge” or clinical experience, however. It also incorporates my experiences as a family member and pro bono advocate for the Tourette’s Syndrome community. As the parent of two young adults with TS+ and as the spouse of a man with TS+, I know some of the pain and challenges that family members face on a daily basis.
This web site is my way of sharing some of what I’ve learned personally and professionally in my journey over the past 21 years. If it helps another family, teacher, or colleague, I am delighted.
Almost 25 years ago, I saw a poster that had quite an impact on me. It showed a skier poised at the edge of a glacial crevice. It looked impossible for him to go back up the slope, and yet there was no way he could conceivably jump across the crevice from a dead standstill. The caption on the poster was, “Find a way or make a way.” For the last 30 years, “Find a way or make a way” has been my motto, and why it became the title of my first book. You are welcome to adopt it as your motto, too. Seeing ourselves a problem-solvers and teaching our children or students to become problem-solvers may be the most constructive response to what otherwise might seem to be overwhelming challenges. Responding to challenges in the school setting is the theme of my second book. In addition to my books, I have also published in peer-reviewed professional journals such as Neurologic Clinics and Behavior Modification.
About the Site
This web site originally opened in May 1998 after a few years of being hosted on free services that no longer exist. The site has won a number of awards over the years.
Most of the photographs used on this site are from Dreamstime.com or PhotoDisc, and are used under license.
As the site owner and author, I personally pay for the site hosting and all fees associated with the maintenance of the site.
As a psychologist, I do not prescribe medications, nor do I ever recommend specific medications, and this site receives no funding or support from any pharmaceutical company. I do not own stock in any pharmaceutical company.