About us

At UW, Dr. Sterling obtained her own grant funding to conduct research on the physiology of social and emotional processing among autistic adults; while she was interviewing research participants, it became clear that the ‘comorbid’ symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression) that are frequently associated with ASD were often the most distressing aspects of life for autistic individuals. It became her passion to support autistic adolescents and adults struggling with emotional symptoms.

She went on to complete her predoctoral Clinical Internship in Developmental Disabilities at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, where she treated adults with developmental disabilities and children and adolescents with a range of psychiatric conditions. Dr. Sterling continued her training at UCLA as a Postdoctoral Fellow, where she obtained grant funding from the National Institutes of Health and from the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment to study the physiology of anxiety and stress response in autistic youth. As part of her postdoctoral training, she also pursued specialized training in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) targeting anxiety in autistic youth.

Following her training, Dr. Sterling served on the clinical faculty in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and as a Staff Psychologist at the UCLA Child and Adult Neurodevelopmental Clinic. She then became an Interim Assistant Professor and Director of the Autism Center at Claremont McKenna College before serving as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University Long Beach (CSULB) for three years. At CSULB, Dr. Sterling directed a research laboratory where she and her team investigated depression, anxiety, and factors related to quality of life, including romantic relationships, among autistic college students. She loved working in the university setting but left academia in 2018 so that she could serve the autistic community more directly through clinical work.

Dr. Sterling has been conducting comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for youth and adults with suspected autism for almost 20 years, and has extensive experience and expertise providing individual therapy for autistic individuals, especially those who are also experiencing anxiety, depression, or other co-occurring symptoms.

In addition to her published peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Sterling has co-authored a 10-week group intervention to support the development of romantic relationships and dating skills for autistic adults, she has published a book on social skills for autistic teens, has and consulted with human resources and staff at large companies to provide education around neurodiversity in the workplace. She has delivered keynote addresses, conference presentations, and community talks on topics ranging from autistic adults in the workplace, comorbid psychiatric conditions among autistic teens and adults, the transition from adolescence to adulthood, dating and relationships among autistic adults, and neurodiversity. She has also appeared as a guest on podcasts discussing these topics.

Since transitioning from academia to full-time clinical work, Dr. Sterling has grown the practice to meet the need for teen and adult support in the community and founded the Sterling Institute for Autism in 2021.

When she is not working at SIA, Dr. Sterling is enjoying time with her husband and two children. She loves helping other parents who are working through the challenges of parenthood!

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Dr. Karp received her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle and completed her APA-accredited predoctoral internship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the School of Medicine and the TEACCH Center. She completed her APA-accredited postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University in the School of Medicine in the Division of Child Psychiatry. Dr. Karp previously served as a psychologist in the Center for Developmental and Behavioral Health at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As a component of Dr. Karp’s commitment to evidence-based care, she continues to participate in clinical trials research and serves as an ad hoc peer reviewer for scientific journals.

Dr. Starleaf has extensive experience and training in the most innovative evidence based treatments in psychology including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Social Anxiety and Depression, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, Panic Control Treatment for Panic Disorder, Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), and Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Over the past several years, she has provided these treatments at some of the most respected training sites in Southern California including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Harbor UCLA, Kaiser Permanente Orange County and Tarzana Treatment Centers. She now works in private practice doing individual therapy, group therapy, and psychodiagnostic assessment.

Dr. Starleaf earned her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University in Los Angeles. She completed an intensive APA accredited pre-doctoral internship at Pacific Clinics Behavioral Health where she specialized in treating high risk youth with severe and persistent mental illness in an intensive outpatient setting.

As a former professional musician, Dr. Starleaf is passionate about helping others find their voice. She strives to help teens begin carving out a positive identity for themselves during what is a very challenging developmental period, despite neurodevelopmental or other mental health challenges. She strongly believes in a collaborative and strength-based approach to assessment and treatment. She uses humor, warmth, and creativity to connect with her patients, and strives to empower adolescents to become independent, functional, and self-sufficient adults.In her spare time, Dr. Starleaf still enjoys playing music and spending time at the beach with her husband, son, and two black Labradors.

​California Psychologist License #: PSY32814

She went on to complete her Adult Psychiatry Residency from Stanford Hospital and Clinics. Dr. Bahl then pursued specialty training in autism and related neurodevelopemtal disorders through her Child Psychiatry Fellowship at UCSF.

Throughout her career Dr. Bahl has been praised for her comprehensive, integrative, empathic approach incorporating therapy into medication management and evaluation. In her spare time, Dr. Bahl enjoys time with family and friends at the beach, going to museums, and playing with her two young kids.

She is a proud University of Washington alumna and received her MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Seattle. Throughout her career, she has specialized in autism and related conditions while working in a variety of settings, including academic and clinical centers, research programs, private and community health clinics, and in private practice.

Ms. Brock has been the Executive Director at University of California, Irvine’s Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders since 2014. Prior to this position, Ms. Brock served for 20 years as the Associate Director at the University of Washington’s prestigious Autism Center.She has a range of clinical experience, with training in cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy techniques. Ms. Brock has worked as a clinician at Cadence Child and Adolescent Therapy in Kirkland, WA in addition to maintaining a private practice in Washington for over 15 years. She is excited to have a similar practice serving neurodivergent youth and adults in Long Beach, CA.

This progressive method is based on in-the-moment assessment, does not follow rigid protocols, and is flexible in its approach based on the individual’s progress. It emphasizes clinical judgement to aid in teaching functional skills that translate to meaningful outcomes. The goal of Leticia’s approach is to discover what tools the person needs to thrive and help empower them to build on their strengths and develop the strategies and skills that work best for them. Leticia earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in special education, from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. She then received her master’s degree in ABA from St. Cloud State University, Minnesota. Leticia has consulted nationally and internationally with families, service agencies, and school districts, sharing evidence-based methodology, including ABA, to promote social skills. Additionally, she has contributed to scholarly publications, research, and books, and has presented at professional conferences. Throughout her career, Leticia has ensured the highest quality services are available to families by providing comprehensive training to therapists, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents. She believes the best way to empower others is to provide them with the most effective strategies possible. Equipped with these strategies, parents and providers can develop stronger critical thinking skills, and create meaningful change.

After completing her undergraduate degree, Leticia joined Autism Partnership (AP), where she continued educating others in effective strategies to support neurodivergent learners. While at AP, she had the privilege of working with pioneers in the field of autism treatment. Under their mentorship, and alongside other incredible clinicians, she incorporated her playful engaging style and critical thinking skills to make learning fun and naturalistic for her clients. She became lead therapist for several social skills groups, implementing effective teaching strategies to develop and enhance social awareness, engagement, verbal/nonverbal communication, and social interactions. Later, she transitioned to a supervisor position, where she led and coached others in the implementation of individualized therapeutic interventions. A major portion of her role as a supervisor involved working with parents and helping them implement strategies to support their child at home. The passion for providing quality intervention fueled the work, which resulted in empowering autistic people and their families.

Leticia was selected to consult with families, other service agencies, and in school districts nationally and internationally. She especially enjoyed the challenge of presenting and providing consultation in Spanish in Latin America, including Honduras, Columbia, and Panama. As a consultant for Autism Partnership, she relocated and worked within the Maui school district teaching and providing on-site continuous management of a pre-school model classroom program while training district employees. Additionally, she co-taught an elementary school model classroom in Orange County, providing ongoing mentoring and training to AP personnel and school district staff.

Among her various roles at Autism Partnership, Leticia also served as Director of Staff Training and Development, ensuring all agency staff were well equipped to provide the highest quality services for all AP clients and families.

Outside of work, Leticia enjoys spending quality time with her husband, teenage kids, and Aussie fur baby. She is excited to embark on a new journey at the Sterling Institute for Autism, using her unique approach to support neurodivergent clients and their families!