Reliable ABA Therapists in Phoenix, AZ

BCBA – Denver

As a lifelong learner, Lisa L. Nigrelli has earned graduate degrees in Counseling Psychology (Lesley University), Education (Regis University), and an Applied Behavior Analysis graduate certificate (University of Northern Colorado-Greeley). Currently, she is a licensed BCBA in the Denver Colorado area, where her time is happily spent connecting with families in the autism community.

Lisa was an Art and Design teacher for 11 years in an International Baccalaureate school in Thornton, Colorado. She evolved from the classroom to enter the ABA domain and works tirelessly with children touched by an autism diagnosis. The one-to-one support speaks to her desire to offer unique programming to unique capabilities in the children she meets. Working in early intervention clinics and in-home environments, Lisa fell in love with Natural Environment Teaching (NET). Her creative nature opens scores of opportunities to teach various skills while her clients play. Skilled in assent-based teaching, Lisa believes in the possibilities of choice. She trains her staff how to follow the lead of their young clients to build on their individual interests as they learn new ways of communicating.

Outside of the wonderful world of designing ABA treatment plans, Lisa enjoys making mosaic art and firing ceramics in her home studio kiln. Sharing her home with two curious cats, Nosey Rosie and Jo-Jo Bunny, plus her partner of 10 years, Lisa reports that life is good.

BCBA – Denver

Anna is a BCBA with over 6 years of experience working in the field of ABA in clinic, home and school settings. She is originally from New York and is currently living and providing ABA services in Denver, Colorado. Anna uses a client centered approach focused on the unique strengths, goals, and values of each child, in order to achieve meaningful outcomes for children and their families. She is passionate about providing compassionate and trauma-informed care, and making the learning process fun and filled with joy. She is passionate about using evidence-based practices and continued learning within the field of ABA, with specific interests in perspective taking, executive functioning, and emotional regulation skills. In her free time, Anna enjoys hiking, traveling, spending time outdoors, and learning aerial.

BCBA – Tucson

Wendy L. Broder is a licensed BCBA in Tucson, Arizona, with 25 years of experience teaching and leading special education programs for children ages 3-21 with Autism and other developmental disabilities. Her extensive experience in school settings includes collaborating with multidisciplinary teams of educators, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists. In 2008, Wendy established the first educational business of its kind in Nevada, providing tailored educational services to individuals with disabilities within the community. As a passionate advocate for children’s rights, she is committed to ensuring every child receives the support and resources they need to thrive.

Following her extensive career in education, Wendy pursued a new learning path in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is a proud graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology and has experience working in both clinical and home settings. Wendy is particularly interested in ABA research, with a focus on ACT, Trauma-Informed ABA, and parent training.

Since February 2024, Wendy has been happy to call Tucson home. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, traveling, and spending quality time with her husband, their two dogs, and visiting her adult children. Wendy is dedicated to her work with children on the Autism spectrum and is excited about the opportunity to work with your family!

BCBA – Colorado Springs

Kourtney is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and the University of La Verne. She received her Master’s degree in Child Life and spent several years working with children in the hospital and healthcare setting.  In 2012 Kourtney transitioned to the field of early intervention and applied behavior analysis as a behavior technician. Shortly thereafter she was promoted to a Program Manager where she directly oversaw the delivery of ABA services for a caseload of children receiving services in the home setting.

Kourtney moved from California to Arizona, continuing to work in the field with clients as young as 18 months and as old as 19. During this time, she completed her certificate in Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology and became certified as a BCBA. Kourtney values and incorporates family centered care, trauma informed practices and compassionate care practices into her work as a BCBA. Additionally, she is passionate about applying mindful and behavioral based strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into her work with caregivers and parents.

Kourtney now calls the state of Colorado her home. When she is not working, you can find her playing tennis, reading mystery novels, or out exploring natural parks with her beloved pug Kingston.

BCBA – Tucson

Judith Pedersen is a BCBA with extensive experience in Applied Behavior Analysis serving families in Arizona. She has supported children and adolescents with ASD and other developmental conditions since 2017. Judith empowers caregivers by equipping them with effective ABA techniques to enhance their quality of life and fosters client progress and independence through individualized treatment plans. Passionate about training and supervising Registered Behavior Technicians, Judith ensures high standards of care while collaborating closely with families and multidisciplinary teams to provide compassionate support. In her free time, she enjoys gaming, reading, and spending quality moments with her family.

BCBA – Colorado Springs

Abigail is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over 7 years of experience in ABA currently serving families in Colorado. She is passionate about providing trauma-informed and person-centered care that highlights the strengths and interests of clients while supporting areas of new learning and growth. With a close understanding of the challenges autistic family members may face, Abigail strives to help families understand and manage both the challenges and joys that accompany an autism diagnosis while advocating for their needs in a world that’s still catching up. Outside of work, you can find Abigail doing yoga, baking, and enjoying time with her family.

Clinical Director – Arizona

Erin Rourke is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and a licensed behavior analyst in Arizona. She completed her coursework at Florida Institute of Technology and began practicing ABA in 2012. For over a decade, she has supervised intensive early intervention programs for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in both home and clinic settings. Erin has also supervised home-based focused ABA programs for skill acquisition and severe and complex behavior concerns for individuals aged 3 to 22 years. Her work with individuals with severe and complex behavior concerns sparked a strong interest in trauma-informed care and provided her with experience working within the foster care system and with individuals with a variety of diagnoses and needs. Erin has also worked as a behavior analyst within the public school system at both the elementary and high school levels. Within the school setting, she closely collaborated with special and general education teachers and speech and occupational therapists to support students with behavioral and learning difficulties. She also provided professional development to staff around behavior management. Erin’s approach to treatment includes fostering joy in learning, compassionate and respectful relationships between herself and her patient’s caregivers, and striving for meaningful progress. She believes that every child and family deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, and she feels truly fortunate for the opportunity to support them in their journey.

VP of Operations, Clinical Director -Colorado

Amanda Sorensen is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with over a decade of experience working in the field of ABA with children and families impacted by autism and other developmental disabilities. She specializes in the mentorship of BCBAs and those working toward certification, as well as creating systems and processes to improve the quality of care for clients and the training and supervision of staff. Amanda has experience building ABA programs and has held director-level positions for nearly four years. She has worked in various home, community, and clinic settings in California and Colorado. Currently, Amanda lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her two dogs, two cats, and six chickens. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her animals, reading, writing, and photography.

Co-Founder and Managing Director

Dovi Friedman brings extensive experience from the healthcare sector, particularly in nursing home administration. With experience in New York, Rhode Island, California, and Washington State, he has worked in healthcare finance, nursing home administration, and healthcare marketing. Beginning in the finance departments of nursing homes across NY, Dovi developed a deep understanding of financial operations and the importance of efficient resource allocation. Transitioning into administration, he obtained his license and assumed leadership roles, particularly in Los Angeles and Washington State, where he served as a nursing home administrator throughout COVID-19. During this challenging time, he strove to ensure clinical excellence was on par with or above operational excellence, taking no risks with the lives in his care. Following that period, Dovi chose to enter the ABA field, inspired by a close friend who has a child with autism and witnessing firsthand the positive impact of ABA therapy. His research revealed how private equity firms often prioritize profits over clinical care, reinforcing his decision to create an ABA company with an environment where staff and clients feel valued, supported, and embraced as part of a family. By prioritizing the well-being and comfort of all stakeholders, Dovi strives to ensure that every individual feels empowered in their journey toward growth and development.

BCBA Deputy Clinical Director- Colorado

Alexandra Hakeem is a BCBA who thoroughly enjoys working with a variety of families in the state of Colorado. As a BCBA, Alexandra demonstrates dedication to her work by providing compassionate care and kindness to all of her clients. She continues to learn and grow in the field of ABA by staying up with new research and has a strong passion for evidence-based practices. In addition, taking pride in mentoring staff is one of her specialties. Alexandra collaborates with parents and other providers to increase the quality of life for her families. In her free time, Alexandra enjoys snowboarding, softball, and spending time with her family and friends.

Clinical Advisory Board Member

Dr. Kristen Byra is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst at a doctoral level (BCBA-D) and a licensed behavior analyst in Arizona and Texas. She completed her master’s degree in psychology at Western Michigan University in May 2007, specializing in autism and organizational behavior management. By May 2010, she received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the same university, specializing in Behavior Analysis. Her thesis and dissertation centered around the evaluation of prompting strategies for children with autism and related disorders, focusing specifically on matching to sample and receptive identification skills. Following her graduation, Kristen concentrated her professional efforts on delivering center-based and home-based services for children diagnosed with autism and related disorders. She also provided consultation services for several school districts in Arizona and Nevada. Since 2017, she has been creating Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) and Clinical Intelligence Forms (CIF) for various prominent insurance companies and provider agencies. Kristen has contributed as an expert witness in several court cases and has functioned as an ad-hoc reviewer for the Behavior Analysis in Practice journal. Her ongoing passion is to disseminate information and research concerning the best practices in behavior analysis, which she accomplishes through web-based learning platforms and consultation. Most recently, she has been appointed by the Governor of Arizona to be a committee member on the Committee for Behavior Analysts.